Retribution

Revenge is a dish best served cold so goes the old saying…

We want justice… we deserve justice says the one who has been violated. And indeed we all agree he should have it.

But why this sense of justice if we are just primordial scum that has evolved from a single cell? Where does it come from?

Why does humanity desire what is right? Especially when we are the offended party, but what about when it’s not us? What about when it’s the other guy and we are the offender? Well that’s a bit of a different story, isn’t it?

The Christian answer is easy, God has created man in His own image, we all have worth and value, we all have the law of God implanted in our being.

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.  They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel,  God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. Romans 2:14-16

God’s law, written on the hearts of men, provide us with a sense of justice.  We all, inherently know right from wrong.  But it says here they [Gentiles or unbelievers] are a law unto themselves, meaning they do what is right by their own standard.   They don’t judge by God’s law, but by their own law.  They replace the truth for the fallacy of what’s right in their own minds.  Sadly, this will come back down upon their own heads unless they come to a knowledge of the truth.

Remember the context of Romans 2 how Paul instructs us the judgments we use on others will be used right back on top of us by God.

Yes, let us judge others, but with righteous judgment based on the word of God.  May we continue to cry out against injustice, but let us never forget we are the greatest offenders of them all, we have all sinned and denied God’s righteous decree.  We are in need of mercy and the grace of a loving God who will always bring the secret things to account.

Kevin