Is God just?
written by Julie R. Neidlinger 3 comments link this post::Again, like the last time I taught Sunday School, I dreaded teaching the lesson. I couldn't see how I could teach a lesson with a question that I couldn't even come close to answering. The teaching material I had to work from was well-written, but the answers were just so pat and organized that even if they were "correct", I couldn't bring myself to sound so much like I'd "arrived" and had no struggles. So, I abbreviated the lesson and opened it up to discussion by asking questions that came to mind as I worked through the material.::
Scripture passage: Psalm 68:1-6, 18-22
Rejoice in God's Justice
1. Judgment for the wicked - Psalm 68:1-2
- Q: Define the following terms - Justice, Mercy, Grace
- In the verses above, David calls for God to judge the wicked and that they be shown no mercy.
- Q: Why does God have the right to judge? (His right to judge is rooted in His holy character.)
- Q: Why does the fact that He is holy mean that He must judge, and not that He "gets to" judge? (Would God be holy if he did not judge? Because He is holy, He must judge sin when people fail to repent of wickedness.)
- So, then, do you agree with the following statement: Being holy requires judgment of sin.
- Q: Should human beings be judging sin? (We are not holy like God, and should not be judging people in the same way.)
- The fact that God must judge people for their sin is not the same as Him wanting to do so. He does not desire to condemn people, but because He is holy, he must judge sin.
- Back to the three words we defined earlier (Justice, Mercy, Grace). God is just and judges as such, but He would much rather extend mercy and grace to those of us sinners who would receive it.
- Q: Why is it important to understand God's nature and attributes in order to be confident in His determination to bring about justice? (We can't possibly understand how a holy God responds to sin. We are born sinners and have participated in sin, and we don't remotely possess the kind of revulsion towards sin true holiness requires. God is pure and holy by nature, unlike us.)
- David rejoiced in God's justice because it was the triumph of God's righteousness.
2. Rejoice for God's People - Psalm 68:3-6
- Q: In these verses, what do the godly find themselves doing? (Exulting in the Lord.)
- Q: Where in this passage do we see another aspect of God's justice, one where He isn't the judge? (His intervention on behalf of the widows and fatherless. He took up their cause. He also provides for the lonely and frees those who are captive.)
- Q: What does this say about God?
- Q: What does this say about what He expects of us? (We are to seek justice for the vulnerable in society. We are to try to exhibit the same character as God.)
Rejoice in God's Salvation
1. Acknowledge God as Our Savior - Psalm 68:18-19
- David gave thanks to God and acknowledged that only He was the source of salvation, i.e. only God can be trusted to save us.
- Q: Why do we often forget to thank God for our eternal salvation?
2. Deliverance from Our Enemies - Psalm 68:20-22
- Q: Why does it seem like evil people have the power to interfere with the advancement of God's Kingdom? Doesn't this seem unjust of God, to allow them free reign? (Rather than having free reign, their attempts to oppose God's interests are used to bring about the very purposes they seek to hinder.)
Our Class Discussion: This lesson brought up many comments about people saying things like "I don't believe a loving God would send people to hell." I pointed out that perhaps that was, based on what we talked about, a very confused statement. Sending people to hell was in no way connected to God's love. Instead, it was connected to His holiness, which ties in to the fact that He must judge. By trying to use the loving attribute of God as a reason why he would never judge, people conveniently ignored this very other important attribute of God: holiness.
We also talked a bit about the concept of seeking justice for the vulnerable in society, and just who the vulnerable were. I asked if those present thought that Christians in America (Evangelicals, et. al.) had a reputation for this, and if that reputation was or was not deserved. There was discussion on the many good things that Christians do in this regard, but that much of the Evangelical cause had gotten tied up in politics that didn't seem to show concern for the vulnerable.
The lesson was truncated, and the last part a little rushed. We spent a good deal of the class talking about God's holiness and judgment, and whether or not we could really understand the statement that "God is just."
Labels: bible, bible studies, christianity, justice, teaching
Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger 9/02/2007 02:15:00 AM
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3 Comments:
So...how does this fit in with the topic of predestination?
I had a conversation with a friend recently concerning the idea, which turned out to be interesting (I don't agree with the idea, she does).
What are your ideas about it? Part of me wants to think that a completely just God would allow mercy for ALL people, not only ones that He has, before the dawn of time, decided would be allowed to be saved.
By 
oldtranslations, at
September 2, 2007 2:34 PM
My first and main answer would be "I don't know."
I'm not a strict Calvinist who thinks God has determined the elect and that will be that. I was raised with the concept of free will and with verses such as "choose this day who you will serve" and "for God so loved the world" being reasons to preach the Gospel to all people.
I can't ignore the verses, however, the say God already knows, has predetermined, that predestination is something to consider.
In the end, whether I call myself a Calvinist or an Arminian, or something in between, I have to have faith that God is just and I will simply not understand this.
I believe God is in control, and that He is all powerful. I don't know how this would allow for free will or Him letting people "decide" for themselves since, if carried out, it would seem He either already decided or is not in control. However, I do see examples in my own life where He seems to have let me make my own decisions. Just this morning, in Sunday School, we talked about Abram and Sara and how God allowed Abram to make poor decisions upon entering Egypt.
I admit to not being able to come to a place where I'm comfortable with the answers to all the questions that have come up in my mind regarding this (and believe me, there are many). I also think I want to explore this more sometime on this blog, but feel fairly inept at it now.
By Julie R. Neidlinger, at
September 2, 2007 5:49 PM
One verse in the Bible stands out for me when it comes to judgment versus mercy.
"For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment."
(James 2:13 ESV)
James is writing this about humans, but if this is to be true of us, then how much more true (if such a thing is possible) is this idea for God.
The fact for me is this: if mercy does not triumph over judgement, then I am doomed.
By 
Will, at
September 3, 2007 8:46 PM
