“You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land the LORD your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 16:19, 20

We have said that the goal of public policy must be to ensure a just society, one in which the very character of God defines the parameters of moral and social conduct. God’s character is holy, and that holiness comes to expression in goodness and love. The Law of God, as an expression of God’s character, is thus holy and righteous and good, and the way to show love for God and neighbors (Rom. 7:12; 1 Jn. 5:1-13; Matt. 22:34-40).

Justice, as an expression of God’s goodness, is a jewel with five facets, and the Law of God outlines the specific nature and practice of each of these forms of justice.

A just society is the “good” for which government has been instituted by God (Rom. 13:1-4). No government ever retained power for very long by announcing that it was opposed to justice and hostile to goodness. Attaining justice and goodness is the stated purpose of every politician, no matter his party or platform. In a free society such as ours, one cannot expect to be elected to office unless he is able to persuade the electorate that he and his policies are on the side of justice and goodness.

But unless we define each of these terms, we will always be persuaded that “justice” and “goodness” actually mean, in the end, something like “whatever is best for me.”

T. M. Moore

Visit our website, www.ailbe.org, and sign up to receive our thrice-weekly devotional, Crosfigell, featuring writers from the period of the Celtic Revival and T. M.’s reflections on Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition. Does the Law of God still apply today? Order a copy of T. M.’s book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, and study the question for yourself.