The recent attacks in Mumbai have left over 155 dead, 327 injured, (at the time of this blog) and left me thinking about a subject that I can’t get out of my mind. Justice.

I think often of the defenseless and the abused…those that have no chance. What happens to the ”bad guys” that prey on the weak and vulnerable?

From a theological standpoint the subject of justice has a few sides. On the spiritual side, I do not want justice because…I would fry. Yet grace seems to nullify justice through the sacrifice of Christ in our stead. We do not get what we deserve. Jesus makes it very clear in John 14:6 that He has provided the way to God, a Way that circumvents the punishment that all men deserve because of our transgressions against Him.

Clearly those without Christ are not so fortunate.

Psalms 10:13-14

13        Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, ”He won’t call me to account”?

14        But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.  The victim commits himself to you;  you are the helper of the fatherless.

There are two comforting thoughts here. First, wicked men will be brought into account. Revelation 20:12 refers to the dead being judged according to what they had done. Outside of grace obtained in Christ, the punishment fits the crime. This passage is referring to unsaved men who will stand before the Lord on Judgment Day, (worse that James Cameron could envision) but even the Bible recognizes that there are different degrees of reward for good works and different degrees of punishment for evil works. Even in eternity, the punishment fits the crime.

Isaiah 61:8 ”For I, the LORD, love justice;  I hate robbery and iniquity.

The second comforting thought is that He sees injustice and He is the Helper of the fatherless. The hurting are not alone. He is there. We must embrace the hurting with the love of God and the message of Christ so they may know where their help comes from.

God bless those who have been hurt or frightened because of evil men.

And God help the evil men see their sin before it’s too late for them.

We must spread life and hope like never before, yet never fear standing and fighting for what is right. Sometimes God’s justice is executed through the righteous. Never forget that.