How Justice Competes With Fairness Most people demand fairness. However, absolute fairness requires that all get the same things at the same time. This is impossible; thus, we must look to God, Who is completely just. When we focus on fairness, we fail to see the just compensation of God. For example, if God gives more money to one, He will give more faith to another, who can appropriate needed funds. “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith?” (James 2:5). • Justice is based on the universal, unchanging principles of God’s Word; fairness, on the variable will of the majority. • Justice establishes guilt when God’s standards are violated. Fairness tries to remove guilt by lowering the standards. • Justice causes. us to confess our failures and plead for mercy; fairness, to justify our failures so we think we need no mercy. • Justice is based on personal responsibility and yields revival. Fairness is based on personal rights and produces rebellion. • Justice expresses God’s wisdom. Fairness expresses man’s reason.
How Good Judgment and Justice Work Together Proverbs was written to give “the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity” (Proverbs 1:3). The ability to judge wisely is given to the meek. “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way” (Psalm 25:9). Judgment is acquired through a sequence identified in Psalm 37:4–6: “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.”
Personal Evaluation How just are you? • Do you read God’s Law? Do you memorize and meditate on it? • When you deal with a matter requiring justice, do you find Biblical precedents on which to base your decisions? • Do you ask God for an understanding heart to make wise and just judgments?
• Justice is impartial and objective; fairness is partial and subjective.
• Do you have a meek spirit so God can guide you in justice and judgment?
• Justice requires swift prosecution of criminals. Fairness results in slow punishment of criminals.
• Do you understand the difference between justice and fairness?
• Justice limits the punishment of criminals. Fairness produces inconsistent punishment of criminals.
• Do you cry out to God when required to make a decision based on justice?
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ustice is the response of one who memorizes and meditates on God’s Law day and night.
A ruler was to make his own copy of the law and read it daily so he could make wise decisions and establish his kingdom with justice. (See Deuteronomy 17:18–20.)
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f you want to promote revival, tell people about their responsibilities. If you want to promote rebellion, tell people about their rights. “I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.” —Psalm 119:7
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ntil a person is brought to justice, he will neither desire nor appreciate mercy. “Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.” —Proverbs 30:20 Justice
From The Power for True Success, ©2001 by the Institute in Basic Life Principles • www.iblp.org
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