“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
The ideas of justice and righteousness are deeply connected in the Bible. Both are richly applied to many things: fair weights and measures, legal proceedings, good personal conduct, honesty and truthfulness, governmental responsibilities, and so on.
The clear meaning of “justice” is “what is right” or “what is normal” — the way things are supposed to be. The fairness of laws coupled with fair and equal treatment under the law are common biblical concerns. Throughout Scripture, God is the defender and protector of the poor, the alien, the debtor, the widow, and the orphan. Justice can also mean “deliverance,” “victory,” “vindication,” or “prosperity” — but for everyone, not just a few. Justice is part of God’s purpose in redemption.
But justice is also about restoring our broken relationship with God to what He intends for us, which includes our role in God’s purposes for all of His creatures and for the world that He has made.
God is a God of justice, but also a God of mercy and grace. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve and grace is getting what we don’t deserve. By His grace, we are saved. We don’t deserve it, but when accept Jesus as savior, our gracious God gives it to us anyway. Praise Him for His grace.
Lord Jesus, I am a sinner saved by grace. Help me to demonstrate justice, mercy, and grace to those around me. Help me to save others as You have saved me. Help me to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.
Take Action
Think about how you can show justice, mercy, and grace to all people and to love them as God loves them. Think of a person or situation where you can help to turn and injustice into justice.