Love Requires Justice

Never make the mistake of believing that the love of God is permissive to injustice.

Justice is a necessary component of His love. God detests the wicked and the unrighteous.

Yet, we excuse the sins of humanity with statements like “God loves the sinner, and hates the sin.”

The problem is that sin is personal, its punishment is personal and its reprieve was personal. For if God only condemned the concept of sin, people could not be held responsible.

Proclaiming the words, “Murder is wrong,” is not the same as convicting a murderer to life imprisonment. A judge may rightly say it is wrong to take someone’s life, but justice can only be served when the criminal is punished.

God cannot be mocked, He executes judgement for sin. Yet, He is merciful, not permissive. But His mercy was bought with a price. Either the sinner is condemned or God would take the condemnation for us.

The condemnation Christ endured was horrific, not only did it show the lengths of His love for us, it showed the intensity of God’s attitude towards sin.

He who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God. Sin was condemned in the flesh. Christ was substituted for the punishment you and I deserve, so that we may walk in the mercy and love of God.

How can we presume that God excuses injustice under the veil of love?

The same righteous anger you feel over an innocent person dying under the knee of an officer, God feels exponentially with all sin. God intervenes to overcome injustice by stepping into the world and bringing love, truth and light into it, a feat we cannot do by hiding from the world.

While Billy Graham preached the Gospel, Dr King advocated for justice, God was responsible for both.

Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. — Amos‬ ‭5:24–25