Let Which Justice Roll?

I. Engaging Culture with Justice and Righteousness

This morning will be a little different. Our text would normally be the last half of Amos 5. I am going to zero in on just one verse though, Amos 5:24. It will be on the screen, but as you are turning there, let me give you some background.

Since the day we planted New City Church in 2007, we have been calling the church to be counter cultural... to find a way to engage our culture with the gospel, not run from it or conform to it. I, we, have not always hit the bullseye on this. But God has always provided loads of grace through the Scripture to correct us as we seek to be faithful to Him and the engagement he calls us to.

Today, we are inside of a culture steeped in a very unbiblical worldview of justice.

Make no mistake about it. God demands justice and righteousness from His people. We are called to love our neighbor, witnessing to and applying the gospel for a person’s deep spiritual need AND treating them fairly, ensuring their God-given rights. God’s Word and our deeds will go together.

But, when it comes to doing biblical justice, it is like the proverbial horseback rider: there are two sides we can slide off onto. One is conforming to culture’s definition: in addition to leaving the gospel, it then gets the diagnosis of the problem and its solution wrong. Off the other side is sub-culturing: seeing that one can fall off onto that side of the horse, this person scoots down on the other side of the horse, falls off and abandons the biblical call to do justice to the poor – a misguided attempt to preserve a proclamation of the gospel.

Neither the “conforming to culture” over here is right, nor the “sub-culture” take that presumes we can just share the gospel. Instead, it is normal that biblically-minded people will be “counter-cultural”, bringing the truth to bear on the world around us. But, don’t take it from me, I want you to see this in the Bible.

God’s people in Israel and Judah illustrate this for us as well, falling off the horse on both sides actually. They had simultaneously retreated from culture by separating themselves as a nation, creating an un-engaging sub-culture… not being a light to the nations. And at the same time, they had taken on the practices of cultures around them, loving money, being proud, exploiting the weak and poor in the process.

Rather than engaging the culture with the truth of God’s word, they simultaneously abandoned the peoples to their own destruction and took on the unbiblical ways of the peoples. In short, Israel was unfaithful to the Lord their God.

As a result, the residual religious activity of the people is a stench to their Holy God, as we see in Amos 5:16-27.

Frankly, this section reiterates a lot of what has already been said earlier in Amos. But, it puts front and center for us God’s measuring rod of justice and righteousness, which test the genuine-ness of their faith.

In v.16-17 we see a funeral depicted, with all of the wailing and mourning we might expect from such a sad event. Why a funeral? Despite God’s repeated pleading with Israel to repent and believe, to turn away from their sins and turn back to Him in faith, Israel would not. So, their death is depicted Unrepentant sin has lead to death for the nation.

In v.18-20 the Day of the Lord is depicted – it is not a happy event for Israel. When God visits his unfaithful people it will be judgment instead.

And in v.21-24, we read this

21 “I hate, I despise your feasts,

and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,

I will not accept them;

and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,

I will not look upon them.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;

to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

God is confronting the manipulative, secularized religious activities, unaccompanied by a regard for a daily / continuous flow of justice and righteousness. God wants more from them – he wants their entire devotion, which should work itself out in ethical interactions with both God and fellow image bearers of God.

Finally, in the last 3 verses God points out that mere rituals were never the only things God required. But because Israel will not repent from their empty rituals, they will go into exile.

This morning we want to be sure to see what God means by justice, where it comes from, and why it should characterize God’s people. We’ll survey the Scripture to learn from our Lord, and then ask some questions to see if we are conforming to the Word or the world.

First, let’s pray.

II. Examining Biblical Justice and Righteousness

The Westminster Confession teaches a valuable principle that the best interpreter of Scripture is the Scripture itself. If something is unclear to us in one place, we can look to other places in Scripture for clarity. God will teach us what is true. So let’s do that this morning.

A. Its redemptive history context

1. Creation

Shows us who is Lord and Master.

Genesis 1:1

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

He is the Creator, therefore He gets to define what is good, what is good for His creatures, and what they must do for His glory and their good.

Genesis 1:26–28

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Each and every person, regardless of age, social class, location, is a valuable image-bearer.

And if it is not already obvious to you, you’ll see in just a moment that God expects dominion and subduing and fruitful multiplication to be done in such a way that he prescribes, in a way that honors Him and His image in each person.

2. Fall

But almost immediately, the Fall of mankind happens when Adam and Eve do not trust God’s goodness to them, do not honor Him as Creator, but instead attempt to remove God from His throne and put themselves upon it.

What was the progression? 1. Adam did not crush the head of the serpent, but allowed Sata to bring temptation – the temptation to question the sufficiency of what God had said. 2. Then Eve adds to God’s rule by saying, “… neither shall you shall not touch it.” 3. Reasoning that they should have the authority to decide how to live, not submit to God’s clear direction.

When they eat of the forbidden fruit, they bring they break peace in the world, they bring the curse of death upon the whole world.

So sin, rebellion against God, is at the root of all the brokenness that has brought so much pain and suffering ever since.

3. Redemption

However, God did not immediately kill Adam and Eve. Instead, He takes the initiative for bringing us back into fellowship with Him and reconciliation with Him. He does justice by killing an animal in their place, and giving them clothes to wear. He disciplines them by expelling them from the Garden, out of His presence showing them the gravity of their sin. And He gives them the promise that it won’t end like this, but He will fully redeem and restore through the work of one of Eve’s offspring.

God’s people must trust His Word, His promise as they await its fulfillment in the one we know to be the Christ.

The solution to the brokenness is the promised gospel, the work of Christ, justification by faith alone. God promises eternity to all who are reconciled to God by faith in Jesus.

Until that final day when all the brokenness is undone in the new heavens and new earth, God guides his people in how to live in such a way that anticipated the coming of Jesus, and his second coming at the culmination of redemptive history.

Now, with that context, let’s see what God has shown us for justice.

B. To treat people equitably, fairly

Justice means to judge fairly and impartially (whether punishment, protection, or care).

Exodus 23:2–3

2 You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, 3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

So justice will not do evil or give false testimony in order to go along with the crowd. Nor will it assume the poor are in the right.

Deuteronomy 1:17

17 You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

Add to that…

Deuteronomy 16:18–20

18 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lordyour God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. 20 Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

These judges should represent God to the people, they should give the judgement God would give, and should judge by His standards, the truth, His truth, not the standards of the surrounding secular cultures.

Justice is - To treat people equitably, fairly

God’s guidance for wisdom in the Proverbs has amazed me on this. The first chapter gives the purpose of Proverbs, telling us it is to guide us in righteousness, justice and equity. Listen to this:

Proverbs 1:1–4

1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,

to understand words of insight,

3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,

in righteousness, justice, and equity;

4 to give prudence to the simple,

knowledge and discretion to the youth—

Do you see how cool this is for understanding justice? God has gifted us with a book specifically designed to give us wisdom so that we can deal with others with righteousness, justice, and equity!

Does it deliver later in the book? Yes!

Proverbs 16:11

11 A just balance and scales are the Lord’s;

all the weights in the bag are his work.

So our conduct should be fair, based on God’s justice and standards.

Proverbs 17:15

15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous

are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

Hear that now – to say that someone is innocent on any basis other than the truth is an abomination to the LORD. AND, to condemn the righteous, the innocent, as if they are guilty is an abomination.

C. To give people their rights

Proverbs 31:9

9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,

defend the rights of the poor and needy.

God’s people should speak to ensure the poor and needy are not deprived of their rights.

Exodus 23:6

6 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit.

Justice is a right of the poor, given by God, and not to be withheld from the poor, weak, or vulnerable.

Proverbs 29:7

7 A righteous man knows the rights of the poor;

a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.

God’s people should be those who have been taught by God and understand what He has said are the rights of the poor. As God’s representatives, we should seek to see justice done.

D. Comes from God

It reflects God’s own character:

Psalm 89:11–15

11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;

the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.

12 The north and the south, you have created them;

Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.

13 You have a mighty arm;

strong is your hand, high your right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,

who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,

Everything belongs to the Lord, for He is the Creator. And all exists to honor and praise His name. God’s reign and rule rest upon righteousness and justice, for that is part of His very character, along with love and faithfulness. His character doesn’t change, so it is always with Him wherever He is. And this is a blessing to His people, a joy for us in God’s presence!

God even makes himself known to us in terms that relate to justice for the weak and poor, which demonstrates the importance he places on justice.

Psalm 68:4–5

4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;

lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;

his name is the Lord;

exult before him!

5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows

is God in his holy habitation.

So if we withhold justice, God will be our enemy:

Proverbs 23:10–11

10 Do not move an ancient landmark

or enter the fields of the fatherless,

11 for their Redeemer is strong;

he will plead their cause against you.

The Bible also teaches us that

E. Getting justice right requires God’s grace

And it requires God’s grace to rightly discern truth in a case, using God’s Word and the reasoning abilities God gives:

Proverbs 18:17

17 The one who states his case first seems right,

until the other comes and examines him.

Parents and those who are around kids can think of how applicable this one is. If you’re like me, your kids fight. They may be outside or in another room in the house away from you when you hear the crying or yelling…

“Daddy, he hit me for no reason!”

Son, what happened? “He was taking my candy and I told him not to!”

Is that true, son? “Yes, but he didn’t have to hit me.”

“I had asked you nicely and you didn’t quite!” On and on it goes.

The first one seems innocent, until we hear from another. It takes discernment, God’s standards, good reasoning, and God’s grace to get to the truth.

F. Justice characterizes the godly

Proverbs 21:3

3 To do righteousness and justice

is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

That’s what we hear from Amos as well, right? Empty rituals are no good if not accompanied by the real faith that will also produce righteousness and justice.

Proverbs 28:5

5 Evil men do not understand justice,

but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.

New City, hear me. The world needs God’s vision of justice. And God has ordained that that come through us, His people. He’s not doing it through those who seek their own glory and power.

Israel prays in Psalm 72 for their king, originally Solomon then later kings, that God would help him deliver justice to the people:

Psalm 72:1–7

1 Give the king your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to the royal son!

2 May he judge your people with righteousness,

and your poor with justice!

3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,

and the hills, in righteousness!

4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,

give deliverance to the children of the needy,

and crush the oppressor!

5 May they fear you while the sun endures,

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!

6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

like showers that water the earth!

7 In his days may the righteous flourish,

and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

So we learn that justice and righteousness go together as the foundation of a godly reign of Israel’s king. Just like Adam, the king is supposed to have godly dominion, fill and subdue the earth, bringing the chaos under God’s rule as His representative.

Israel and their king fell short. The church, God’s people today, fall short. So, even the nations outside would be able to tell we fall short of what God wants displayed of His own character in His people.

Therefore, God’s plan for the earth would need a better Adam, a true Israel to bless the nations… ultimately fulfilled through Jesus Christ.

G. Biblical Justice and Righteousness In Christ

1. He confirms the call to justice

Matthew 25:45–46

45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Luke 11:42

42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Luke 18:3–8

3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

2. He fulfilled all justice and righteousness

So much we could look at here. Let me pick one chunk of Scripture: Matthew 12:15–21

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;

20 a bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until he brings justice to victory;

21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Jesus fulfills the passage in Isaiah to bring justice to the Gentiles. How? By renewing a people, gathering them as followers of the truth, bringing the light of the kingdom to bear in their darkness through healing them and giving them a taste of what we have to look forward to in the new heavens and new earth.

So the good news for all of us is that though we do not live up to God’s standards, we’ve not loved God and our neighbor as we ought, Jesus endured on the cross the punishment that justice demanded of sinners, though he was not a sinner. He took our place, so that the just wrath of God could come upon Him, and the merciful gift of righteousness could be counted to us. Romans 5:9-11.

So, we see …

3. Justice, righteousness, and mercy in the cross

Whew! What a deep and broad vision God has given us of what justice really is!

Let me say this: Today the church is being challenged to bring to the world a better vision for justice and righteousness than we have had in the past. Better than what the secular world is offering (if we will just conform to their standards), and better than what Fundamentalists are offering (if we will just preach the gospel).

So, I want to ask, “Do we have that better vision? How has our concept of justice squared with this biblical concept? In what ways have we been influenced by the world’s latest version of justice?”

Let’s evaluate…

III. Evaluating Our Understanding of Justice and Righteousness

First main question we’ll use to evaluate our concept….

A. What authority is grounding our concept?

Is it a) God’s Word, or b) a human conjuring up of ideas?

The world is proposing that ultimate reality is defined by what is in a person’s head, not what God has created and spoken. A person has the right to define what is real for themselves. “I am what I say I am.”

Biblically: God’s Word has ultimate authoritative.

[challenge the fundamentalist] And if you answer, “God’s Word,” are you bearing the fruit true faith should be producing?

B. Is the image of God in everyone acknowledged?

Do we value or de-value someone on the basis of size/age, race, sex, gender identity? Do we use the prejudices of our sub-culture rather than God’s vision of this person?

The world is proposing that people are not essentially equal and made in the image of God, but are socially defined by the groups we classify them into (born/unborn, race, sex, gender identity.).

We bring a true vision to the world though.

Think about someone you have the hardest time getting along with, their ideology is so disagreeable to yours. Go ahead, got a person? Now tell yourself this truth about that person: “Image-bearer. It’s true, and it will change what we show the world.

C. Are we making false gods?

That’s what the world offers. Trust yourself, your heart. Trust the state. Strive for cultural/social acceptance?

We have a better vision in Scripture. We are not God; instead, God had to rescue us as unworthy sinners.

Even if you feel the crushing weight of autonomy, the state cannot validate you or rescue you.

“Drastically overestimating our goodness and underestimating our propensity for evil, the quest will prove just as dystopian” as previous revolutions.

The bible teaches us that we become like what we worship. We offer the world to come and worship the one true and living God through Jesus Christ.

D. How does our identity relate to groups?

Does the group give us our identity? Or, does the group shape and influence us?

The world is proposing that people are not essentially equal and made in the image of God, but are socially defined by the groups we classify them into (race, sex, gender identity, etc.)

But biblically, we must not take any group-identity more seriously than these identities: “in Adam” (i.e. created humans) and “in Christ” (i.e. united with Christ by grace through faith).

Each human’s identity is image bearer of God. We should see to have each person being treated with equity, righteousness, and justice, just as God would have it.

F. What fruit is produced?

What fruit is coming from our vision of justice? Is it the fruit of the Spirit?

Does our vision of justice replace love, peace (shalom in which all is right with the world), and patience with suspicion, division, and rage?

Many past successes of improving justice in the world as God has worked through His word.

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A. (Close to C) What is the root problem you are addressing?

For example, are we even asking the question of what causes prejudice? Or, are we treating it as if it is the root? It’s not the root issue.

If we look with the paradigm of fruit to root, what are the limbs, trunk, and roots, what are the beliefs that support that sin of racism or oppression?

Do we merely try to glue on our tree some pictures of justice? Or pursue real fruit by nourishing the roots?

See the world sometimes proposes a new sin in order to oust an existing sin. Worship this other… and it is still not the one true God.

Biblically, the root problem of racism or oppression is misbelief about who God is, what He’s done, and who He made us. It is rebellion against God.

New City, do the hard work of both doing justice, caring for the poor, and taking the gospel with you as you do it.

A. (Close to C) What solution to injustice are you using?

The world is proposing sinful means of bringing about change, not asking the Lord to guide the process. Overthrowing biblical morals is part of the goal. And it seeks domination by disintegration while being intolerant of differing ideas. No “love your enemy”.

Biblically we see that the gospel of Jesus Christ, who showed love and mercy, brings about lasting change and good for the communities around God’s people. God’s own initiation of reconciliation moves us toward a fuller vision of righteousness and justice for all.

B. (close to A) How is judgment rendered?

Is it careful and thoughtful, or knee-jerk and careless? Put another way: “Does our vision of justice prefer damning stories to undamning facts?” [Thaddeus Williams] Are we prone to confirmation bias?

The world is demanding that we respond quickly based on surface-level media reports, and based on the groups that people are lumped into by our prejudices.

Biblically, we must be careful to objectively weigh evidence, throw out the false, and get the Lord’s guidance from His word. In addition, all of us could stand to show God’s mercy in our judgments.

C. (close to A) What is the source of truth?

Does our vision of justice turn the quest for truth into an identity game?

The Bible is our ultimate Truth is known by listening to victims of oppression who have greater insight and access to the truth through lived experience, not by careful study of God’s word, having the law of God written on our hearts, and God’s revelation in creation.

Ultimate authority resides in victims, and their claims must not be questioned. Not that God and His Word have ultimate authority.

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Conclusion

There is so much more that could be said, so many more questions that could be asked to dig in. I want to urge you to discuss this with your MC’s.

I think the Lord wants those of us with Fundamentalist tendencies, who throw out true biblical work of justice in an attempt to preserve the preaching of the gospel – I think we need to repent.

And those of us who have bought what the culture is selling us, a false gospel of justification by justice work, we need to repent and remember the better vision given to us of biblical justice.

Let’s pray.