God Is Just

Untitled Slide

The Count of Monte Cristo

Mercedes is engaged to her love, Edmond

Fernand, is jealous of his friend, Edmond

Fernand has Edmond exiled; but he's said to be dead

Edmond is tortured in the dungeon at Chateau d'If

Mercedes, tricked about Edmond's death, marries Fernand

"God will give me justice"

Edmond secretly escapes Chateau d'If

Edmond reemerges as a wealthy count

The 'unknown' count finds Mercedes and his unknown son

Justice visits enemies of the Count

The Count and Countess live happily ever after.

God and Alexander Dumas agree:

What is Justice?

God allows himself human life now and everlasting life later to "settle all scores" and provide ultimate justice

Justice is Sometimes Depicted By

• Word "Sophia" (wisdom personified as a strong, discerning woman)
• Blindfolds of Impartiality
• Scales of Discernment
• Sword of Executing Judgment

The Prophet and Book of Ezekiel dealt with issues of God's Justice as Israel and its enemies were testing God's patience

Ezek 18:21 “Now if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will certainly live; he will not die. 22 None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. He will live because of the righteousness he has practiced. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “Instead, don’t I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives?

Jerusalem lay in ruins

Babylon Seemed to Prosper

The Jews were forcibly removed and exiled into harsh treatment in Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar

While Israel was judged, King Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon were shown mercy, despite many past evil acts

TRUTH 1: God is 'Just' in His Actions Toward "REPENTANT UNBELIEVERS"

In the OT, God announced pending judgment then acted, unless repentance occurred. Sometimes they did repent.

God alone knows who truly repents and believes (Mk 1:15). But God is "just" toward those who do

Is Christ's blood powerful enough to forgive anyone? And Is God "just" in forgiving the repentant?

TRUTH 2: God is Also Just in His Actions Toward "UNREPENTANT UNBELIEVERS"

Pol Pot's Killing Fields

Hitler's Nazi Germany

Chairman Mao Zedong

Sadist Killer John Wayne Gacy

Ariel Castro, Kidnapper

God is Just when He metes out punishment to evildoers, whether using Civil, Natural, or Divine Law

Justice through Civil Law

• God uses governments though not all government actions are godly.
• Rom 13:4 For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.

Rights/Actions of Civil Justice

• Issuing Tickets and Fines
• Giving Probation
• Forcing Community Service
• Issuing Jail or Prison Time
• Executing Convicted Criminals
• Declaring War
• God will judge each of these actions however

Justice through Natural Law

• Rom 1:18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them.

(Natural Law continued)

• 21-23 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. 24 Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

(Natural Law continued)

• Rom 1:24 Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

(Natural Law continued)

• Rom 1:26 This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 ... Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error.

Examples of Natural Law

• "Natural Consequences" could include, but may or may not be:
• Certain Diseases or physical problems
• Emotional problems or turmoil
• Mental health issues
• Premature death
• Some natural disasters

Justice through Divine Law

• Divine Law includes everlasting punishment for the unrepentant
• Jesus spoke more of hell than of heaven
• This is an important, though unpleasant, reality of God's Justice

Justice through Divine Law

• Jesus in Matthew 13:49-50: "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Realities of Divine Judgment

• Everlasting Relational Estrangement (Luke 16:26-28)
• Everlasting Hopelessness through self-inflicted damnation (Job 8:13; Luke 16:25-31)

Realities of Divine Judgment

• 3. Realized Emotional and Mental Terror (Rev. 19:11-16; Heb 10:31)
• 4. Unending Conscious Awareness (Luke 16:25)

Realities of Divine Judgment

• 5. Torturous Physical Pain after the Final Judgment (Rev. 20; Mk 9:43)

The Bible presents God as "Just" when punishing unrepented sin and when forgiving repented sin (c.f.., Rom 8:32, God did not spare His own Son)

Ezek 18:30 “Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so they will not be a stumbling block that causes your punishment. 31 Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “So repent and live!

Truth 3: God isn't obligated to explain His actions/inaction

Never Accuse God of Injustice. Unlike humans, He is incapable of it.

Holiness, Justice, Judgment & Mercy

God's Approach to Justice

• God always judges rightly/righteously
• He sometimes discloses His motivations to keep us from being demoralized
• Sometimes He rightly determines that we don't need to know and He doesn't explain, instead giving grace

Why We Accuse God

• Our legitimate pain
• Our lack of objectivity (subjectivism)
• Our limited perspective
• Our conflicted motives
• Others' undeservedness of mercy
• But these don't legitimize accusation

God's Justice

• Understands our fears
• Tolerates our impatience
• Recognizes our doubts
• But rages against our accusations against His Character

God's Justice is also responsible for our aquittal, forgiveness, and salvation
1 John 1:9 "faithful and just to forgive us"

Summary

1. God always gets justice right

2. God always wants our best, making justice for believers "redemptive" not penal, so we can make a great comeback if and when we fall!

Q&A and Discussion Groups

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