Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Law and Grace (14) Justice System

Every human society needs a justice system. When people live in close proximity they get into disputes and harm each other. Laws are good, because they provided a way for resolving these issues. A judicial process is needed to apply these laws. There are two ways that laws can be obtained.

  1. God’s justice system
  2. Human justice systems
God gave Israel a perfect justice system, so every human justice system will be suboptimal. Some may be okay, but none will be as good as God’s system. Strangely, most people prefer human justice systems. Even nations with a strong Christian influence have ignored God's laws. Instead of adopting God’s justice system, they have mucked round trying to make their own laws.

The cross and the gospel do not eliminate the need for good laws. Even where there is a strong Christian influence, there will be people who have rejected the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit. People will need law to restrain the worst effects of sin. Laws will always be needed.

In a society where everyone behaves well because they have received the gospel and love God, law is not needed very often. People will just do the right thing. The law was a system for a society without the cross and the spirit. Without these, people will not do what is right, so the restraint of law is needed. God’s law provided the best possible system of government and justice. It’s economic and social guidelines allow a community of people to live together in relative harmony without any need for a central, controlling authority to bring order by force.

God’s people needed the law before the cross and the spirit had been given. Because the law did not need the cross and the spirit to function, it was applicable to any society of people anywhere in the world. God’s law was the best way for any community of people to live together in peace.

As the gospel advances, the law becomes less important, because everyone should do what is right, because they love one another. However, every society can regress spiritually. If this should happen, the law would be still there as a basis for life together with minimal faith.

1 comment:

Genghis7777 said...

"As the gospel advances, the law becomes less important, because everyone should do what is right, because they love one another."

If the Law is a part of Torah, and if Jesus is the Torah made flesh, and if Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Father are one in the Trinity then if any of these three are present anywhere, then there will be Law. Law is an inalienable manifestation of God's nature.