Justice for the wicked

“The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.”
-Proverbs 5:22

The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. That frustrates us quite a bit. I know it frustrates me. I see so much wickedness in the world, and usually the worst people are those with the most money and the most power.

Sure, some crimes are punished in this life. Sometimes we catch the bad guys and give them what they deserve. But sometimes they get a great lawyer who gets them out of the punishment.

I think we would all wish for a more just world. One where there’s always a cop around right when someone cuts you off. One where every criminal leaves behind a vital clue to his identity. One where nice women stop going out with total jerks.

But the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike, and it doesn’t seem like that is ever going to change.

That phrase is based on something Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount. It is in the context of loving your enemies. That’s a difficult thing to command, but it comes because of an important truth – vengeance is the Lord’s.

Bad guys aren’t always going to have it so sweet. One day, they will have to stand before God and give an account. They will be punished for their sins. And not just their overt crimes, but also their thoughts and words. Every moment of their lives will come under examination, and they will be punished.

I take comfort in that, but it also concerns me. See, I haven’t really committed any crimes (besides speeding once in a while or something like that), but I have certainly committed sins, which is far worse. In crime we offend as fallen law, but in sin we offend a perfect God. When the Bible tells me that my thoughts will be judged, I suddenly remember all the times my thoughts were drenched in lust, pride, and hatred. What is it that I deserve from God? Nothing good – that is clear. I may not have killed anyone, but I have wanted to before. I may not have committed adultery, but my thoughts have not been pure. And Jesus tells us that to look with lust on someone is to commit adultery in your heart, and to be unduly angry at someone will be liable to Hell.

On second thought, I don’t want justice. I don’t want justice at all, because that rain is falling on me not as a just man, but an unjust one. I don’t even deserve that much. If I get judged by my own sin, then I am a dead man.

Death would be the right punishment for me, but that doesn’t mean I have to pay it. In love, Jesus came to earth to die in my place, so that I may have eternal life. On the Cross, He took upon Himself my sin and clothed me in His righteousness, so I can stand before the Father unashamed.

We are given this gift through faith. If you repent of your sins, rejecting them and turning toward God, and believe in Jesus, you can be saved.

The other option is to be ensnared by your own sin. You may feel the rain on your today, but there is a day coming where you will have to answer for what you’ve done.