Feb
26
Straightening Up Isn’t Enough
Filed Under Devotional
I suppose you could have a philosophical argument about the purpose of a justice system. Is the general idea to punish criminals for the crimes they commit purely out of a sense of justice? Or is it to rehabilitate criminals so they won’t commit further crimes? I think we can easily claim that both rules come in to play, but which is primary? Which overcomes the other when in conflict?
I’m thinking of the kinds of cases you read about periodically. Something like a middle-aged, suburban mother is found to be a wanted murderer. But, it turns out that she’s been living a perfectly normal life for thirty years since the crime. If the purpose of a justice system is to mete out justice, then she should be prosecuted and should go to prison. If the purpose is rehabilitate, though, you can argue that she has already figured out how she should live and needs no further treatment.
You see, justice is about suffering consequences for your actions. Rehabilitation is about training folks to act properly in the future and, really, says nothing about having to accept the full consequences of past actions. Some would like to think that getting into Heaven is about rehabilitation. If they just learn to walk and talk correctly, then they’ll get in. But, it’s about justice. It’s about paying the price for the sins we’ve committed. Cleaning up your act today does not pay your debt from yesterday.
I thought of that as I read the account of Josiah frantically cleaning up Judah’s act after the Book of the Law was found. He tore down all of the altars to other gods. He killed all of the priests to the other gods. He destroyed buildings and structures that were inappropriately built in the temple. He attempted to remove every object, altar, or person who was associated with the sin the country was caught up in. He then directed the people to begin observing the festivals and holidays that God had ordained. Josiah got the entire country walking the walk and talking the talk. But, it didn’t remove their previous debt:
“Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger. So the LORD said, ‘I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, “There shall my Name be.” ‘ ” 2 Kings 23:26-27
Judah was still going to have to suffer the consequences. Just like a criminal living right for decades, doing the right thing now does not pay back the debt from before.
Should you do your best to live according to God’s will? Of course. Will that, in any way, earn you one sliver of your salvation? Absolutely not.