The hope of my heart, and I believe the hearts of all people, echoes the sweet benediction of the Pledge of Allegiance, “with liberty and justice for all”; yet I am quite confident that for most, the primary concern is “liberty and justice for me” (and all who agree with me).  The difficulty with “liberty and justice for all” is captured in the concern that liberty for one may deny justice for another—for instance a woman’s right to choose an abortion denies justice to the tiny, living—and entirely unique—entity growing within her.  Sadly, it is much easier to deny the life and dignity of a human fetus than to take responsibility for one’s own actions.

In writing about liberty and justice, it is inevitable that I will step on some toes; however, my purpose is not necessarily about identifying specific topics of contention.  For the Christian, liberty should be an easy topic to discuss, because liberty is a vital aspect of God’s Spirit and kingdom—“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17).  If the Spirit of the Lord is not there, liberty is then defined by man-made parameters and interpretations—and captivity persists!

The prophet Isaiah, in the fore-telling of our Savior and the blessed hope of salvation, wrote these words, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Isaiah 61:1). 

The greatest prisons in existence are sin and death—and no human being is exempt from either of them, except those who have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8, 9).  “God…has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (1 Timothy 1:9, 10).

Humanly speaking, much of what we consider our freedoms or liberty often overlap the freedoms of others; however, God addresses that issue through Paul in his letter to the Galatians:  “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

The first explanation of the word “justice” in the dictionary (Webster’s) is “the quality of being righteous; rectitude”.  Understanding that only God is righteous, then genuine justice is exclusive to Him.  Our Father has an eternal perspective—all of human history is within His view, whereas we, as His creation, have a view confined to line of sight—we are able only to determine justice by what we perceive, without understanding all that has gone before, everything that is to come, all that is occurring in the unseen realm, and attitudes of the human heart.

 “The Lord sits enthroned forever, he has established His throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the people with uprightness.  The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you” (Psalm 9:7-10).

The reality is that the world is full of injustice—I have felt the sting of ill treatment and fraud.  However, as Christians we have the assurance that “the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints.  They are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off….The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble.  And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them because they trust in Him” (Psalm 37:28, 39-40).

Justice is also our responsibility, as recorded in the book of Micah, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 5:2). 

I am a little overwhelmed with all of the shades of understanding wrapped up in the word “justice”; yet I am convinced that godly justice needs Holy Spirit discernment.  We tend to see a lack or deficiency in a person or culture; but God sees, and understands, the deepest, most personal human needs.  Paul writes to the church at Philippi, “and this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

Liberty and justice, if not quickened by the Spirit of God, are subject to the winds of personal or cultural opinion—there is only one standard for these eternal values and it is revealed in the Word of God, by the Spirit of God, and through the person of Jesus Christ.