When “justice” is an abomination…

The value in using another Christian’s devotional book is in becoming aware of truths that I may not have noticed. Piper does that today. He first quotes:

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. (Proverbs 17:15)

Then Piper points to Romans 4:5 that says God “justifies the ungodly” and Isaiah 53:5 that says God condemns the righteous, namely, his Son Jesus who was “wounded for our transgressions.” In other words, he who justifies the wicked is an abomination, and he who condemns the righteous is an abomination, but God justifies the ungodly and God put Jesus to death for sins that were not his. Why is this not an abomination?

Piper uses examples of court cases that show how the human way of acquitting the wicked dishonors the law because when this happens, there is no compensation. The law is demeaned, society is degraded, victims are hurt, and recompense is ignored. This treats the law and the person who was assaulted as though they were unworthy of vindication, not too far from the same way the criminal treated them. So it is an abomination.

This kind of acquittal frees a person who will likely commit the same crime again. There is no  guarantee of reform. This too is an abomination.

Condemning the righteous is the same in reverse. The example is a mother who takes the place of her hardened criminal son so she is executed and he goes free. This would not exalt the worth of the law, but exalts the worth of the son at the law’s expense. It would also release a dangerous criminal on society and the mother’s apparent goodness would be lost.

So what about God putting Christ in our place on the cross? This is very different. Christ’s willingness to die in my place is not a desecration but exalts the worth of God's glory and His law: “For this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify thy name” (John 12:27–28). 
God demonstrates His righteousness in justifying the ungodly.

. . . .  This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25–26)

The loss of honor that came to the law and to the name of God through our sin was, in fact, restored through the death of Jesus. He paid the penalty for us. Not only that, the justification of the ungodly does not unleash any criminals onto the world. Instead, faith in Him changes lives.

(Christ) gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:14)

As Piper says, Christ did not take from society the influence of a good man. Instead He put the Spirit of Christ in all whom He justified. He not only rose from the dead to continue his powerful, positive influence in the world, but gave new life to all that have been set free, a new life that is His life -- lived out in millions of sinners set free to serve Him.

PRAY: Lord God, Your ways are entirely different from ours. You justify sinners, yet that is not at all an abomination. It is the greatest gift ever offered. Love and justice met at the cross and Your goodness reveals how far short we fall. Even in trying to demonstrate love and justice we cannot give Your life to criminals or make society better by releasing them. Forgive our sin of being ‘nice’ to the guilty and so often trampling the innocent in the process. Open eyes so that all who sin will realize how our sin is so degrading to the goodness of You, and how much You can change people by the way You justify those who sin by sending Jesus to die in our place.