How Does Genesis Affect My View of Justice?

Tony Perkins

President, Family Research Council

Genesis 1–2 explains that God made people in his image. This means people deserve to be treated justly because we bear God’s image; to do otherwise would disrespect God and his image. Moreover, Genesis 9:6 teaches that people deserve to be treated justly because God requires it of us. Genesis helps us see that sin and injustice are tragic marks of a fallen world. Together, the doctrines of creation and the fall provide the foundation for which lawmakers can pursue policies that promote justice and uphold dignity for everyone.

Darrell B. Harrison

Host of Just Thinking podcast and fellow of the Black Theology and Leadership Institute, Princeton Theological Seminary

I believe the concept of justice to be rooted in the God of Genesis, in whose image every person has been created (Genesis 1:27). Consequently, my construct of justice must likewise be built upon God’s fixed and objective standard of what is just, right, and fair, and not on my own subjective and often sinful reasoning. Genesis reminds me why there is injustice in the world—to point me to my need for a Savior and to the promise of a new heaven and new earth that are to come.

Darrell White

Retired judge, Baton Rouge city court

As a former judge, I fully understand the grave implications of Adam and Eve’s sin against the holiness of the Creator. After the fall, we all inherited Adam’s sin nature. Thousands of years later, Jesus died to impart justice for the sin that we commit, including crimes against our neighbors. Jesus is ever mindful of mankind’s desperate need of repentance, and the Holy Spirit implores us to trust in Christ. It’s the only way to settle out of court!

Benjamin Dunford

Shift sergeant, Creation Museum public safety

Having worked in corrections before serving as the sergeant for Answers in Genesis’ Department of Public Safety, I’ve heard the word justice used on many occasions. The book of Genesis has helped mold my thinking into what biblical justice really looks like. Often, we find the thought of God’s justice to be offensive—offensive, as we believe God somehow owes us perpetual mercy; however, in Genesis 3:15, we read the prognosis about Adam’s sin and get a healthier understanding of what it would truly take to satisfy the wrath of a holy God: the death of Jesus Christ.