Message: OMG! – God of Justice
I.
Introduction
a. Over the next few weeks we are going to be
talking about different character traits of God. Beyond this, God desires us to be like him,
so we will show how we can live out that characteristic in our own lives.
b. Tonight we are going to look at the character
trait of being just.
i.
2nd
Thessalonians 1:6a says, “God is just”
ii.
We have
a God who is just
II.
Body
a. But what does it mean that God is just?
i.
The word
just means that God administers justice
1. It is as if he is the judge and is passing
judgment on people for their actions.
Meaning, have they kept the law or broken it?
2. He is impartial, which means he judges people
equally, no matter their past, their nationality, their popularity, their name,
their wealth, etc… he treats them the same.
3. He judges justly by actually giving a
judgment that is fair, they get what they deserve, either punishment or reward.
4. We see this in 2nd Thessalonians
1:6-7a – “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and
give relief to you who are troubled…”
5. So there is both the idea that if we do wrong
he will punish us for doing wrong, whether that is in this life or the
next. And the idea that if do right he
will reward us for doing right, whether that is in this life or the next.
ii.
But God
being just doesn’t just mean that he judges justly, but that he also acts
justly. He follows the laws
himself. He doesn’t just tell us what to
do but he has been that way at all times.
He is consistent and not a hypocrite.
1. Because of that perfection and consistency he
has every right to judge everyone else, dealing out punishment and reward…we
aren’t perfect so we don’t have that right to condemn others, only God has that
right.
III.
Conclusion
a. If you can’t judge how then can you be just?
i.
The
bible makes it clear that justice involves not just judgment but being
responsible for and fair toward the poor and disadvantaged.
ii.
This
means that we refrain from being unfair and hurting those people.
iii.
But it
doesn’t just stop there, we take the initiative to help them when they are
being treated unjustly by others.
iv.
To put
it simply, we look after those who can’t look after themselves.
v.
Who does
that include?
1. Who does that include in your school? The bullied, the unpopular, the handicapped
(physical/mental), minorities, etc…
2. Who does that include in your community? The poor, the homeless, the elderly, minorities,
the handicapped, etc…
3. Who does that include in your world? Sex slaves, poor, those in famines, those in
wars, children, lepers, AIDs patients, etc…
7:50-8:05 – Application: Decide
on a person or a group that you are going to dedicate the next month to
helping: financially, verbally, physically, etc…
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