Justice to the Martyrs

Justice is an interesting concept...

The best way I can describe it is as thus: Do you ever get that strange feeling of satisfaction when the main villain of a story, be it book, movie or otherwise, gets his (or hers) at the end. The feeling of rightness when evil is destroyed, or punished at the end. That is one of the things that makes a good story.

What is that feeling? Well to a point (because we are naturally sinful beings) it is the image of God in us. We want good to ultimately win, and we want evil to be punished.

But what is justice? Is it the punishment of the wicked, or is it protection of the good?

The simple answer... Is neither.

You see friends, the way justice began is the same way anything began, God made it, or rather, He is it, it is one of His perfect attributes. God is Just, therefore, justice exists. But on to the kicker, many of you will wonder what I'm getting at, as many of you see justice as one of a few things not on my list at all.

Listen carefully, friend... Justice is God protecting His glory...
Let me say again: Justice is God protecting His glory.

At its most perfect, when shown in the actions and words of the Creator of all things, Justice is simply God maintaining the fact that He is most glorious and thus, most deserving of all praise, honor, and glory in the universe, which He created, and even outside, which we can't fathom at all with our very limited mortal brains.

So where do the other things come in? Why do we get that strange feeling when the villain gets his at the end? Well then... Let's get down to business.

Romans 1:18-32 give us a picture, but for now I want you to recall Genesis 3, the reason Justice must be shown. If justice is God protecting His own glory, then our sin, which tries to give glory to us instead, is evil, and must be punished. The entrance of evil into our world brought about the other facets of justice, punishing the wicked, and protecting the good.

But in this case, no one is good anymore! Romans 3:10-12 states that very clearly! (I am writing out less the make you all do more work in looking these things up. Test me against Scripture! I won't do your work for you!) It says "No one is righteous" so who is justice protecting? The only innocent still left, God Himself, and it must punish the wicked, which since Genesis 3, is all of humanity.

So what now? A pickle to be sure. But God didn't want to destroy us completely as His perfect Justice requires to defend His glory from the human race which was now a festering hive of attempted glory-snatchers.

So God makes a way, one that punishes the evil, and protects the innocent, (which is Himself, the only one still pure).

2 Corinthians 5:21, (and I will write this one out so that you can see the glory in these few words!)
"For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
Mmmmm.... Do you feel that Christian? That is speaking of none other than our Lord, Jesus Christ Himself! Who was perfect for us! He, as God, the only innocent, took our sins upon Himself and died, Jesus Christ died... To allow perfect justice to remain unstained. The guilty is punished (Christ on our behalf, though He is perfect) and the innocent is protected (the Glory of God is once again shown in men saved through Jesus' blood).

So what now? (Romans 1:18-32-Many still do not fear God) Many of us need not look far before we see justice perverted in our courts, and in our lives as well, the blood of the saints, and the martyrs cries out for justice to be done*, but we see so little. (or so it seems to us)
So what now? Well... A day is coming, you need only read a chapter from Isaiah or Jeremiah to see...

For those who still pervert justice, and practice wickedness before the Lord, there is a day, and the Lord will protect His glory, and in flaming fire, He will burn away all who would attempt to steal any of His honor, or stain it with their sin.

Justice will be done.


That is the feeling you have when you see the villain's demise... The shadow of the truth in literature or screen, that one day all evil will be destroyed, completely and forever. God will not hold back on that day, He will execute His Perfect Justice...


Looking forward to the Day,

--The Scribe

*Revelation 6:9-11; 21:4