How God is Still Great in a World of Injustice

Homiletical Idea: in the midst of this world’s injustice, God’s promise of judgment day shows himself to be perfect in his justice

Prayer: Oh God, you are incomprehensibly good. I ask you to make our hearts and minds understand your greatness even more through this sermon about your justice.

Through the music, once again, I was again reminded of God’s greatness, amen? David said that he desired one thing only: to dwell in the house of the lord and to behold the beauty of God. Our whole lives should be to this end, to see God in every blessing and promise so that we see the Creator and we are amazed. One of the main attributes of God is his justice.

God’s Justice

Justice is often well-portrayed in superhero movies. This is a typical scenario you might find. Imagine a few of the terrorists taking notice of a family with a father, a mother, and two young children. The terrorists then approach the family, grab the father, and they start dragging him away. The children are screaming for the men to let their father go, and the father escapes the hold of the men to attempt to say goodbye to the children and to reassure them that everything is going, but on his way, the men catch up and beat the father to the ground and start stomp on him, while the children look on in horror while crying as they themselves are being dragged away by other terrorists and the children crying in fear. This is injustice. This family did nothing wrong and yet they are being oppressed by evil men. And just as bad is that these evil men are doing what they want and gaining power and wealth by exploiting the people in this village. Then, unexpectedly, poovvff down comes Iron man, he throws the terrorists against a wall immobilizing them, freeing the fathers and the children so that they would be reunited and safe, just as the innocent should be.

Psalm 146 1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. 2 He executeth judgment for the oppressed: Which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners: 8 The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind:

The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: The Lord loveth the righteous: 9 The Lord preserveth the strangers; He relieveth the fatherless and widow: But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. 10… Praise ye the Lord. KJV Ps 146:1,2, 7-10.

God’s justice, or his judgment, is the fact that God loves the innocent among us and desires to protect and to bless them, but he punishes those who would dare try to oppress or take advantage of the innocent.

This is how God is described in the Bible, the savior of the innocent, protector of the weak, but the punisher of the oppressors. This is God’s justice, this is what it means for God to be a God of judgment.

Injustice in the World

But right now, this view of God is blurred. It's hard to see the justice of God because of the death or suffering of the innocent and the vulnerable? World hunger, disease, wars, and natural disaster, death, disappointment, depression, anxiety all oppress the innocent. We also see that the oppressors of the poor and those who start unjust wars, those who love wickedness, thrive in this world.

Some see the world today and say to God, “if you are good, someone worthy of worship(sarcastic), a God who is perfect and just, how could you do nothing!

Thesis: Thankfully not only does the bible identifies this problem, but God himself also gives a solution to this problem in the Bible. And when we see the solution to this problem, our lives are changed.

First, the bible shows that people have a problem with seeing God as a just hero because of the suffering they see in the world.

Malachi 3:13-15 KJV 13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: And what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, And that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the proud happy; Yea, they that work wickedness are set up; Yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

Injustice in the World

The Israelites are reported in Malachi three to have called God unjust. Far from being perfect, without iniquity, far from being just and having all his ways being with exact judgment like Deuteronomy 32:4 claimed. They say that first, people who are good walk about mournfully in verse 14, and God is not saving like any hero of justice would. If God were perfect, he would save those who are righteous and cause them to prosper. Also, there are wicked people who are set up, not cast down as they should be, so that go oppress and exploit the innocent for their own gain!

The fact is that we all have seen injustice on one level or another. We see injustice on the big scale and low scale. But it is mostly the case that the stories of injustice that affect us the most are injustices against children, and this is because of our instincts to preserve the next generation but also because we know the child is innocent, and not typically worthy of any sort of serious punishment. But the fact is that children are hurt emotionally and physically every day whether it be in school or in home.

I once was driving home from work when I saw a child who was walking without bending her knees, so this little girl, about 10 years old, is hobbing while her parents are nearby. And I think to myself, that though she may be in a loving family, I know that children her age are nasty, just like I was when I was that age. The child has most likely been left out of friend groups, has been treated like charity projects, and was probably on the receiving end of harassment, I know I was when I was that age as well. When I thought about this I was angry, I wanted to destroy anyone who would ever dare to bother this kid. And one could feel angry toward the one who allows this to happen every day in this world and does nothing, namely God. Some may say where are you, God? You better do something about this. Are you even listening? This is what the objector in Malachi was wondering in their hearts.

Resuming in the Malachi 3:16 KJV Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: And the Lord hearkened, and heard it

This is significant. In other places in Malachi, an objection is given to God, and God answers by saying that the objector is wrong in the present. For example, in the beginning of Malachi, the Israelites tell God that he does not live with them, and God says, yes I do you are wrong. Or they will say that they are doing nothing sinful, but then God will give them 10 ways they are being evil. But here at the end of Malachi 3, and at the end of Malachi 2 they ask, where is your care for the innocent God? Why do the innocent suffer and the evil prosper? And instead of denying this fact, God listens and does not say they are wrong in response. In response to the problem of innocent suffering and evil prospering, God responds both times in this way

16 the Lord hearkened, and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, In that day when I make up my jewels;

And I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, Between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. 4 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;

And all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: And the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, That it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise With

healing in his wings; And ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet In the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. Mal 3:13–4:3.

God’s Response to Injustice: Judgement Day

This day is the response of God to the problem of injustice in this world.

I once worked as a delivery driver for a food company and I went out with two orders of food for two different houses. I delivered one to one house, then I drove off to another and as I got to the house I thought to check the receipt to make sure I had the right address, and as I look down at the receipt, I realized that I had the right address, but I had the wrong order! I went back to the previous house to see if they realized that they were given the wrong order, and they should have known because they ordered one item and I gave them four, but I get there and they say, oh we didn't know we ate all of it. Well now I need to go back to the store and have them remake it which takes a lot of time, I felt horrible. I called the person who would have the order very late, and they tore into me, really letting me know how they were feeling about the situation. I then asked what I could do, and management said I could only give them a free pizza on their next order. But that was not enough, this woman kept lighting me up, and I realized that it was not enough but it was all I could offer. But I listened to this person, really listened, and I ended up giving her 20 dollars out of my own pocket to make the situation right. I listened to the injustice, and then I gave a plan that would make the wrong situation right. And this is what God did, he listened to mankind's complaints, and he made something that would make everything right, he made a day where all things would be balanced, and he calls it judgment day.

We know this day did not happen yet. Malachi says at the end of chapter 4

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. KJV Mal 4:5.

Now Jesus identified this Elijah to be John the Baptist (Matt 11:14).. John that baptist put this day after himself in Matthew 3:7-10. And Jesus put this day of wrath in which the wicked are destroyed and the righteous are saved at the last day (John 12:48).

l;

God’s response to the injustice today is to deal with this problem in the future on a day (verse 4) in which the wicked will perish and the righteous will live. God's exact judgment, but in the future. One can compare the day of future judgment with how we take out loans today.

They are people today that pull out tens of thousands of dollars in loans. They might need a loan from the bank to buy a house, afford college, or buy a car. But in none of these instances do we call these borrowers robbers. We are not saying that they are unjust or are stealing money from the bank. This is because they are promising to pay back all the money they borrowed in the future, plus interest. Eventually, these people will settle all accounts, and they will be seen as just. This is the same with God on judgment day, he will pay everyone what they did not receive in the past.

And this will happen on the day of judgment, or justice. The in which everyone will be repaid for their work. One day God will even everything out, and he will balance the scales. In the end, god will be seen as the hero who saves the innocent from the oppressor.

There are three things to know about this final judgment that will happen on the last day: the judgment will be it will be fair and exact, it will be varying and compensating for the wicked, and it will be varying and compensated for the righteous. This day will show God to be absolutely perfect, holy, just, and therefore still worthy of our praise.

First, the final Judgment will be fair and exact

God will not be careless about this judgment. Remember, he is perfect and holy, all of his ways are judgment, and he knows all things. Nothing gets past God.

“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14 KJV

Judgment will be fair and exact

One of my favorite bible accounts is in the book of Esther and the account is a good image of judgment day. The was a Jew named Mordecai who feared God and there was an evil man named Hamman. Hamaan demanded that Mordecai would bow down to Hamaan because Hamaan was Mordecai’s superior and Hamaan had an ego to satisfy. However, Mordecai, the innocent, only saw it fitting to bow down to God, and so Hamaan was enraged, he wanted Mordecai to show the highest respect to him, so eventually Hamman decides to make plans to have Mordecai hung in public. This is injustice. But the God of justice eventually reverses this, it ends up, through God’s providence, that Hammaan was hung on the gallows that he set up for Mordecai. And Mordecai gets the position that Hamaan had, and so there is a great reversal, and justice is done.

This is the awesome fairness of God’s judgment on display, but the final judgment will also be exact, God will take into account every work into judgment, even every secret thing.

There is a legend that there was once a woman that came and bought something at a store Abraham Lincoln worked at, and Lincoln overcharged the woman six cents. Instead of keeping the money, which was not a lot, the women did not take notice, Lincoln walked three miles to return the money. Another time a man bought tea and Lincoln left some tea on the scale while pricing it. Lincoln walked, again a long distance to return the tea.

God will make sure no one gets more or less than they deserve in the final judgment, he would go any distance to make sure justice will be done. There will be things that God will bring to the judgment that we do not think are a big deal. They are only 6-cent deeds, yet God will not allow any amount of work to go unnoticed, whether good or bad.

Imagine an older woman walking outside at night. As they are walking she hears footsteps speeding up behind her, as she looks back, she sees a man running towards her, getting to her, grabbing her purse, and running. She is too slow to do anything, and she cries for help, and she sees another figure running after the man that has the woman's purse. The hero takes grabs the purse back from the man and also pats down the robber and notices the change the robber snuck away, thinking that the change that he took out thinking that the hero wouldn't notice. On judgment day, no amount taken will go unnoticed, and no amount that we deserve, whether good or bad, even 6-cent deeds, will not be accounted for, God is too just and perfect to let any deed, though, or true motives go unnoticed.

Second, the judgment will be varying and compensative for the wicked

God is angry with the wicked every day KJV Psalm 7:11

God is angrier than us about evil people than we are. And one day he will show his displeasure with evil fully, that day is judgment day. Varying in punishments

Jesus recorded in Luke 12:45–48 are unmistakably straightforward: Some servants will be beaten “with many stripes” and others with “few.”

that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. Luke 12:45–48 KJV

Some are destroyed in a moment, while others suffer for many days. All are punished “according to their deeds.” … Satan’s punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all, who have perished and fallen by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer. GC 673

Punishment will be varying

This is how we are as well. In the court system, when the jury and judge pronounce a sentence, one takes into account the number of crimes, the severity of the crime, the motive of the crime, and if the person should know better or not, which is the difference between the crime of a child, and insane person, and an adult with no history of mental illness. And the effects of the crime on others are also in view, Jesus says that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the person who causes the stumbling. The rights in prison are different, some go out on parol, others do not, and others are in solitary confinement. Some for a few hours, others, for weeks, other years, and some for a lifetime. There will be those who burn for seconds, others minutes, others hours, others for a day, and others for many days. And this will be according to their deeds and according to the light that was rejected. But also the undeserved pain one will receive.

First, the evil gets compensated for their undeserved pleasure.

Punishment will be compensatory

6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, And double unto her double according to her works: In the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, So much torment and sorrow give her. KJV Re 18:6–7.

Those who were wicked yet lived lavish lives will receive double punishment, first for their deeds, but also second to cancel out all of their undeserved pleasure. This only makes sense because imagine two equally evil people, one lived in squalor and was poor while the other lived in luxury and was rich. If those two got the same punishment, it would be clearly unjust. There are those now who are not only storing up wrath for themselves by their deeds but are storing up wrath for themselves with their joys in life. If one is a sinner, they deserve no pleasure at all, so this means all the pleasure they receive, will necessarily need to be canceled out by punishment on the day of judgment. This is why hell is called by Jesus a place of tears and gnashing of teeth, even if it is not eternal.

The Gospel of a Merciful and Just God

The Holy Spirit may not be convicting you that you are not righteous. That you are a sinner. That you deserve to not be rewarded for your works, but punished for your deeds. The fact that we are all oppressors in the eyes of God. If feel righteous, that is only because we are around other unrighteous people. A convicted murderer feels like a saint next to a serial killer. But he is no saint, put him next to one and the murderers will feel evil. But when we are next to God, and we all are when we think about a holy God on judgment day, then every flaw will stick out to us. Paul states in Romans 3:

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; KJV Ro 3:23

The good news is God is actually unjust in the eyes of many. There are those who have committed atrocities and unimaginable evils, but in the end, the judge of the universe, God, will pronounce them “not guilty”, and in fact, anyone in the room can be acquitted for all of the crimes they know they deserve death for. How is this possible, how is this just? God took our punishment that we deserved to receive on judgment day. And he did this for the whole world.

The Gospel of a Merciful and Just God

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his

righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. KJV Ro 3:23–28.

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature

the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath 

quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together KJV Eph 2:3–6.

The Gospel of a Merciful and Just God

The God of justice is not only a God of judgment but of infinite mercy. God became a human and took the guilt of every evil deed, and on the cross, he took all the punishment you and I deserved. He took out the punishment we deserved on judgment day. All we need to do is confess that we have sinned, ask God to help us to cleanse us through the power of his holy spirit and be resurrected to new life with Christ, and apply God's death on our behalf to our account so that we may be forgiven. As we do this our sins are forgiven and God changes our hearts to want to obey him. God’s death and resurrection make us righteous.

And instead of deserving punishment, we will deserve eternal life.

As we confess our sins, we are forgiven, and this means we deserve no suffering at all, and we never have deserved any suffering in our past. Because we are forgiven, God says that we deserve no punishment or pain, will never have and we never will. But, if this is true, what will God do about the times we suffered undeservedly? Well, that brings us to our fourth point.

Judgement Day for the Righteous: Compensatory and Varying

Judgment day is not only fair, exact, and at differing levels, but it also involves compensation.

But judgment day is also good for those who rely on Jesus’ death for forgiveness and the Holy Spirit for cleansing because all of our pains in this life will be compensated for with a reward on judgment day.

The principle is stated in Joel 2:25,26

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, The cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, My great army which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied. KJV Joe 2:25–26.

We all have locusts in our life stories. The death of a loved one, a season of depression, any pain of any sort, the more locusts, the more will be restored to you. And this is what happened in the story of the job. Job suffered greatly when he lost his family, and his money, and was given painful boils. But in the end, God was merciful, and just because he gave Job twice as much of everything as what he had before. God had compassion on and he says that he will make things right.

The righteous get double punishment, the righteous get a double reward. James says we should look to what happened to our job to encourage us to see God as merciful and just.

10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. KJV Jas 5:10–11.

On top of this, he will take the robber more from him because he committed a crime, and will give the extra money and give it to the woman in order to console the woman who just went through a traumatic experience.

There will be small moments of suffering that will be paid back, God will be exact. We might think that it is fine in heaven if we are not compensated we will be in heaven, yet God is still too just to overlook our undeserved suffering on earth.

First, there will also be different rewards

8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building… 13Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it

shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

KJV 1 Co 3:8–15.

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little,

have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

KJV Lk 19:16–19.

But when the Master receives the talents, He approves and rewards the workers as though the merit were all their own.

His countenance is full of joy and satisfaction. He is filled with delight that He can bestow blessings upon them.

For every service and every sacrifice, He requites them, not because it is a debt He owes, but because His heart is overflowing with love and tenderness. Christ’s Object Lessons 361,364.

Differing rewards depend on work. Every prayer of a righteous person, every kind word, and every second spent in obedience will be rewarded in perfect proportions.

Now, this is the doctrine of judgment, and it should affect us in at least four ways.

First, see God as perfect and just, and let your heart soak in God’s perfection and mercy towards you and all of humanity by the event of the cross and the future day of judgment in which God will even everything out. He will balance the scales, and one day, all things will be right.

Second. When we encounter suffering, we need to see that with every wave of grief or anxiety, we will be compensated. This alone will allow us to praise God through suffering. I have had people tell me that the only reason why they can be okay with suffering or setback or sadness in this life, is the knowledge that they will be compensated by a merciful God at the end of time for their suffering.

third, when we think of our future, don’t be worried when you see a possibility of failure, you will be blessed because of it. I used this mindset often because much about my future is unknown. I don’t know what is going to happen, but I know that even if everything goes wrong, God will make sure I will be blessed as if I had never sinned, even if this comes on judgment day.

fourth, we can live in freedom. We don’t need to spend our money or time in a way that you will maximize our pleasure here on earth. If you die early, that means there is a higher percentage of your life that was in a mediocre stage on this old earth. Don't worry if you spend your money on the church or the poor that you will have a less enjoy the lifestyle, you will receive compensation for your life and you will be rewarded for the work of righteousness doubly.

"We shall be judged according to what we ought to have done, but did not accomplish because we did not use our powers to glorify God.

Even if we do not lose our souls, we shall realize in eternity the result of our unused talents.

For all the knowledge and ability that we might have gained and did not, there will be an eternal loss.” Christ's Object Lessons, 363

Instead, let's do everything we can to show others the justice of God and teach those who don't know about the goodness of God the gospel of salvation through Jesus. After learning about God’s justice, this is all we should want to do.

Let’s pray. Oh God, you are great, I thank you for showing your greatness by revealing to us the future day in which your justice will be made perfectly known. I ask you to open our eyes to your kindness to us throughout the rest of this sabbath through our activities and our conversation. In Jesus' name and not my known, Amen.