Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Reasons to Believe - Number 2 - Justice

We all love justice.  We hear of atrocities all over the world with people killing each other, mistreating and abusing each other, lying cheating and stealing from each other and we want something to be done about it.  The news seems to be filled with injustices and we seem helpless to do anything about it.  Is there really justice in the world?  Is there justice for the parents who child was kidnapped and killed?  Is there justice for the town that was destroyed in an act of genocide?  Is there justice for the millions of people that have been abused and killed by their governments? It doesn't seem right! These people are getting away with it!  Where is the justice?

The answer is found in the justice of God.  The justice of God is not a very popular doctrine in general.  Most of the time we hear about the love of God and the peace of God and the joy of God but we don't always like to think of the justice of God.  That's sad, because it is such a wonderful doctrine.  There is justice! All that suffering and horror in the world? God will make it right! Being made in the image of God means we have some of his desire for justice and this desire for justice can only be fulfilled if we look for its fulfillment in God.  He alone has the power to bring about complete justice.

Of course, the reason we don't like thinking about this doctrine is that it doesn't just apply to the child molester and the serial killer.  It applies to me. It applies to you.  Its a wonderful doctrine and a scary doctrine, but the true wonder of God's justice is that it allows him to display so wonderfully his love.  Punishment for our sins will happen, but if we believe in God he fulfills his justice marvelously.  He takes those sins and punishes them completely and thoroughly.  He wipes them away forever.  And he does so through his Son hanging on a cross.  What a wonderful thought!  Justice will be served and love will be displayed!

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