What is Justice?

SHORT DEFINITION:
Justice is restoration through retribution; the paying back of evil with balanced judgment in order to maintain peace and righteousness.

LONG DEFINITION:
Justice is the setting right of wrongs under judgment in order to maintain peace and order. The goal of justice is peace, restoration, and righteousness. It is to bring back into balance what was since gone wayward. At the heart of justice is equality. Justice seeks to be fair without being bribed by greed or selfish motivations. The judgment declared by the judge should be equal portion to the crime. Leviticus 24:19-20 says "
19 If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured."

God is just. Job 34:12 says "It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice." Deuteronomy 32:4 says "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." God's justice is displayed in His judgment. Thought He is abounding in love, no sin is left unpunished. (Numbers 14:18) He disciplines His children (Hebrews 12:5-17) and condemns the wicked (Psalms 34:21; 1 Corinthians 6:9).

God loves righteousness and justice (Psalms 33:5). Isaiah 61:8 says
" For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity."

In His judgments, God does not show favoritism. Colossians 3:25 says
"Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism." (also Romans 2:11; Jeremiah 17:10) All evil will be repaid. God will avenge sin, whether it has been done to us or done by us. Sin will be dealt with by God's just anger. This is why the cross is so essential in setting free the sinner from sin. On the cross, God dealt with sin showing no partiality. Christ suffered and died that we might be set free. By His blood, we have been forgiven. This means that anyone who believes in Christ will be not only forgiven, but justified. They will no longer be held accountable for thier sin. It has been done away with. Justice was done and the sinner has truly been set free.

Those who seek their own ways, who deny God and His existence, do not understand justice. (Proverbs 28:5) They do not believe in God and therefore do not think God establishes what is right or wrong. They do not think absolute morality exists. Instead, they hold to their own set of morals. They deem what is right and wrong for themselves. They follow their own interests and curse anyone who tries to impose a higher morality upon them.

This truth is displayed by the acceptance and understanding of the cross. On the cross, God brought justice. Jesus Christ died for our sins. Justice was served as Christ suffered unto death for our crimes. However, those who seek their own way apart from God find the cross to be foolish. They cannot understand it and often ask, "Couldn't there have been a better way?"

But those who seek the Lord understand it fully. They see the righteousness of God displayed on the cross. They see justice being served. Because of this, they delight in the cross. They exclaim with joy, "Thank you for the cross." They understand the sacrifice Christ made for them and therefore seek to follow Christ.