Blog

Faith Overcomes the World

pastortravislv

1 John 5:1-5

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Belief is easy, right? Isn’t this one of the objections that used to be raised against Christianity’s claim of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone? But stop and think about what belief entails. Think about what happens in a lost world when one truly believes. I think you will see that belief is not easy. Salvation is free, but it is never cheap.

As John wraps up his epistle, he ties together multiple themes of the letter: faith in Christ, obedience to God’s commands, and love of the church. All through this letter we have seen a call to believe, a call to obey, a call to love. We have seen that the one who believes is saved. We have seen that one who is saved will love the brothers. WE have seen that the one who is saved will obey the commands of God and turn from sin.

In verse 1, John says, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.” There is salvation by grace alone through faith alone. The one who is born of God is not defined by having earned that birth. Faith in Christ, faith alone, saves. There is no hint here that anything is added to faith to cause salvation.

Also in verse 1, John tells us, “and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” The saved love. Particularly, the saved love others who are born of God.

In verses 2 and 3, John points out to us that we know that we are born of God and love if we keep God’s commandments. In a beautiful addition, John reminds us, “And his commandments are not burdensome” (v. 3).

Then, in verses 4 and 5, John points out that our overcoming the world is made clear in our faith. Believing in Jesus overcomes the world. Faith, true faith, conquers.

Take away a couple of notes here. First, know that the saved are the ones who have true faith in Jesus. Are you saved? Do you believe? Have you believed in who Jesus claims to be and what Jesus has done? Have you rested the weight of your soul’s eternity on his finished work alone? Have you entrusted your soul to Jesus for salvation?

If you assume yourself to be saved, ask yourself some probing questions in the other two categories. Do you love other Christians? If your life has no connection to the local church and no love for other brothers and sisters in Christ, you should be concerned. Examine yourself in light of God’s commands. Is your life marked by obedience to the word of God? I am not saying that it must be marked by flawless obedience, but it is not hard to measure whether or not the word of God is your standard as opposed to the lusts of the flesh and the ways of the world. And if your life is not marked by love for Christians and obedience to Scripture, you should be concerned that perhaps your faith is not true.

Salvation is a free gift, but never cheap. Faith is simple, but never easy. This is why John can tell us that our faith overcomes the world. The world hates our faith. The world hates the idea that we would trust in Christ alone and allow for no other way for people to determine their own sort of salvation. The world hates that we would think that the body of believers is somehow different than the rest of the globe. The world demands that we applaud their disobedience to the commands of God and even join them in their evil practices. So, no, faith is not easy. But, faith, true faith and faith alone in Christ alone, saves.

Loving the World

pastortravislv

1 John 2:15-17

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. What does that mean? Is it a call to dislike all people and all things that are not God himself? No. But the call not to love the world is a call not to center your life around that which is ungodly. The desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life are things from the world. These are not to be our focus, our center, our joy.

The desires of the flesh can be obvious—e.g. sex, drink, laziness. Many things that fit the desires of the flesh are not ungodly things if in their proper context. Sex is good in the bonds of biblical marriage—one man covenanted to one woman for love and companionship for life. Drink is not evil until it moves one to drunkenness or does harm to the life of another. Rest is not wrong until it becomes sloth. But when we become enslaved to physical desires for anything, we are lusting for things above the Maker and Giver of all good things. Then we are in trouble.

The desire of the eyes can go right along with the desire of the flesh. Sometimes in our world people let their eyes and their imaginations take them where their flesh is not able or willing to go. Thus, it can be all the same categories. But ask yourself where else your eyes lead you away from the Lord. A lust for entertainment can walk you away from God. A hunger to see what should not be seen can destroy. Even an imbalanced hunger to see beauty, if it dominates your life, is deadly. For example, the person who lives life for vacation, for seeing the next mountain vista, historical site, or glorious gallery, if that desire is not held in proper check, may well be living for the desire of the eyes.

Pride of life contains anything that exalts ourselves or our desires in this life above the Lord. Where do you put yourself forward? Where do you demand to have things your way? Where do you boast in who you are or what you can do? Where do you fear that others will not see you and your greatness? Where are you dominated by the opinions of others? Where do you clamor for attention? Where do you think you are great, better than others, deserving more than God has given you?

Loving what we can feel, can see, or simply what we want others to think of us is so easy. And it is deadly. Loving these things is a love of the world that, if we are not careful, may prove to us that we do not love the Lord we claim to follow.

What is the solution here? Is it guilt? Is it self-loathing? No. The solution here is to set our eyes on Jesus. Set your minds on things above. Love the Lord. Know and honor the Father. Think about eternity. Live for a glory that is to come and not the pride and experience of the here and now. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a nice meal or a vacation, but an honest person focused on the word of God can see when he or she is given too much to the things of this world. An honest evaluation will help you see whether your vacation is a God-honoring rest or a this-worldly demand to build your travel resume so that others will be awed by your accomplishments.

We need to love the Lord. He is glorious and kind. The Father has loved us. All who know Jesus have been given to him by the Father as a gift. We are made into children of God. Our hope is in the Lord who loves and saves us. Our purpose, our value, our meaning is found as we magnify him. Yes, God has made all things, sights and experiences, and shown us how we can honor him when those things are either properly experienced or properly declined. But nothing will truly match the soul-satisfying joy of actually, honestly wholeheartedly loving and following our God.

Do Not Forget the Flood

pastortravislv

2 Peter 3:1-7

1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

We are a forgetful people. The old saying reminds us that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Certainly, those who forget history are apt to fall into the same follies as generations before.

How forgetful are we? We forget global catastrophe. In 2 Peter 3, Peter points out that scoffers will arise throughout the period of time known as the last days. Those scoffers will mock the belief that the Lord is bringing this world to any sort of end or that any judgment will fall. And we want to be careful not to go down their path.

Notice, in verse 5, scoffers deliberately—on purpose—forget creation and the flood. They hate the concept that this world is made by God, for God’s glory, under God’s governance. They hate the notion that God would ever judge mankind for our wickedness. And they refuse to acknowledge that, in a single day, destruction quite literally rained down upon the world and wiped out an entire global population except for Noah and his family.

Before we chalk this up to men long ago and their failure, see the call of God for you and me in verse 7. WE too live in a world where men continue to forget the flood. WE too live in a world where men intentionally ignore the evidence for creation. We too live in a world that mocks the Christian hope in the return of Jesus. God says to us, “But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (v. 7). We must not let ourselves forget that, just as Noah experienced the flood, so too our present world is in line for a coming cataclysm from the Lord, this time one of fire and not water.

Our world will not stand as it now stands. We cannot say whether this change will come in a day, a century, or a millennium. But mark this as true: The day will come. God will once again wipe the sinful from the face of the earth. God will preserve his own. And when this second day of judgment comes, all that follows will be right. God will lift the curse and cleanse the world. All will be made new. Sin will be judged and eliminated. The saved will be changed, incapable of future sin, living in joy and true life with the Lord forever.

Why remember? Because many forget. Why remember? Because you forget. You and I often live in this life as if this is the end. It is not. This life is barely the front porch on the house of eternity. Remember that God is the one true God. Remember that Jesus is Lord. Remember that God created this world. Remember that God destroyed it once. Remember that he has promised to do it again, this time with fire that will judge and renew. Remember that the flood was a physical, literal truth. Know that the coming future judgment is a physical and literal truth. Remember so that you are not discouraged by scoffers or mislead by those who do not know or care for our Lord.

All Things

pastortravislv

2 Peter 1:3-7

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

How often do we tell ourselves lies when we are tempted to sin? How often do we excuse our sin with falsehoods? How often do we say to ourselves, in words or simply in emotions, that we lack what we need to truly resist temptation?

But God says to us, “…all things….” In Christ, through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. We have everything we need to be faithful to the Lord. We have everything we need to resist temptation. We have everything we need to continue toward godliness.

There is a convicting thread in this gloriously comforting passage. God has given us all things that we need to grow in godliness, and that is good. But then look at the rest. God has called us to his own glory and excellence. That is our goal. That is our hope. WE want to experience his glory. We want to see and live toward his excellence. And, as the end of verse 4 tells us, we want to live partaking of the divine nature and escaping the corruption of sinful desire.

Then verse 5 hits us. Verse 3 said we have all things we need for life and godliness. Verse 4 talked to us about God granting us his glorious promises and letting us benefit from the divine nature. And then verse 5 says to us that we are to “make every effort.” God has given us all things. But we are to make every effort. We must take part in, as Owen puts it, the mortification of sin. We do not sit and wait to be perfected. We struggle. We strive. We press on toward godliness.

This passage comforts and convicts me. God has given me all things. I need never fear that failure is inevitable. And God has called me to make every effort, which means I must act. God works in me. I work. I do nothing to cause my salvation—that is a gift of God. But I must take action toward my sanctification—that is my responsibility. And I must recognize that any success I have in the sanctification process is because of the gifts granted me by God, so he still gets all the glory.

What then is the Lord telling us in this passage. God has given us all things we need for sanctification, so we have great hope. God has commanded we make every effort toward sanctification, which means we have no excuse. May we press on, love the lord, and grow in Christ by the grace of our God.

The Sweetness of Honey and the Kindness of God

pastortravislv

Proverbs 22:13-14

13 My son, eat honey, for it is good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, there will be a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.

God is good. Serving God is good. God is not only good, meaning that he is right and righteous, but God is good, meaning that he is kind and gracious. Serving God is not a life devoid of joys, pleasures, and little kindnesses. While eternity is our goal and eternity with the Lord our reward, God is good to us in the here and now in so very many ways.

In Proverbs 22:13-14, we find a classic Hebrew wisdom saying moving us from the lesser to the greater. ON the greater side, the point of the two-verse proverb, is that wisdom is a good thing, sweet to our souls, and we benefit when we find it. Of course, this fits the book of Proverbs, as we see that wisdom, beginning with the fear of the Lord, brings us good.

On the lesser side of the lesser-to-greater argument, the author draws a comparison to honey. Honey is sweet and good. So, if you find it, eat it. That is the principle to which the author will compare wisdom—wisdom is good; if you find it, get it.

Oddly, what got my attention in a read through this proverb is the lesser side of the argument. God allowed, in his word, an author to advise his people that honey is good and sweet and that they should enjoy it. This little piece tells us something about our God. The Lord is not interested in calling us to lives of such total self-denial that all pleasures are out-of-bounds. No. God actually wants us to enjoy good food, good drink, good friends, good music, good marriages, and so much more.

No, I have not just leapt off into the prosperity gospel. But neither am I about to press for some sort of old-school monasticism. Honey is sweet. It is fine to enjoy it. And, I would add, when you do so, enjoy it to the glory of God. Let its taste remind you of the sweet things of God. Let it point you toward the promises of God. Let it remind you of the provision of God. Let it simply remind you that God loves being kind to his children.

This is the sort of attitude that we should have in all pleasures that are within the bounds of the word of God. Eat with joy and glorify God. Do not be a glutton, but do receive God’s gifts with joy. Go outside and enjoy the beauty of nature to the glory of God. Do not become irresponsible and stop doing your day-to-day work, but slow down, see beauty, and let it point you to the Lord.

This world can be very hard to live in. Money is tight. Politics are ugly. Relationships can be difficult. But in the midst of all this, God has given us pleasures. He has given us food and drink and nature and family and friendships and music and sports and so very much more. When you find sweet things in these, enjoy them, in appropriate moderation, to the glory of the Almighty.

Of course, I would not be doing my job if I did not round this out with the truth that our greatest joy, our truest joy, is when we are involved in declaring and displaying the glory of the God who made us. God made us for this purpose. When we glory in the Lord and glorify the Lord, we do that for which we exist. Nothing else can satisfy the human soul. So, atop our list of pleasures and kindnesses from God we should find the joy of worshipping the Lord as he has allowed through song, communion, Scripture, sermon, and the sweet hours we spend with the saints.

Upholding the Universe

pastortravislv

Hebrews 1:3 – He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Why are we here? Why is there something and not nothing? Why do atoms not fly apart or crash together? Why does the universe not explode in an unfathomable cataclysm? Jesus.

The Lord tells us, when describing Jesus in Hebrews 1, that “he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Jesus is God in flesh, God the Son, the one who made propitiation for our sins. And Jesus upholds the universe, moment by moment, by the word of his almighty power.

You may have a variety of reasons to worship Jesus. You may be grateful for salvation. You may be thankful for his sweet teaching and love. Add to that the fact that, were Jesus to withdraw the word of his power, the universe would cease to be. This is a power that is only god’s. It is attributed by the word of God to Jesus. Praise be to Jesus!

How Do We Know Who is Chosen?

pastortravislv

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a, 9 – 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction… 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

Every once-in-a-while, I will find myself having a discussion with folks about the doctrine of election. Obviously, for many, this doctrine brings with it a great deal of baggage. But, for those who grasp it, there is wonderful hope. It is a good thing to know that God will save his elect without fail. It is wonderful to know that the salvation of the elect is not dependent on my skill, my cleverness, my goodness, my intellect, or anything else in me. And it is wonderful that, though the salvation of the elect is not dependent upon me, I have the joyful honor of being used by God as a tool in his hand to accomplish his sovereign will.

Sometimes when people ask about this doctrine, they will ask how we know who is elect. They assume that somehow those who believe what the Bible says about election are out there trying to identify the elect before ever engaging them with the gospel. But nothing can be further from the truth. A person who has a true grasp of election will boldly and honestly share the gospel with everyone we can. But how then do we know who is chosen by God?

Note what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in verses 4 and 5 above. He knew that they were chosen, because the gospel came to them, not only in word, but also in power, Spirit, and conviction. I fear that, when we read this, we assume charismatic miracles here. And perhaps that was the case in Paul’s ministry. But I think something simpler is at hand here. Paul brought the gospel in honest words to the people. That preached word was met with the power of God. That power of God changes lives. That power of God opens hearts. And people who believe are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God when they become new in Christ. There is conviction that comes with the gospel as sinners see their sin, feel the pain of their sin, sense the fear of the judgment of God, turn, cry out to Jesus, and are saved.

In verse 9, Paul continues to say that he knows the Thessalonians are among the elect because they responded to the preached word of god by turning from idols to serve the Lord. In a word, they repented. The people saw their sin, turned from their sin, turned to the Lord, and committed themselves to God’s service. Let me be clear that no person is saved who does not desire to serve the Lord. While salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, no salvation occurs without a change of heart that includes a letting go of sinful self-determination for humble submission to God. Lordship is included in faith that repents.

So, two quick questions. First, are you saved? You answer that question by looking at the verses above and asking if this is any part of your life. Have you heard the word of God calling you to Jesus? Have you been convicted of your sin? Have you believed? Have you turned from your sin and surrendered your life to follow the Lord? Do you have the Holy Spirit indwelling you? If not, I urge you to run to Jesus before it is too late.

The second question is where we began. How do we know who is chosen? The answer is this: Do they respond to the gospel with saving faith? You know who is chosen by sharing the gospel with them and seeing the Spirit of God move them to salvation. If they come to Christ, you know they are chosen. If they do not come to Christ, you know to keep sharing, because today might not be the day when God has planned to bring them to himself. If they do not come, you keep sharing as God opens the door for you to do so until either they come to faith or die without Christ. Your job is not to know who is elect. Your job is to share Jesus faithfully.

Where are the Shepherds?

pastortravislv

Philippians 2:19-22 – 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

The word for pastor in Greek is a word that means shepherd. It is not at all complicated or confusing. Pastors are supposed to care for the sheep. Sometimes that means a warning. Sometimes it means a comforting word. Sometimes it means driving off enemies with a stick. Pastors care for their sheep.

The reason that this is on my mind is that, as I read the above passage, I see the uniqueness of Timothy. Paul says that he has nobody like Timothy who will truly be concerned for the wellbeing of the sheep. Something about the way that Timothy does ministry stands out and makes him a powerfully useful tool in the ministry of Paul and in the church of God.

What makes me sad is that I wonder how many would say something similar. I’m not wondering if people would highlight a Timothy and say how helpful and loving he is. But I do wonder how many would look at a Timothy, a man who cares for others, and say that Timothy is unique. Do we truly not have men like Timothy who will be genuinely concerned for the good of others in their care?

I fear, as I watch many a person in the church, that there are too few, far too few, who genuinely seek the good of others. We have many who will fight to be right. We have many who will happily call out error. We have many who will seek to gain a bigger audience. We have many who will go to the mat for novel doctrines. But do we have many who will simply pour out their lives to care for and seek the good of the sheep?

May we never need to find Timothy unique. May the Lord bless our church with elders and laypersons who will have lives marked by the genuine care of others. May we see pastors who love to shepherd. May we know that warning and comfort, preaching and compassion, church discipline and restoration are all part of those who care for the flock of God, shepherding as overseers.

More than One Kind of Disobedience

pastortravislv

Numbers 20: 7-12 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” 9 And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him.
12 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

Psalm 106:32-33

32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33 for they made his spirit bitter,
and he spoke rashly with his lips.

Psalm 106 walks us through a great deal of the history of Israel. The Psalmists wants to help the nation remember the faithfulness of God even in the face of the nation’s unfaithfulness. And here in verses 32-33, we see a brief summary of the failure of Moses at Meribah. The Psalm helps us to see where God says Moses messed up.

In Numbers, God said that Moses did not believe in him so as to uphold him as holy. We see lots of speculation as to why this is. Some people say that the issue is Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it as he was commanded. Some suggest that Moses appears to take credit for giving the water, and this is the problem. And, I would suggest that those are true issues.

But Psalm 106 helps us when it tells us that it is the bitterness of spirit and rashness of speech that dishonored the Lord. Moses got mad. Moses got bitter. And Moses let his bitterness lead him to speak in a way that dishonored the Lord. Moses stopped focusing on the power and glory of God. Moses used his mouth simply to tell off the people. And, yes, Moses spoke as if he was the one doing the work. Moses chose to do things his way instead of God’s way, because the people got under his skin.

This should remind us to watch our actions, our words, and our attitudes. In our fallen world, it is easy to let bitterness into your spirit. It is easy to get angry with the folly of the foolish. It is easy to just want to squash dumb dumbs with your words. And our culture has made this all socially acceptable. After all, how many YouTube videos are supposedly funny moments where somebody just goes off on somebody else? How many movie scenes show a person getting their comeuppance when the meek character finally snaps? How much Facebook or Twitter content includes people spewing out pent up frustrations? How often do you see someone acting like a buffoon in public if they feel insulted by anybody for any reason?

Honor God as holy. Trust God. From the account in Numbers, this has to mean that you do not take personal credit for the work of Almighty God. It also must mean that you obey the instructions of God in his word as he gives them. And, from Psalm 106, we learn that it also means to guard against bitterness and rashness of speech.

Where do you need to be careful? Are you growing bitter? Is your speech becoming more self-focused and harsh? Are you able to keep your discourse focused on the Lord and his word rather than stooping to the low-hanging fruit of sarcastic personal attacks?

Or, perhaps do you need to grow by being willing to follow the direction of God even when faced with a nasty, complaining crowd? Even in the face of mass foolishness, Moses was still required by God to obey the command of God, as God gave it, for God’s glory.

Justice or Abomination

pastortravislv

Proverbs 17:15

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

A biblical view of justice involves a variety of things. Justice includes the proper application of the principles of God’s righteousness in the world. Justice involves proper punishment for wrongs done. Justice involves action taken to make whole or to repair things when a person is wronged.

Here in Proverbs 17:15, we are reading about aspects of justice perverted. And I would that these were merely Old Testament problems. But they are not. In point of fact, this proverb shows us problems that genuinely exist in our world today.

Many of the proverbs are written in a form of Hebrew poetry in which thoughts are set side-by-side. Sometimes a thought will repeat the same idea. Other times, a thought will teach us by putting two opposites near one another in a balanced contrast.

Feel the balance of the contrasting points of this proverb. We see two things that might seem opposite: justifying contrasted with condemning; wicked contrasted with righteous. But we see a connection, something that ties the two contrasts together. To justify the wicked and to condemn the righteous are both abominations in the sight of the Lord. God hates when both things happen.

What is this little word to the wise telling us? There is nothing good about ignoring when wickedness is done. A just judge must properly condemn the wicked actions of people. Just punishment, right retribution, must follow if the judge is to be pleasing to the Lord. No person should be acquitted of a crime simply because he is rich, or simply because he is poor. Right condemnation should fall on the one who does wickedness.

Similarly, to condemn the righteous is an equal abomination. There is no good, no justice, no righteousness in pronouncing a sentence of condemnation on someone who has not committed a crime. Regardless of whether the person is rich or poor, man or woman, weak or strong, we do not condemn a person rightly who is not guilty but righteous.

The point of the justice system for any people should be to do actual justice. That means that impartial judgment is rendered. Condemn the wicked, those actually guilty. Justify the righteous, refusing to punish people for crimes they did not commit. A society refusing to do justice in either direction is an abomination before the Lord.

Are there nuances that must apply in a discussion of justice? Of course. But, if we refuse to start with the principle laid out here in Proverbs, we cannot even begin to properly consider such nuances. For a society to function, we must begin with the belief that justice includes condemning the guilty and justifying the righteous. Belief systems that would punish people for crimes they did not commit is evil. A system that would look at a person proven guilty and choose to ignore that guilt is wrong. One might think that what I have just written is blatantly obvious, but, as our society continues to decline, the obvious needs to be clearly restated.