Judgment is For More than Justice

“A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.” (Mt 12:20 AV)

 We tend to think of judgment solely as reciprocatory and a means to justice.  A criminal is tried and sentenced.  Once the sentence is served, he or she has “paid their debt to society.”  We look at justice as a loan.  Someone took out a loan against his or her fellow citizens and as long as they pay it back, all is well.  There is certainly a case to be made for thinking that way.  Someone who violates the law is certainly in debt to his or her fellow human beings for the incursion he or she made into an orderly society.  What we don’t consider is another aspect of judgment.  There is a more important application of judgment and justice.  It is not enough that society is paid back for the violation a criminal inflicted.  Society has the right to exist free from crime.  This is the hope.  That is the aspiration.  We want to live in victory against all evil.  Judgment is the only way to accomplish this.  Judgment isn’t for the sole sake of evening the score.  Judgment exists that mankind might be free from it ever happening again.

We understand this truth, but how does it apply to the believer?  We have to remember that Jesus is coming back.  When He does, He is not coming simply to right every wrong.  The LORD is not setting up His kingdom with the same set of rules or the same conditions in which mankind has operated for the last six thousand years.  When Jesus comes back, Satan will be locked up for the duration of His reign on earth.  The kingdom will begin with only believers.  This necessitates a battle and subsequent destruction of all His human enemies.  This is not a battle He initiates, by the way.  Lest you think Jesus is some evil tyrant who does not give anyone an option.  For six thousand years, God has offered His grace.  He sent His Son, born of a virgin, to die on a cruel and inhumane cross so that His wrath would be satisfied.  This wrath is the wrath we all deserve.  Justice was meted on Calvary’s cross upon a willing victim who never sinned once in His life.  He endured untold tortures at the hands of His enemies, condoned and determined by His own Father, that we might enjoy forgiveness of sin.  Justice was served that day.  This justice is only available to those willing to admit they need it and are humble enough to accept it.

What the cross could not accomplish is freedom from evil for all of mankind.  Because mankind has a choice, there will always be evil.  There is no victory from evil until the Son of God comes in all His glory to mete out justice and bring liberty to the captives of wickedness.  This will happen.  For those who recoil at the thought of a loving Savior exacting judgment upon evil men because it is against His nature, let me ask you a question.  Who should God love more?  Those who inflict evil; or those who are victimized by evil?  If God had to choose, which one would it be?  It is a sad state of our nation when we feel compassion for the evil and condemn their victims.  This is happening more and more.  Just look at Israel.  They were attacked.  Their civilians were rapped, kidnapped, and slaughtered.  Babies were murdered in horrendous ways.  There is one story of a baby being microwaved while still alive.  Yet, thousands will defend the warped use of military force and condemn the victims.  This evil will stop.  It will all stop when Jesus comes and judgment is not limited to justice but is exercised for victory!