Draft: God is Just

Thanks to Raina for thrashing this out with me. There's further complexities/subtleties I have to think about, so stay tuned.

1. What is justice?

• God is just/righteous (Dt 32:4; Rev 15:3; Job 9:2, 37:23; Zp 3:5; Ps 89:14. This includes salvation, grace and mercy – Ps 31:1, 51:14, 103:17, 143:1; 1 Jn 1:9; Jn 15:13).

• God expects people to be just (Mt 5:48, Rom 2:13; Mi 6:8. We were created to obey his just commands Gen 2:16-17. We can do this by having faith – Gn 15:6, Hab 2:4, Is 45:24-25, 54:17).

• Jesus was just (Heb 4:15).

• God judges justly (Lv 24:17ff; Ex 9:27; Lk 23:41; Hab 1:13; Jdg 5:11; 2 Sa 15:4; Pr 3:33). Through Jesus' perfect life and bearing the judgment for our sins, God is “just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:26). Jesus is become our “righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Cor 1:30).

2. How important is justice?

• Very! It is part of God's character, and he expects it of us.

3. What things are just/unjust? Who can judge someone if they act unjustly?

• Just = Ten Commandments

• God judges.

• God gives rules for people to follow (eg an eye for an eye Lv 24:17ff).

• He tells people how to judge others who break these rules (rebuking Mt 18:15, 2 Tim 3:16; church discipline Mt 18:15, 1 Cor 5:1-6:5). Christians shouldn't judge non-Christians (1 Cor 5:12-13).

• He tells us to be careful when judging others (judge yourself before you judge others Mt 7:1-5; Jn 8:1-11).

• He puts governing bodies into place (eg Ex 18; Rom 13:1-7).

4. So what should we do?

• Live justly, obey God. Do this even if we have to suffer for it (1 Pet 4:14-16 - unless there is the possibility of continuing to do good while escaping suffering).

• Recognise that God is just and judges justly.

• Judge ourselves before judging others. Recognise that we too are sinful, and that our discernment may be flawed. Show others mercy, just as God showed us mercy. All this may lead us not to judge others at all.

• If we do judge others, do so out of love for them and desire for them to be more godly. Do it gently. (We shouldn't judge non-Christians.)

• Obey authorities (Rom 13:1-7) – unless they tell us to do something unjust (Acts 5:29).