“But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.” Amos 5:24.

The dictionary defines justice as, among other things, “The maintenance or administration of that which is just; also, merited reward or punishment; the principal of rectitude and just dealing of men with each other”.

This word, justice all boils down to doing what is just or righteous. The problem is that it is used subjectively in this world, not as the simple truth that it is.

What do you think is just or right? Adolph Hitler certainly would have disagreed with you or me in this area.

Hitler based his ideas on atheistic evolutionary thought. Evolution shows us that we are all at different stages of evolutionary development, which is to say that some races are absolutely inferior to others.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress [hold down] the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest [made plain] in them, for God has shown it to them.” Romans 1:18-19.

This is how he arrived at his master race theory, by eugenics, the theory that through selective breeding a superior race of humans can be bred.

Hitler did not develop this philosophy his own, it was taught in schools and universities throughout his life.

Though the name eugenics is a relatively new term the practice goes at least as far back as ancient Greece when Plato suggested that government should decide who were fit to reproduce. It’s a bit more complicated than that but that is the gist.

The Spartans would test babies for their strengths; if they failed they were killed. The elders of Rome would examine the babies for their fitness; if they failed they were drowned in the Tiber.

This faux science really caught on in the late eighteen and early nineteen hundreds when forced sterilization was used on many thought to be insane or feeble minded (even in America)!

The most famous American eugenicist is a racist named Margaret Sanger (1879-1966) who established Planned Parenthood which started out helping the poor get birth control and has since become a huge abortion provider.

Congress gives Planned Parenthood tremendous sums of money taxed from people who do not believe in abortion.

In addition they have given their blessing to killing born babies as Hitler, the Greeks and Romans did. We have come full circle.

These are not things I make up to inflame the reader, look it up; most can be found quickly on the internet.

Consider too, full term baby parts are worth much more money than the less developed fetus.

As a result of the godless teachings of the pseudo-sciences of evolution and eugenics Hitler believed it was just, or right to eliminate all that pollutes the human race. This included Jews, gypsies, the mentally handicapped, criminals, and Christians, to name a few.

If you were to say to him, “Wait a minute what about justice for all these people who are being murdered, families destroyed, worldly goods being plundered, the horrific misery brought upon all of these individuals?”

The reply would be, “Justice? How often have you heard anyone cry out for justice for their cat or dog, what about justice for my cow? When do people protest the destruction of vermin (though today reprobates are more concerned for caterpillars and baby turtles than babies)?”

The Bible tells us that.

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts”, Proverbs 21:2.

Hitler had convinced himself that what he was doing was right; otherwise, he would not have done it.

The sad part of all this is that there will always be another Hitler in the wings, one dies and another takes his place. Nero, Diocletian, Vlad the Impaler, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and I am sorry to say the only hope for those who are their victims, is for men like these to die.

Let us look at the trial of the Lord Jesus Christ. To begin with, just about everything was done in direct contradiction to Jewish law. The arrest, the questioning, the witnesses, even the charges, the rules of law were so stringent that it was extremely difficult to get someone executed.

Yet they were able to have Christ crucified in less than twenty-four hours after His arrest. Justice is used subjectively when it is expedient.

Naboth’s vineyard in 1 Kings 21 is a good example of this. King Ahab wanted to buy this vineyard because it was next to his own property, but Naboth refused because it was his family’s inheritance.

The king went back to his own home, lay down, and sulked. His wife Jezebel, found him sulking and told him he was not the king for nothing; and she devised a plan to acquire this property, as the following will show.

“So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, ‘Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have blasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.’ So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people. And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, ‘Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!’ Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, ‘Naboth has been stoned and is dead.’ And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, ‘Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead [his sons too had suffered the same condemnation and were murdered along with him, see 2 Kings 9:26].’” 1 Kings 21:8-15.

There is little difference between this so-called trial and that of the Lord’s and it is a picture, or a type of His own.

Take the motivation of the religious leadership that had Jesus arrested, the Scriptures tell us.

“Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, ‘What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.'” John 11:47-48.

Even Pilate, the Roman governor realized this.

“For he knew that because of envy they had delivered Him.” Matthew 27:18.

However, the power struggle going on here was far too malevolent to allow justice to prevail. And in spite of the fact that Pilate pronounced Jesus innocent more than once, the demonic forces behind this were able to force the governor to acquiesce to their demands.

Pilate would not sentence the Lord Jesus to death without first making these statements.

“Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, ‘You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing worthy of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him’…” “Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. But they shouted, saying, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him!’ And he said to them the third time, ‘Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.'” Luke 23:13-16, 20-22.

“When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.'” Matthew 27:24.

This Man who was not just innocent of the charges brought against Him, but was innocent of any sin or wrongdoing, was crucified, this injustice has led to the unjust being justified.

“…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24.

“‘Our sins’; what a horrible thought for contemplation! Think of the vast accumulation of impure thoughts, of unrighteous deeds and of unkind and dishonest words. Vast as they are, we rejoice today to be assured that our glorious Savior has borne them all ‘in His own body on the tree’. In His death, He took full responsibility for our sins and answered perfectly to God for them all. Are you personally resting on Him for your eternal salvation?” G. Hall.

We think of sin as being something like murder and forget that Adam and Eve came under the curse of death for eating a piece of fruit.

As you can see from the above quote, sin is impure thoughts, unkind words, the simplest things that we justify ourselves for doing, not just genocide, but the so-called little white lie.

Part of the reason that we excuse ourselves so easily is that we compare ourselves with the people around us. We will always find someone who is not as upright as we are, and this bolsters our opinion of ourselves.

God tells us this is not good.

“For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” 2 Corinthians 10:12.

God’s intent is and always has been for us to compare ourselves to Christ. Jesus is the plumb line by which all humanity is judged.

“Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then the Lord said: ‘Behold, I am setting a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.'” Amos 7:7-8.

If you are building a wall and a neighbor drops by and says, “That’s a nice wall, but it isn’t completely vertical.” Your response may be, “Of course it’s vertical, and anyone can see that.”

The argument at this point will just be one of differing opinions, but drop a plumb line next to the wall and the argument is over.

This is the life of Christ among men; the Gospels show us His righteousness in all aspects of life.

This also shows us that Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God who would make the perfect sacrifice for sin as commanded in Exodus.

“Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.’” “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.” Exodus 12:3, 5-6.

Just as the sacrificial lamb was to be carefully examined over a period of time to ensure that it would be an acceptable sacrifice, so those around Him carefully examined Jesus and found Him to be without spot.

His life is also an example to all Christians a pattern for the way we should live. Jesus is the plumb line.

Moreover, this shows us the meaning of the passage in Matthew 4.

“And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness saw a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.'” Matthew 4:13-16.

Jesus is the light of the world and is the only marker by which we can align our lives.

The simple truth is that no matter how we view ourselves or what injustices have been done to us, if we were truly to receive the justice due to us we would be cast into hell for eternity.

However, the infinitely just God has found a way to reconcile us to Himself.

I have a lot of trouble with the whole idea of a vicarious sacrifice. How for instance can I commit a crime and have the police arrest my neighbor, throw him in jail and have him pay for my misdeed?

This does not even remotely resemble justice especially when you compare it with the definition given at the beginning of this chapter. And there the question would lie.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.

So ends part one of two parts of Justice.

Justice, Part 1 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 7-11-15, updated on 3-8-19.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.