Micah 6:8 exhorts us to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” with God.
Justice requires loving mercy AND walking in humility with the Lord. The three work together and cannot be fully worked out independently. Psalm 11:7
Walking humbly: Who are we to pretend to know what is truly just until we know the One who is by nature just, righteous, and merciful? We in our sin natures cannot bring about justice on our own, and to believe otherwise is to make ourselves gods. We must humbly bow before our Creator and Lord, seeking His will and pursuing His justice in love. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Loving mercy: That Jesus not only provided atonement for us but now intercedes for us should always motivate us to start with love and mercy. Every person on this planet was created in the image of God; no one person is superior to another. If we act in arrogance, it is sin. If we seek revenge, it is sin. If we seek retribution, it is sin. Mercy has no part in arrogance, revenge, or retribution. Matthew 5:7
Doing justly is the outward expression of the heart (loving mercy) and of our relationship with the savior (walking humbly). Those who do not seek the Lord cannot understand justice in its purest form. Only the sovereign Lord is fully just. If we truly want justice, we must start with Jesus.
Defaulting to Grace 