Sermon Tone Analysis

We are now in our third week of our series “Who is God?”

So who is God?

The Bible, God’s Word, tells us what God is like and what He is not like.

Without the authority of the Bible, any attempt to explain God’s attributes (inherent qualities) would be no better than an opinion, which by itself is often incorrect, especially in understanding God (Job 42:7).

To say that it is important for us to try to understand who God is like is a huge understatement.

Failure to do so can cause us to set up, chase after, and worship false gods contrary to His will (Exodus 20:3-5)

So it is very very very important to know who God truly is.

So far we have seen God of the Bible as being.

Personal

Holy

Today we are going to see Him as a righteous and just God.

God is Just

Let us continue in Ps. 37 where Mike left off at v.6

When justice is spoken of in biblical categories, it is never as an abstract concept that exists above and beyond God, and to which God Himself is bound to conform.

Rather, in the Scriptures, the concept of justice is linked with the idea of righteousness, and it is based on the internal character of God.

The fact that God is just means that He always acts according to righteousness.

Theologians make a distinction between the internal righteousness or justice of God and the external righteousness or justice of God.

When God acts, He always does what is right.

In other words, He always does that which is in conformity with justness.

In the Bible, justice is distinguished from mercy and grace.

You should never to ask God for justice, because they might get it.

If we were to be treated by God according to His justice, we would all perish.

That is why, when we stand before God, we plead that He would treat us according to His mercy and grace.

Justice is important to us.

Imagine that Adolph Hitler had been found alive, hiding in Germany, and was brought before a judge.

His crimes took nine hours to read, but, at the end, the judge said, “I see what you’ve done.

Millions murdered.

But I think you’ve learned your lesson so I’m gonna let you go.”

He banged the gavel and cried, “Not guilty!”

What rises in your heart when you consider such a scenario?

That emotion is outrage at injustice.

We know the verdict is not just, and it feels intolerable to us.

Evil requires an equivalent punishment.

We inherited that sense of justice from our Creator, because He is just.

People get confused, when considering this alongside of God’s mercy and grace, because grace is not justice.

Grace and mercy are outside the category of justice, but they are not inside the category of injustice.

There is nothing wrong with God’s being merciful; there is nothing evil in His being gracious.

In fact, in one sense, we have to extend this.

Even though justice and mercy are not the same thing, justice is linked to righteousness, and righteousness may at times include mercy and grace.

The reason we need to distinguish between them is that justice is necessary to righteousness, but mercy and grace are actions God takes freely.

God is never required to be merciful or gracious.

The moment we think that God owes us grace or mercy, we are no longer thinking about grace or mercy.

Our minds tend to trip there so that we confuse mercy and grace with justice.

Justice may be owed, but mercy and grace are always voluntary.

That is why God voluntarily became flesh, to live out His righteousness through flesh in order that righteous flesh would pay the debt owed in the flesh sin came by flesh “wages of sin is death”, justice was satisfied once and Jesus became our substitute.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Because justice has been satisfied, God pronounces “not guilty” upon all those who are in Christ (Romans 3:24),

and to all who will call on His name

Justice now insists that, once a sin has been paid for, it cannot be brought up again.

When our sins are under the blood of His sacrifice, God holds them against us no more (Romans 8:1; Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 43:25).

God remains just; He is not violating His own code of justice by pardoning those who deserve its consequences.

Salvation IS a just consequence because God has pronounced Jesus’ death and resurrection sufficient to satisfy His wrath.

The curse of the Law that we justly deserved has been taken by Jesus on the cross (Galatians 3:13).

God is just, and His justice is an indispensable part of His character in the same way that His love and mercy are indispensable.

Without His justice, sin would run unchecked.

Evil would win.

There would be no reward for obedience.

We could not respect a god who was not just.

Micah 6:8 summarizes the top three qualities God wants to see reflected in us: