Proverbs 17:15. He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
God hates injustice in both directions. What do I mean? He hates when the wicked are justified, or acquitted, and he hates when the righteous are condemned. Sadly, we live in a fallen world where this kind of injustice happens often. Corrupt legal systems keep the innocent on trial while the guilty walk away.
In the law, God demanded that his chosen people, the Israelites, practice justice in their courts.
Exodus 23:7. Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.
The prophets also condemned Israel for her unjust practices.
Isaiah 5:20. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
The injustice that the law, the prophets, and the writings all condemn, the injustice that God hates was on full display at the trial of Jesus himself. Barabbas, the guilty, was justified and set free, while Jesus, the righteous was condemned and executed.
Yet the execution of Jesus was NOT an abomination to God. Why not? Because beyond being an injustice, it was Jesus’ own choice to offer his life as a sacrifice for sins. No one took his life, Jesus said, he laid it down willingly. Therefore, as Paul tells us, God can be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom. 3:26).
This truth of Christ’s self-giving sacrifice, his free-will choice to die in our place is what keeps the cross from itself being a violation of God’s word. If Christ’s life was simply taken from him by an unjust system run by wicked people who condemned the only righteous man to ever live, then surely the cross of Christ would be an abomination to God. Yes, on the cross Jesus himself became an abomination to God. He became sin for us, Paul says. In his humanity, Jesus was forsaken by God, cursed by God, and allowed to experience the hell of separation from God. But the cross, as Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for sins was received by God, not as an abomination, but as our beautiful absolution.
Now, in Christ, because of his vicarious death for us, we are the wicked that have been justified. The very thing that God hates, the injustice of absolving the guilty, he now offers to us in Christ. Does this make God unjust? Never. Jesus’ sacrifice of his good life for our evil life, his exchanging of his righteousness for our unrighteousness satisfies both the justice and the mercy of God. Hallelujah!
In Christ we can be his ministers of both in the world – justice and mercy. In our daily lives may we never call good evil and evil good. May we never allow the ends to justify the means or wrongly put our hope in the lesser of two evils. May we not turn a blind eye to bullying and oppression. May we not condemn the “righteous,” even by our failure to pursue truth on their behalf. And at the same time, may the justice we pursue be the restorative justice of Christ that allows mercy to change hearts and lives as we choose to offer the same forgiveness and grace that Christ chose to offer to us.
You: How aware are you of injustice around you?
You in Christ: How does the freely offered mercy of Christ empower you to offer that same mercy?
Christ in you: Where might you be able to confront injustice today with both mercy and truth?
Pray: Father, you received Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf so that I, the wicked, might be declared righteous. Help me to live in this mercy and righteousness today. Amen.
To Live is Christ 