ultimately change the social climate of the whole country

“Breakthrough in Justice” through legal precedent.

Sunday School Lesson for January 20 George Bush has placed one conservative judicial
nominee after another before the U.S. Senate, only to have
The image of blindfolded woman
many of them stonewalled, because the senate is dominated
holding a sword in her right hand and a
by liberal lawmakers that hate conservatism, George Bush,
pair of balance scales in her left is the
and everything for which our soldiers have fought and died
icon that is supposed to represent
for the past 200 years. Be that as it may, Chief Justice John
justice in our legal system. But where
Roberts and Justice Sam Alito (both conservatives) have
human beings are in charge, injustice
both been confirmed Bush nominees to the Supreme Court.
inevitably rears its ugly head. Just
That‟s a good thing, since it shifted the nation‟s highest
about any of us can recall at least one
court away from the left. The next president we elect will
story where the criminal justice system
probably nominate two more Supreme Court Justices and a
misfired, either by being too lax or too harsh.
host of other federal judges (Supreme Court Justices Stevens
Of course, there are the outrageous cases cooked up
and Ginsburg might well retire within the next eight years),
against innocent people and organizations by anti-God
so the judicial nominations of the next president are likely to
groups like the ACLU. Example: They focus on an issue like
have as much, or even more significance on our future
nativity displays on public property, a Bible clubs at schools,
culture than anything else the next U.S. president does.
or Christian T-shirts, then research the prior rulings of
Justice and judges are extremely important to God, as is
selected judges and choose the judge (usually a Clinton or
our worldview and where our real security comes from.
Carter nominee) who is most likely to rule in their favor. They
find somebody on whose behalf they can file a suit in that
Psalms 7:1 - 2 (KJV) 1 O LORD my God, in thee
judge‟s district, which they sometimes win, and their win
do I put my trust: save me from all them that
generally includes recovery of significant legal fees from the
persecute me, and deliver me: 2 Lest he tear my
entity who lost the suit. In that way, groups like the ACLU
soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is
and individuals like Michael Newdow tend to prevail over
none to deliver.
constitutional common sense with legal precedents that
God‟s immutable justice will eventually bring everyone
leave decent Americans stunned and disoriented.
his or her due – everybody will get what‟s coming to them
Even apart from the ACLU, there are federal courts all
sooner or later; God won‟t be mocked, tricked, deceived, or
over the country (not the least of which has been the
conned. He knows everything we‟re thinking and everything
Supreme Court) handing down wrong-headed decisions that
we‟ve ever done – that‟s scary, isn‟t it, especially when Jesus
have far-reaching impacts on American society. The decision
considers evil thoughts to be practically as sinful as evil acts,
to outlaw prayer in public schools is an example of this
and tells us (see Matthew 12:36-37) we‟ll render an account
nastiness, not to mention Roe vs. Wade in 1973 and the
for every careless word! So what‟s the remedy? Well, as
removal of the Ten Commandments from public schools in
Christians we enjoy the imputed righteousness of Christ –
1980.
the rest of mankind doesn‟t, and it‟s to their own hurt.
Bill Clinton nominated (and the U.S. Senate confirmed)
The principle of human rights and ownership of private
nearly three hundred federal judges while he was president,
property originated with God (i.e., thou shalt not steal, not to
most of them known for their left-leaning decisions. The
mention dozens of other passages dealing with property
crazy opinions being handed down by those courts in our
ownership), and in the final analysis, whatever happens on
day reflect the way those liberal judges think and the choices
this earth, we as believers simply have place our trust in Him
they‟re making.
when it comes to making things right. And we can count on
U.S. District Court Judge Myron Thompson (a Jimmy
God to deliver us from the snare of the oppressor, no matter
Carter nominee) handed down the opinion that forced the
how bad things may seem in this life. The very things we
removal of Roy Moore‟s Ten Commandments from the
hold dear can be stolen – Jesus Himself admonishes us not
rotunda of the Alabama judicial building, and he did so
to lay up treasures on earth where thieves break in and steal
without any legal precedent whatsoever – his decision was
(Matthew 6:19).
nothing more than his opinion, and it carried the weight of
In Romans 8:18, Paul writes that, for the Christian, the
law because it was handed down from his bench.
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
Thus, a president‟s nomination of justices produces a
compared with the glory God shall reveal in us, and in our
legacy that can outlive him (or her) for decades and can
human experience as believers, we have to remember that
Romans 8:28 is still there – for those of us who are called true repentance is all about. Perhaps that‟s what Jesus
according to His purpose, everything works together for meant when He said to pluck out an eye or cut off a hand if
good, regardless of how things seem at the time, and He will that‟s what it takes to repent, as uncomfortable as that may
deliver us. Who else can we ultimately count on? Jesus sound.
Himself told us not to be afraid of those who can kill the We are supposed to take our sin as seriously as God
body – they can‟t kill the soul (Matthew 10:28, Luke 12:4). does. Do we? Repentance after forgiveness is a key point
The above passage doesn‟t, however, just speak of those that the “judge not lest ye be judged” crowd tries to shout
who would harm us physically – notice the „lion‟ reference, down when it is pointed out today. The would-be champions
and compare it to First Peter 5:8 – the devil‟s presence on of what today‟s world calls „tolerance‟ don‟t see the need for
the earth is like that of a roaring lion who devours anyone repentance and they don‟t want forgiveness – they want
and everyone he can – that particularly includes (but is not their sins validated and even embraced. They want us to
limited to) those of us who have dedicated Matthew 7:1 - 6 (KJV) 1Judge not, join them in their sin and like it. And it‟s
our lives, fortunes, and destinies to God. that ye be not judged. 2For with what people like that Jesus was speaking of when
judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged:
The devil‟s purpose is to steal, kill, and and with what measure ye mete, it shall He said not to throw holy things to the dogs
destroy; we‟re his targets and he is tireless. be measured to you again. And why
3
or cast our pearls before swine (Matthew 7).
beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye,
but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4
In our focal passage (verse 3-5 above),
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out
Verses 3-5 3 O LORD my God, if the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in
5
the psalmist renders a dreadful judgment
I have done this; if there be iniquity
thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the
beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see against his own self in regard to his own sin.
in my hands; 4 If I have rewarded clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
6 So should we! Are we as tough on
Give not that which is holy unto the
evil unto him that was at peace with dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before ourselves as we are on others? We should
me; (yea, I have delivered him that swine, lest they trample them under be more so.
5 their feet, and turn again and rend you.
without cause is mine enemy:) Let
the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let Verses 6-11 6 Arise, O LORD, in thine anger,
him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay lift up thyself because of the rage of mine
mine honour in the dust. enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that
Selah thou hast commanded. 7 So shall the congregation
As for situations that require justice, we need to realize of the people compass thee about: for their sakes
that we are all guilty of transgressions against others and we therefore return thou on high. 8 The LORD shall
need to acknowledge that fact. Most of our transgressions judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according
are rooted in what we think and say – indeed, James tells us to my righteousness, and according to mine
that if any person makes no mistake in what he (or she) integrity that is in me. 9 Oh let the wickedness of
says, then that person is perfect… Yet if we hear that some the wicked come to an end; but establish the just:
person spoke evil of us, we are so incredibly quick to judge for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
them for their sin against us in spite of the fact that we have 10
My defence is of God, which saveth the upright
on occasion made remarks that would have placed us in a in heart. 11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is
similar light (see Ecclesiastes 7:21-22). It‟s so easy to angry with the wicked every day.
inadvertently repay good with evil… God loves the world, but He hates the sin that crouches
So do we really want justice, or would mercy be more at my door and yours, and with all the sons and daughters
desirable? As we consider the transgressions of others of disobedience working (on various levels) to marginalize
against us, we should remember Jesus‟ remark to the the people of God, we should draw ever closer to God, and
Pharisees (John 8) who were urging the execution of the when we do, He will draw closer to us. We should, as
adulterous woman – not a single one of them was without believers in Jesus Christ, be living above the world‟s
sin, and under their own self-examination, they dropped standards, beneath the Cross of Christ, living pure and holy
their charges against the woman and walked away. He alone lives as members of the body of Christ and the heirs of
was qualified to judge her, and He freely forgave her sin, but kingdom of God. Where do we congregate? With God‟s
urged her to repent (i.e., „go and sin no more‟). people under His ultimate protection or with the unbelieving
She was forgiven, to be sure, but Jesus expected her to condemned of the world?
turn her life around and strive against sin to the point of Are you comfortable with the prospect of asking the
shedding blood, if necessary (Hebrews 12:4) – that‟s what Lord to judge you according to your righteousness? I‟m not!
2
 You and I may have integrity, but we cannot be truly
righteous apart from Christ. The only chance I have to be
presented holy and blameless before God on the Day of the
Lord is by virtue of the free gift of salvation I accepted from
Jesus Christ – spiritually re-born, washed in His Blood,
justified, sanctified, and eventually glorified, I know that my
Redeemer lives and on the earth again shall stand – that
sounds like the apostle Paul, but it comes from Job 19:25,
by the way, and remember; he was a man who was being
hammered with every physical, emotional, and financial loss
imaginable at the hand of satan himself, yet Job‟s faith and
trust in God survived! Would mine? Would yours?
Indeed, Jesus Christ our Redeemer is our Rock, our
Fortress, our Deliverer, and our Friend. With that in mind,
we need to realize that it isn‟t our place to be angry with the
wicked – that‟s His place. Vengeance is His, not ours, and
we don‟t need to rejoice when our enemy falls (Proverbs
24:17-18), lest God‟s anger be turned away from your
enemy. That‟s we read in the sermon of Christ and the
teachings of Paul, i.e., give your enemy water when he‟s
thirsty and food when he‟s hungry, and you‟ll heap burning
coals on his head (Proverbs 25:21-22 and Romans 12:20-
21, not to mention Matthew 5:44-46). Vengeance isn‟t
ours; it‟s God‟s, and we should all give Him that distinction.
Verses 12-17 12 If he turn not, he will whet his
sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13
He hath also prepared for him the instruments
of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the
persecutors. 14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity,
and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth
falsehood. 15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is
fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His
mischief shall return upon his own head, and his
violent dealing shall come down upon his own
pate. 17 I will praise the LORD according to his
righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of
the LORD most high.
God takes great satisfaction in justice – that‟s what this
lesson is all about, and in our human experience we
sometimes may hear or say these words:
What goes around comes around.
Where did that human proverb come from? Well, it
seems to me that God‟s work tends to be observed by men,
and through the centuries, God has dealt with men that way,
thus the human proverb above. Remember, Paul wrote to
the Galatians (6:7-8) that we should not be deceived
because nobody has ever put one over on God; those who
devise wicked plans against others tend to receive even
worse later on.
I knew a boy who didn‟t use foul language, drink,
smoke, or any of that, but he was a thief. He would steal
repeatedly, sometimes blatantly, from his friends, and
somehow he always seemed to get away with it. Thirty years
later his father told me that his briefcase had been stolen,
and with it some of his most important papers. Were those
to elements of his life related? God only knows.
Granted, there are people who are victimized who have
never harmed anyone, and I‟m not talking about those folks.
Job‟s a good example. But it stands to reason that in some
cases, we fail to tie our own rotten circumstances to
previous sins. How fearful we would be if we could hear
God‟s voice on the heels of something we did:
“…because you have done this thing, so will I do
likewise to you…” And then we would have to wait for the
axe to fall. Are you saved by the Blood of Christ? Praise
God for it, but don‟t expect to get away with some secret sin.
I grew up with a boy I who tended to get on my nerves,
and I deliberately „stood him up‟ a time or two when he and I
were supposed to meet. Years later, as an adult, I was
confused and hurt on several occasions when I experienced
the same treatment from other people I was supposed to
meet and it wasn‟t until I plugged the wisdom of God‟s Word
into my own past that I solved the mystery – I had it coming.
Do you know any stories like that? Maybe the only ones
you remember are the ones where people never seem to get
what‟s coming to them? Don‟t be deceived by that. God‟s
justice is immutable – remember, David was forgiven for his
sin with Bathsheba, but the sword never departed from his
house. The consequences of an old sin will sometimes
return to plague a person, and the frightening part is that it
may be years before the consequences are realized.
From our perspective, we should be careful who we
judge and for what, lest God return our judgment on our own
heads. We all know that there is not a righteous person on
earth who continually does good and never sins. The
Scriptures are plain about that (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans
3:23). Not me. Not you, not anybody except for Christ
Himself. And when our enemies do their worst what will be
our attitude toward those enemies? Will we leave the
ultimate justice up to God, the way Joseph did with his
recalcitrant brothers (Genesis 39-43)? Will we rejoice when
our enemy falls? We‟d better not, if we fear God! What, after
all, does the Lord require of us, but to do justly, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with Him? (Micah 6:8)
Are we? Have we? Will we? Time will tell. R.W.M.