We live in a world that cries out for justice.
Creation itself, subjected to futility and suffering, longs for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19). Likewise, people understandably long for justice after seeing all manners of atrocities that are committed here on earth.
For the Christian, the solution to that longing is promised to us in God’s Word.
According to the Scripture in many different places we can rest assured that on judgment day God will be just. He will repay sinners according to their rebellion. With this, every believer in Jesus Christ has no reason to fear the just judgment of God, for Christ has borne that judgment for us upon Calvary.
Yet, for those who do not know God, neither obey the gospel it will be a day of complete and total judgment culminating with eternal separation from God (2 Thess. 1:8-9).
The apostle Paul points this out so clearly in 2 Thessalonians 1. There will be a future day of justice for the nonbeliever, while there will be rest for the believer:
“when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed” (2 Thess. 1:7b-10).
In the last two weeks we have seen many tragedies in America alone, and we have seen pure evil on display: Children murdered at school by gun violence, an innocent woman killed on a bus for the great crime of using public transportation, and Charlie Kirk murdered for a watching world all because of his views.
These things, amidst countless other tragedies, should have us longing for justice. In fact, it is in our human D.N.A. to want justice.
To the believer, we can rest assured, God is just, and no sins will be swept under the rug. Every secret will be laid bare. Every sinner will give account. His punishment of the ungodly might not be as punctual as we would hope for, but that is not our call. We are not the ones in the privileged position of running the universe.
The teacher in Ecclesiastes once pondered these realities and concluded,
“Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil” (Ecc. 8:11).
Judgment rarely happens immediately.
Aside from a few significant and unique biblical examples, God usually does not just zap someone from heaven upon the moment they transgress. Now, while we long for justice, we must be thankful for God’s delay.
For if God was always a zapping God, no one would be saved. We who desire judgment must remember that we are likewise recipients of mercy. God’s delay is an act of compassion whereby someone may come to faith in Christ during the window of time between their sin and their standing before their Creator (see 2 Pet. 3:9). While we long for justice, we should also long for the salvation of the ungodly.
So, as we see tragedy, as we perhaps experience suffering or affliction in our own lives at the hands of others, we must leave justice and vengeance in the hands of God.
We are never called to “get even” as believers. We pray for God to move on the hearts of those who wrong us and trust that God will handle justice on the day when Christ returns.
On that day there will be salvation for those in Christ and judgment for those who have rejected Him. In that we can hope, while we live in a world fraught with injustices and afflictions.