The majesty of righteousness - Part III : Justice

The majesty of righteousness
Part 3

So we have looked at the moral argument, then the definition of evil and now we look at justice.

Righteousness - the quality of being morally right or justifiable.

In order for justice to exist it must have the following structures in place:

A moral law giver
A moral law
A law keeper with the authority
A judiciary with the authority to carry out judgements
A penal system

Now that is in the natural world, but it is also in the meta-physical world. For example i am not allowed to steal your idea - it's non material.

But what of all the added thoughts that invade our mind?
Lust, jealousy, hate, malice, deception, backstabbing, envy, bitterness, greed....
They're all non physical, immaterial, of no immediate consequence or of no consequence if not carried out.... Yet that is exactly what Jesus calls out.
"Whatever a man thinketh, so is he"
"Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of your life"
"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭45‬ NIV)"

You know it's interesting that the law today can convict someone with "intent" [to harm someone] even though they have not done it.

It says that even in a secular society we recognise the depravity of our hearts.  Furthermore the law recognises the harm done by such thoughts.

So if evil is the misappropriation of purpose and evil requires a moral law about purpose then where does Justice come into play?

If my evil is predominately relationally based then i am at the mercy of someone that can read my heart if justice is to prevail?

Who can do that with truth?

Why is it that we rage against injustice and protest and start wars when we see it out there, yet we don't consider it in our own lives, we cut ourselves some slack, tell our inner person: "ohhh gee i'm not THAT bad".  Or better still we tell ourselves "geesh at least no one saw that!"

Isn't that all evil gone unpunished ? No matter how small or big we think it is?

And here's another point: who decides the appropriate penalty? What is a "just" punishment? Big or small?

If one is to ascribe a penal system on the breakage of the law then one would have to be the author of the code and the correlating penalty.
Inversely wouldn't it be amiss if the author of the law was not the same person who then determined the penalty?

It's a slippery, moving jelly target when trying to marry the two ideals which are inextricably linked to each other at the hip.
A law without justice is useless. Look at Libya - 40 years ruled by a despot - a law that overthrew God's law and injustice prevails.

So my question: when we say " how can God allow so much evil to occur - and so much injustice to prevail?!" What are we really saying?

Finally : we often like the idea of retribution, in fact it gives us comfort, we say "karma is going to get you" becuase it gives us comfort for 5 minutes. Yet we know - it's unsatisfactory. Why?!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16-21‬ NIV)

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” (‭Romans‬ ‭2‬:‭1-6‬ NIV)

Fascinating that God explicidly says he will judge - yet at the same time we say what a darstadly judgemental God He is... Romans 2 sums up the contradiction beautifully.

Either God is just or not at all - He can be neither in between.