I was among the millions of people last week who listened to every detail of the blistering testimony of Christine Ford and the rebuttal by Judge Kavanaugh. I did not have a side that I was pulling for; I just wanted to hear the facts.
After a full day of questions and answers, I still don’t know the truth, and let’s be honest, neither do you. What we have is a difficult case that is made even more difficult when you throw in a bunch of politicians.
I don’t want to add to the noise that follows such events with my own personal opinion. But I do think this is a good chance to talk about justice. Is there such a thing as true justice in this world?
The answer is an obvious no. Sometimes innocent people go to jail; sometimes those who commit horrendous crimes escape unpunished.
This is one of the reasons that I love my Christian faith. We believe that no sin will go unpunished. We believe that every sin will be brought to light and dealt with by God. So, in one sense, we believe in ultimate justice, but we also believe in heavenly injustice as well.
Let me explain what I mean by that because it can sound scandalous at first. Justice is when the punishment for a crime is equal to the level of crime committed.
As a Christian, I believe that Jesus paid for my sins, my crimes against God, on the cross. I have a hard time seeing this as just. I’m the one who committed the crime, so it follows that I should be the one to pay the penalty.
It is not fair for someone else to have to pay for my mistake. What Jesus did on the cross did not negate God being a just judge, but it did magnify His mercy.
Mercy is when you give to someone something they do not deserve. I should have to stand trial for my crimes. I have wronged God and others many times over.
I stand with Paul when he says he is the worst of sinners. Because of that, I thank God that there was a moment of mercy instead of justice. He took my sins upon Himself, and He gave me His innocence.
Instead of letting these events divide us even more, I just gave you an example of how to talk about it in a way that brings God glory. The message of grace, love and mercy is what the world needs right now.
There is ultimate justice for sinners. If you have sinned, you will have to answer for that sin when you stand face-to-face with God. If you are in Christ, your punishment has already been paid, and your sins are washed away.
If you are not in Christ then the burden you will have to bear is unthinkable, but just.