Justice, Lovingkindness, & Compassion

› Reading of Zechariah 7.

› Pastoral Prayer for the Preaching of the Word.

Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)

› Key Question: What lens do I use for Justice, Lovingkindness, and Compassion in my life and in the world?

I. Justice and Legalism can appear to be the same item, but they are not. (v. 1-3)

1. Justice leans on justice, as what moves the individual and the community often leads to a view of what is right and true.

2. God measures justice by himself, while humanity tends toward relative justice based on personal interpretation.

Psalm 103:19–22 LSB

II. Legalism may cause us to appear Righteous; Justice conforms us to God’s heart . (v. 4-7)

1. As God speaks hearers and readers can discern that He is not fooled by the religious aesthetics.

2. The picture of everyday life is demonstrated as both the ritualistic and the mundane.

Matthew 12:18–21 LSB

III. Neglecting Justice, Lovingkindness, and Compassion results from pretending to walk with God . (v. 8-11)

1. God continually compels His disciples to enact these virtues because they reflect His perfect holiness.

2. Refusing to heed God’s command, humanity exposes herself to the peril of hardening her heart.

Philippians 2:1–7 LSB

IV. A Heart hardened towards God and His Word leads to desolation and suffering. (v. 12-14)

1. God recalls the exile and dispersion of the people as a result of their rock-hearted condition.

2. The warning for the desolation and suffering due to those who oppose God remains constant for those in the world today. Humanity’s plight is the same as in the day Adam and Eve fell.

Romans 3:10–20 LSB

› Key Question: What lens do I use for Justice, Lovingkindness, and Compassion in my life and in the world?

How does the text make me a faithful Disciple?

Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is tyrannical. Blaise Pascal (French Scientist, Polemicist and Christian Apologist)

• The intentions of our hearts matter in our relationship with God.

• When we walk side-by-side with Jesus Christ, we carry out justice by His power.

• God’s justice, lovingkindness, and compassion mold us into the likeness of Jesus.

• As Disciples, living in a world devoid of true justice, lovingkindness, and compassion leaves longing for more.

Call to Repentance and Invitation