Why I Love Justice... Don't you?
So last night I watched the second installment of The Hunger Games, finally... I must say, it was awesome! I was hanging on the edge of my seat the entire two hours it rolled! Now don't worry, I won't spoil the movie for anyone, but the ending snuck up on me and lifted me out of my seat in suspense!
But I realized something. I realized that at that moment, at the very climax of the film, I was cheering on the good guys, fearing deception, and anxiously looking forward to justice being served. I was ecstatic! Then I wondered, "Why do I get so excited about a movie (which is fake), but my heart can be so indifferent to the drama of redemption that God is playing out before me?" Good question huh?
The Bible crescendos in the life and ministry of Christ. The Old Testament was full of rising action up until the climax of Christ's victory over death and Hell. At this point in history, we live in the state of resolution. One day there will be another crescendo, that time when the Lord returns and judges the living and the dead. There will be extreme chaos, tribulation, persecution, but also great victory and total triumph. Christ will ride in on a white horse, ready to do battle with the forces of evil that have gathered for one final showdown with Him. With one fell swoop, Christ, along with His saints, destroys the armies of evil! Victory at last! Good has prevailed, but there is still justice to be served.
Out of all places, the dead shall be reinvigorated, their bodies woven back together from the dust and they will be summoned before Christ on His Great White Throne. Thundering books shall be swung open and each man placed on trial. Guilty men will be absolved for their trust in the blood of Christ, the ultimate story of redemption, and rebels will be ever consumed by the fires of God's holiness. Finally, Satan, the Father of lies, that old dragon will be smashed and cast into eternal condemnation! The universe collapses on itself, the stars fade and burst, Earth melts away and a new creation falls from the heavens. It breaks the ground and settles into the new earth being formed from beneath the feet of those present. It is magnificent! There is no more tears, no more sickness, no more suffering, no starvation, no need, no peril, no death, and no injustice.
What about all of that doesn't cause me to jump off my seat in suspense?! After all, I'm going to be there! Yes, the Hunger games is a great movie, and my emotional response to it has lead me to believe that God has placed the feelings within every single one of us as a witness to His purpose. Think about it, we all want justice to prevail. Hardly ever do we desire a sad ending where evil prevails and good is trumped (not without a sequel).
It's obvious that our desire for justice is fashioned within our moral nature. You know, that conscious that resides in us telling us what is right and wrong? Yeah, justice is based out of that. God gave us those distinctions, no matter how much we try to deny it. In fact, many who seek to deny the moral law will have a tough time coming up with a reason why we ought to have intervened with Germany over World War 2 and the Holocaust. I mean, if morality was simply a byproduct of conditioning, which is relative to one's society, then who were we to place them under trial for crimes against humanity? Right? Wrong... The moral law tells us that was wrong and justice ought to be served.
So my point is this, next time you see an excellent movie that has stirred your emotions and you are chomping at the bit for justice to be served, think about why you feel that way. Perhaps every time you seek for justice to be served, it is because one day, ultimately, justice will be dealt by the hand of God and that desire for justice is really something God has given you to call you near to his presence and to be found on the winning side...
P.S. The Hunger Games is a great film! Go see it! It's also a pastor's dream full of great illustrations... So expect some more thoughts being drawn from it!
But I realized something. I realized that at that moment, at the very climax of the film, I was cheering on the good guys, fearing deception, and anxiously looking forward to justice being served. I was ecstatic! Then I wondered, "Why do I get so excited about a movie (which is fake), but my heart can be so indifferent to the drama of redemption that God is playing out before me?" Good question huh?
The Bible crescendos in the life and ministry of Christ. The Old Testament was full of rising action up until the climax of Christ's victory over death and Hell. At this point in history, we live in the state of resolution. One day there will be another crescendo, that time when the Lord returns and judges the living and the dead. There will be extreme chaos, tribulation, persecution, but also great victory and total triumph. Christ will ride in on a white horse, ready to do battle with the forces of evil that have gathered for one final showdown with Him. With one fell swoop, Christ, along with His saints, destroys the armies of evil! Victory at last! Good has prevailed, but there is still justice to be served.
Out of all places, the dead shall be reinvigorated, their bodies woven back together from the dust and they will be summoned before Christ on His Great White Throne. Thundering books shall be swung open and each man placed on trial. Guilty men will be absolved for their trust in the blood of Christ, the ultimate story of redemption, and rebels will be ever consumed by the fires of God's holiness. Finally, Satan, the Father of lies, that old dragon will be smashed and cast into eternal condemnation! The universe collapses on itself, the stars fade and burst, Earth melts away and a new creation falls from the heavens. It breaks the ground and settles into the new earth being formed from beneath the feet of those present. It is magnificent! There is no more tears, no more sickness, no more suffering, no starvation, no need, no peril, no death, and no injustice.
What about all of that doesn't cause me to jump off my seat in suspense?! After all, I'm going to be there! Yes, the Hunger games is a great movie, and my emotional response to it has lead me to believe that God has placed the feelings within every single one of us as a witness to His purpose. Think about it, we all want justice to prevail. Hardly ever do we desire a sad ending where evil prevails and good is trumped (not without a sequel).
It's obvious that our desire for justice is fashioned within our moral nature. You know, that conscious that resides in us telling us what is right and wrong? Yeah, justice is based out of that. God gave us those distinctions, no matter how much we try to deny it. In fact, many who seek to deny the moral law will have a tough time coming up with a reason why we ought to have intervened with Germany over World War 2 and the Holocaust. I mean, if morality was simply a byproduct of conditioning, which is relative to one's society, then who were we to place them under trial for crimes against humanity? Right? Wrong... The moral law tells us that was wrong and justice ought to be served.
So my point is this, next time you see an excellent movie that has stirred your emotions and you are chomping at the bit for justice to be served, think about why you feel that way. Perhaps every time you seek for justice to be served, it is because one day, ultimately, justice will be dealt by the hand of God and that desire for justice is really something God has given you to call you near to his presence and to be found on the winning side...
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