NO RIGHTEOUSNESS, NO JUSTICE

I first heard the phrase “When the system fails, righteous men will rise up” while watching a TV series called Bosch. I have a passion for watching law and order TV programs. When I was younger I had thoughts of becoming a lawyer. Who knew that later in life I would discover that my destiny involved a prophetic call to justice. A watchman. A call that would become clearer after 20 years of ministry service, approximately twelve years of discipline and training in the prophetic, and confirmation by others in 2017. In the Seer, author James Goll describes a prophet or prophetess as a “spokesperson for God; one who hears the voice of the Holy Spirit and speaks or pens God’s mind or counsel through a “divinely anointed manner.” As I was growing in my prophetic gifting I noticed that I rarely prophesied over individuals in personal ministry. My sphere of operation leaned towards discerning the times and seasons, giving clarity to the overall direction and purpose of the Body of Christ and encouraging the church to rise up into full maturity. If you read my blog posts or visit my YouTube channel you’ll see my passion is to see the Church rise up and fulfill God’s purposes in the earth before Christ’s return.

Anyhow, the phrase caught my attention because of the overwhelming chaos, political division among U.S. political parties. The Bible has much to say about injustice because God loves justice and righteousness (Ps. 37:28, Ps.11:7). God is the source of all authority. His throne is built on His righteous and just standards and executed from His throne.

When the system fails, righteous men will rise up.

-Quote from TV series Bosch

The God who loves people calls people to love. The same God who is just calls His people to do justice because righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne (Deut.16:20). Unfailing love and faithfulness goes before him. Scripture says, ”When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn ” (Prov. 29:2). The Message Bible translates it, ”When good people run things, everyone is glad, but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans.” When just leaders are in power, the citizens rejoice, but when evil people gain control, their joys become mourning.”

Governments have a role within God’s purposes. God gave mankind (men and women) the authority to lead nations. In doing so He holds them accountable for how they govern. God’s law is the expression of His unchanging nature and righteousness. The governing authorities are considered to be God’s servants (diakonos). The Greek word diakonos means one who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master, a servant, attendant, minister. ¹ Christian political responsibility should be an expression of the love which is the fulfillment of the law (Matt. 5:17-20). There is no greater commandment than loving God and loving people (Mark 12:30-31). God did, through Christ, what the law could not enable man to do: he fulfilled the law’s requirement (Rom 8:4).

In 2020, I shared that in this new era the church would be crossing the threshold into a new movement of righteousness.  It’s time for the Body of Christ to leave the mundane and venture out of their comfort zone of religion. It’s time that Christians take a look at how conservative Christianity may have inadvertently created an climate of negativity through a doctrine or belief of of manifest destiny that has perverted God’s image of humanity.

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov.14:34). The word righteousness in Proverbs 14:34 is not referring to an individual’s right standing with God but to a nation that adheres to God’s righteous standards as found in His moral law. While government is necessary, it doesn’t say a specific political party or doctrine exalts a nation but righteousness and the adherence to God’s righteous standards.

The Supreme court hearing for Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson was despicable. Some of the attacks on Judge Jackson were unfair, unrelenting, and beneath the dignity of a U.S. Senator and the United States. What is cause of this behavior? Is it because she’s an African American woman or is it political staging? I don’t know. It could be a little of both. This brings to mind the term framing as it relates to social sciences. According to Wikipedia, framing involves “social construction” of a social phenomenon – by mass media sources, political or social movements, political leaders, or other actors and organizations. One can view framing in communication as positive or negative – depending on the audience and what kind of information is being presented. In the context of politics or mass-media communication, a frame defines the packaging of an element of rhetoric in such a way as to encourage certain interpretations and to discourage others. For political purposes, framing often presents facts in such a way that implicates a problem that is in need of a solution. Members of political parties attempt to frame issues in a way that makes a solution favoring their own political leaning appear as the most appropriate course of action for the situation at hand.“² The attacks on Judge Jackson’s judicial record clearly falls under this concept to give the impression that she is soft on crime. Scriptures reveals that the use of framing can be deceptive (1 Pet. 2:1, 22; 1 Pet. 3:10; Eph. 5:6).

I believe our first U.S. President’s farewell speech provides some insight into the behavior we see today among political party leaders. In his farewell address former President George Washington warned against political infighting between political parties:

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”³

Was Washington’s admonition a prophetic warning alerting the American people against the negative impact that opposing political parties could have on the country. During his presidency he witnessed the rise of the Democratic-Republican party in opposition to the Federalists and worried that future political squabbles would undermine the concept of popular sovereignty in the United States. The doctrine in political theory that government is created by and subject to the will of the people. Our Constitution begins with this thought, ‘We the people’. We should be concerned about the unrighteous behavior our political leaders on both sides of the aisle display in their interactions with others. God watches over nations. “He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; The rebellious shall not exalt themselves! Selah” (Ps. 66:7).

His eyes behold the nations – All nations; all people. He sees all their conduct. They can conceal nothing from him. They should, therefore, stand in awe. The wicked have much to fear from One who sees all that they do, and who has power to crush and destroy them. See Psalm 11:4: ”The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.”

In upcoming post, I’ll talk more about the concept of manifest destiny, government leadership, white nationalism, conservative Christianity’s role in politics, righteousness and justice as it relates to Biblical justice and nations. When we understand God’s righteousness and justice from a Biblical perspective we can better understand the character of God. and His expectations for His people. God is not unjust and wishes that all will come to a place of repentance in their hearts.

May the grace, joy, and peace of God be yours through Jesus Christ our loving Lord. To Him be glory, now and forever.

Blessings,

Minister Dr. A. Francine Green

Notes:

All Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

1. “diakonos.” blueletterbible.org, Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1249/kjv/tr/0-1/. Accessed 29 March 2022.
2. Framing (social sciences). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_(social_sciences). Access 29 March 2022.
3. Pruitt, S., (2020). History.com: George Washington Warned Against Political Infighting in His Farewell Address. History. https://www.history.com/news/george-washington-farewell-address-warnings. Accessed 29 March 2022.