True Wisdom – James 3:13-18
24. True Wisdom loves justice.
Romans 3:10-26; Ezekiel 18:32
For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. (Psalm 33:4-5)
For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. (Isaiah 61:8)
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)
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)
Study it Out
- What attribute is paired with justice in each of these passages? What does this say about God’s character and the meaning of true justice?
- Notice God’s focus in Isaiah 61:8. Is it on the punishment of the wicked or the restoration of the one who has been wronged? How does Ezekiel 18:32 further shed light on this?
- How can these passages guide our thinking about justice and help us to measure whether we love justice or merely love self-vindication?