True justice

Righteousness guards the person of integrity,
but wickedness overthrows the sinner.
Proverbs 13:6

Human justice, like all things related to the nature of man is imperfect. Even when intentions are good and honest, human justice is limited by poorly written laws or legal absurdities, or simply by laws whose validity is limited to their historical context. Additionally we have the presence of corruption. This is not something limited to any one culture or country in particular but it is something that occurs all over the world. Where there is man there will be corruption. We all know one or more instances in which the courts have acted with complete disregard for justice and law. Decisions influenced by political motives are a sore spot in the history of countries dominated by totalitarianism and these outrageous decisions may even occur in countries with a longstanding democratic culture. Knowing these major weaknesses of the judicial system established by man can we trust that we will receive justice when we go to it?

The only real justice is the justice of God. God’s justice is perfect because God is perfect. Although we do not see a system of checks and balances, jurors, prosecutors, lawyers and judges, divine justice progresses inexorably to put everything in its proper place. Its foundation is wisdom. Its principles are simple and its decisions are brilliant. Its sentences are immaculate and its jurisprudence is eternal. Every time we feel our rights have been violated we can go with confidence to God and cry out for justice. But be careful that you’re walking in integrity so that you are protected by your righteousness. Otherwise, divine justice will bring upon you the actual consequences of the bad actions that you have not confessed to God or have not yet felt remorse for. We can not completely trust the institutions established by man but we can rest with confidence in the justice of God, which will soon be applied to those who enjoy evildoing and have made of it a lifestyle. To God alone be the glory!

Victory

No one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.
Proverbs 12:3

Even though earth is not heaven and the world is under the control of the evil, throughout history and in spite of corruption being present at all times and everywhere we can observe that evil has never prevailed over good. History is replete with examples of powerful nations and movements whose sole purpose has been to dominate and get rich at the expense of other weaker or less inclined to war nations and Peoples . Yet we can see that none of these kingdoms has been able to last long because sooner than later they have ended up collapsing and his evil plans have fallen into failure. We also know that at the very end, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns for His church, the enemy will be totally disabled and will no longer be able to continue spreading lies and discord among men. At that time there will be a powerful voice from the throne of heaven that will say: “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” [1]

With all our hopes set in that glorious moment when all our sorrows and misfortunes will cease to be forever, let us go down the path of righteousness that God has prepared for us. No matter how many injustices we see in other paths that are not of God, we know that eventually the bad will not have a place in the midst of creation and therefore it will completely disappear, never to be present or be remembered. As the angel told the apostle John when he revealed to him this glorious future: “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” [2] Let us, for our part, share the message of salvation and continue sanctifying ourselves. Now is when there is hope because Jesus has already won the victory over sin and death! To God alone be the glory!

[1] Revelation 21:3-4
[2] Revelation 22:10-11

Today’s word for June 2, 2011

Like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
Psalm 10:9

Oftentimes we feel that the plans drawn by the wicked are always destined for success. At least that is what we perceive from our limited perspective. But if you look at things in a long term context we realize that the success of the wicked is, at best, transient, mere appearance. We have to recognize that the forces of evil and their thugs are persistent in their purpose to cause as much damage as possible to those who do not bow to their plans and remain faithful to God. In any case, the presence of the wicked among us and the negative influence of their actions is something that God allows to train us in the tactics of confrontation with evil. One of the most successful tactics for the son of God is resistance. To consolidate ourselves in a position, to the end, without taking a step back and no mattering what is the order that we have received from the Lord of hosts. When we have put on the whole armor of God we can successfully resist any attack from the enemy and his pawns and they will no option but to flee from us. This is something that Paul, Peter, John and James, the brother of the Lord agree with.

Our life is, in summary, an endurance race. Here what matters is not how fast we can move forward but that we can go the distance and not faint. The award is reserved for those who manage to complete the endurance test by relying on the forces granted to us by our heavenly Father. Let us not focus, then, in the apparent achievements of those who have sided with God’s enemies. Although it looks that they are winning the battle, in the end they will all be defeated and cast into the lake of fire. What a fate that awaits them! Only with God will have victory. To God alone be the glory!

Today’s word for May 17, 2011

A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
Proverbs 17:4

Just last week we touched on the subject of the close relationship that exists between deceit and evil. We said that deception is an integral part of evil and that evil can not exist without deception. We also said that these two are linked in such a way that we can not find them separate from each other. Today’s word gives us more information in this regard. Today’s verse tells us of the symbiotic interdependence between these two malignant entities. Evil and deceit feed off each other. Both need of each other to strengthen and to keep doing damage. As soon as truth appears, deceit loses its power and it has no choice but to disappear. Once deceit disappears, evil is weakened and it loses its grip on men and peoples. As long as truth does not assume control over the territory that rightfully belongs to it, evil will be on its own and its consequences will continue to be a burden to humanity.

Many of us complain about how bad things are or how evil is inherent in human nature and we do not realize that our wrong actions and attitudes are contributing to make evil stronger. That is why we must always seek that truth is present. We do not need to defend truth, truth can defend itself. What we have to do is allow it to make an appearance. Truth will take care of eliminating deception at the root. Let us watch around us and let us realize how deceit is present everywhere and how its presence is responsible for uncontrolled evil to run roughshod. When we see deceit running free, let us simply express truth. As light repeals darkness, truth will eliminate deception and its resulting partner, evil. Remember that the word of God is truth. To God alone be the glory!

Today’s word for April 11, 2011

The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,
but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
Proverbs 11:5

Many people do not understand that the difficulties and setbacks which they constantly have to face are there because the road they have chosen is a tortuous and rugged path. The progress of his movements in that landscape becomes very difficult and given the uneven terrain, falls are numerous and quite dangerous. Even if others want to help them move more easily, the aid does not reach them because, precisely, they are trapped in a difficult place. They ignore that their evil deeds and their arrogant attitude is what makes that path become increasingly steep and less transitable. Such are the difficulties that stand in their way that they end up thinking that they are lost in a virtual maze. They are so disoriented that they are unable to get their stuff together.

The path of righteousness, by contrast, provides a journey that, although not free of missteps ─mostly because of carelessness and distraction, is much more pleasant and safer than the rugged paths of the wicked. Curves and bends show up before us with a lot less frequency and both the direction and layout of the road are much more visible and easier to follow. What we must be clear about this trail is that the justice referred to is not ours but God’s justice, which by God’s mercy, He considers as ours because of the faith we have placed in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His glorious resurrection. Let us follow along the road of justice that unfolds before our feet and let us not stray from it by keeping a strong and unswerving faith in God our Savior, Jesus Christ. The progress will be remarkable. To God alone be the glory!

Today’s word 3-8-2011

Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.
But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked.
Psalms 37:37-38

The only way to understand why there is so much evil in the world is looking at things from far above. Usually, we only consider what happens in this temporary life, but we forget the most extensive and important time that awaits for us when we will be brought to live in God’s presence. It is like when we need to have a vaccine. At the time the syringe needle penetrates the muscle where the solution of attenuated or inactivated microorganisms needs to be placed; we experience pain and sometimes burning. We may also have to endure some side effects such as allergic reactions. After the vaccine has interacted with our immune system we can enjoy the benefits of the vaccination for a very long time. Someone who only considers the time of the puncture without taking into account the subsequent benefits would say that vaccination is a very unpleasant thing. But if we consider the entire process, we can clearly appreciate the convenience and utility of it.

Let us not limit ourselves to analyzing things only from an earthly perspective, since the benefits we will enjoy when we stand in God’s presence will exceed by far any discomfort or pain that we have had to endure in this life. As the apostle John said, speaking of the loud voice that came from the throne, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Let us look at the difficulties within the larger context of the God’s plan and eternity and nothing will ever be a cause for concern any longer. To God alone be the glory!