Outline
- Defining Justice
- God's Character
- God and the Human Government
- God and the Individual
- Personal Application
- Conclusion
God, the Bible
and Justice
I. Defining Justice
JUSTICE: Act or acts that honor
God in the proper pronouncement of acquittal, end of an evil or
punishment of evil.
In New Testament Greek,
the word for punishment and Justice is the same word, DIKE. Vine’s
Word Study- “came to denote what is right; then, a judical hearing;
hence the execution of a sentence?/p>
II. God's Character
We care about justice
and righteousness because this reflects the nature and character
of God.
A. Only God ontologically (by his very being) is good:
“Why do you
call me good??Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone.?
(Mark 10:18)
B. All He does is
good:
“The LORD is
righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.?
(Psalms 145:17)
C. His Goodness
can not stand evil:
“Your eyes
are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.?(Habakkuk
1:13a)
D. He hates evil:
“I hate pride
and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.?(Proverbs
8:13b)
E. He will punish
evil:
“There will be trouble
and distress for every human being who does evil: first for
the Jew, then for the Gentile.?(Romans 2:9)
F. He delights in
Justice:
“That I am the LORD,
who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight.?Jeremiah 9:24b)
G. He will in the
end, bring ultimate justice:
“It is unthinkable
that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.?
(Job 34:12)
III. God and the Human
Government
God cares about justice
even right here and right now by ordaining government (Romans
13:1).
How we measure a government
as “good?is how it reflects his character and more specifically
righteousness and carrying out justice.
A. The government
is God’s Servant:
“For he is God’s
Servant to do you good.?(Romans 13:4a)
B. The government
carries out justice by being an “agent of wrath?
“He is God’s servant,
an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.?(Romans
13:4)
C. Yet, those in
authority might fail in carrying out justice:
“Many seek an audience
with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that man gets justice.?
(Proverbs 29:26)
D. God takes notice
of how government fails to bring justice or are themselves evil:
“You oppress the
righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice
in the courts.?(Amos 5:12b)
E. God will ultimately
bring to justice all the nations through the Messiah:
“I will put my Spirit
on him and he will bring justice to the nations.?(Isaiah 42:1b)
IV. God and the Individual
God nature cares about
justice so much we have a moral obligation to this in all the
spheres of our lives.
A. The LORD honors
justice and righteousness more than sacrifice:
“To do what is right
and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.?(Proverbs
21:3)
B. We are called
to speak for those who can not speak for themselves:
“Speak up for those
who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are
in destitute.?(Proverbs 31:8)
C. We are called
to speak up to defend the rights of the poor and needy:
“Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and
needy.?(Proverbs 31:9)
V. Personal Application
Are there things to
speak out, pray and act upon in our time and day?
A. What are the
major court cases?
B. Who are the people
appointed as our judges?
C. Are there any
ungodly court decisions lately?
D. Who are those
who are being wronged around you?
E. Are there any
group of people whose life’s value is being deemed less than
human?
F. Are there things
in your conscious, God is addressing you about?
G. What are you
going to do about the abortions and murder of babies in America?
H. What are you
going to do about Euthanasia?
I. What can you
do about what you know?
VI. Conclusion
As Christians we are
called to speak up against evil. We are aware that God cares about
justice more and righteousness more than sacrifices. Yet there are
many evils committed in our times. It is not always popular to go
against its tide but God is who we belong too, and he delights in
justice. He cares enough of justice that our salvation reflects
His nature of being satisfied by Justice (ie, Jesus atonement, justification,
ransom, etc). As Christians we are assured that all evils will be
ultimately judged and deserve its true justice. Such a hope however,
should not deter us from our moral obligation and Christian duties.
Rather, we should delight in them because we know it delights our
Savior.
--Jimmy Li
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