In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them” (Isaiah 61:8). Why don't atheists find Biblical prophecy convincing? Question: "What does the Bible say about injustice?" Answer: The Bible has a lot to say on the subject of injustice. Recently, someone asked me if I knew how many questions God asked Job. From a biblical standpoint, the character of God is the absolute standard for justice, and our awareness of this moral standard is part of our having been created in the image of God. A. Job Questions God's Justice 11/22/2011 7:22:09 AM. Turn to these Bible verses for a better understanding of God intentions. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. However, to achieve justice for the world, we must better understand how God views it. The answers he provides, however, are not. The sort of “freedom” that Keller refers to relates to spiritual freedom. 92 Quotes About Justice (That Will Make You Question What Is Fair) Last modified: November 23, 2020. The writer of Proverbs mentions this: “The LORD detests differing weights, / and dishonest scales do not please him” (Proverbs 20:23). Helping kids understand God’s justice will also help them to have a deeper appreciation for God’s love and grace, and it will help them to have a fuller, more … 3. As you read Amos, consider times in your life when God has used people to confront you with your sin —m aybe it was a parent, close friend, spouse, or pastor. We find the questions that God asked Job in the book of Job, chapters 38 through 42. Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. But God's justice is mitigated by His love and mercy for His own. But Abraham is concerned about the potential for some who are righteous in that city being swept away in judgment. SPIRITUAL DIARY. God sees the hearts and minds of men and will judge all men. The setting is found in Genesis 18. But because God is loving and mighty to save ( Isaiah 63:1 ), he implemented the perfect solution to the problem of justice. This is not to proselytize or convert, but rather to correct misconceptions. When the words "righteousness" or "justice" appear in the Bible, they are usually some form of the Hebrew word "tzedek." Walter Kaiser has written a new book on the tough questions about God and His Actions in the Old Testament. "God of Justice" implies there are multiple gods with different attributes. In Genesis, we see that human beings were made "in the image of God". For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. Therefore, all men would do well to “keep silence” before Him (v. 20) and not question His wisdom in justice. Both the concept and the practice existed long before anybody ever thought up your god. Utilitarianism, as we know, is about maximizing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Based on the weakness of the criminal justice system in America, I would assume he is not much of an active god, but more of a passive or spectator being. Lesson #2: Parables of God’s Kingdom / Matthew 13.24 - 33. God’s love and God’s justice are two sides of the same coin. Through the death of Christ on the cross, God made salvation available to all who believe in Him (John 1:12; 3:15–17). For example, the book of Habakkuk largely consists of a question and answer format in which the prophet Habakkuk asked God questions regarding His toleration of wrong and God answered with future predictions of His justice. In Genesis we see a man who has been faithfully walking with God asking questions and feeling heavily burdened about God’s justice. How do we determine what is just? This is clear due to occasions in the Bible in which people asked God questions and He was not offended or angered. Doesn’t the Cross constitute utilitarianism on God’s part, since His own Son, who did not deserve death, was killed to save all of the human race? 2. We will engage these matters through studying and reflecting on the following topics. The original root idea of… Therefore, there is no question of making mistakes. This book calls us into the battle for justice that is God's passion. The question of who made God can be answered by simply looking at space and asking, “Does space have an end?” Obviously, it doesn’t. Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspectives, including the concepts of moral correctness based on ethics, rationality, law, religion, equity and fairness. What is right? An eye opening book about the God of justice and the injustices around the world. In conclusion, Divine Justice takes many forms in Dante’s work, but each punishment is proportional to the seriousness of the soul’s crime, Dante started his journey feeling compassion toward the sinners and fearing God’s Justice, he descends through the nine circles of Hell, where he reflects, and begins to acknowledge the Perfection of God’s Justice. God is not someone whom Job can drag into court so that he and God can argue their case before an impartial judge. I wasn’t sure, and couldn’t find a definitive answer…so I did a little homework. Teaching on one without the other is incomplete. If there is only one god, then everything would be attributed to him, provided he is an "active" god who takes part in all aspects of human affairs. God is usually conceived of as being omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (all-present) and omnibenevolent (all-good) as well as having an eternal and necessary existence.God is most often held to be incorporeal (immaterial). There seems to be so much injustice in the world (men lie, cheat, steal, and kill all the time with no seeming repercussions), but true justice is not meted out in this earthly realm, but in the true realm (the eternal heavenly realm). We live in a hurting, vile and oppressive world that so many western evangelicals have been ignorant of. As we read through the story of God and his people we find that God’s compassion actually arises from his justice. Depending on our motives, praying for God’s wrath can be a legitimate cry for justice. Where does morality come from, if not God? Justice of God. “Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.” – Psalm 106:3. God presents the many sins of Babylon (ch. I highly encourage the reading of this book. that perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. God is merciful but Scripture also tells us that He is a just God who will judge injustice and wrongs. 4. Questions about the Cross and God's Justice. The Almighty God is without peer. It turns out that the Bible has an interesting take on this question. Application . But libertarianism only examines questions of justice, and the “freedom” we talk about as libertarians simply means the absence of compulsion by other people. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. God’s holiness is related to another attribute which we will study in this lesson—God’s JUSTICE. The questions Kaiser addresses in this book are all excellent questions. Lesson #3: Jesus Teaches About Justice / Matthew 15.1 – 11. This question pertains to the integrity of God, and is therefore, a very sensitive subject of debate. Justice is part of who God is. So, the outcome of His “deeds” is already known to Him. The same applies with God. We will also pursue what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). If there is a brick wall with “The End” written on it, the question arises, “What is behind the brick wall?” Strain the mind though it may, we have to believe (have faith) that space has no beginning and no end. Amos demonstrates the character of God’s justice, which punishes sins, but he concludes with a prophecy of the coming Savior and a note of enduring hope. In all times, places and cultures, humans have universally recognized the virtue of justice and the treacherous nature of injustice. Justice is often used interchangeably with the word “fairness.” Many philosophers, sociologists, theologians, and other scientists define justice as the proper ordering of people and things. Below is a list of the questions Walter Kaiser raises in his book, with a brief summary of his answers and a short statement about why I think his answers are wrong. God loves justice and hates injustice. The God of Justice. I counted 66 question marks, so there are at least 66 questions. Therefore, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to satisfy God's justice and remain consistent with His holiness. “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. Attribute #4: Justice “This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of … In this study, we will explore these issues and questions. But God’s questions underscore his unshakable trustworthiness as uniquely and infinitely wise, sovereign, just, and good. The word justice comes from the Latin word “jus”, which means right or law. The purpose of this site is to dispel myths about atheists, and combat misrepresentation about what they think and believe. This means to say that humans were created to be God's representatives on earth and carry out His plan, abiding by the morals and concepts of justice that God himself abides by. God’s justice is better than man’s justice: A response to Tim Keller. If you agree, as the New Testament teaches, that we are undeserving sinners and that salvation is therefore by God’s grace alone (Ephesians 2.8-9), then you have to agree that if God gave everyone his just desert, God … Great! Atheist Frequently Asked Questions. Some questions, however, have more than one question in them. Lesson #5: Parable of the Unforgiving Servant / Matthew 18.21 - 35 God, in monotheistic thought, is conceived of as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. He himself is the judge, jury, executioner, and standard of justice. We will look at what it means for followers of Jesus to “act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with…God” (Micah 6:8). We know that God is in favor of justice; we know that He is against injustice, even in the most basic terms. Addressing argument and debate. This question is arguably the greatest in all of Scripture, and may well be called “God’s biggest problem.” How can a good and loving God not send sinful people to hell? Justice is not "god's attribute." Isaiah 51:4-5 “Pay attention to Me, O My people, And give ear to Me, O My nation; For a law will go forth from Me, And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples. Bible and most other religious texts from across the world will tell you that “God makes no mistakes”, and that everything He does, has a specific, predetermined purpose. Hence his call to his people to reflect his justice and act with compassion are integral parts of what it means to be the people of God. The Father of justice, God is the ultimate judge over the lives and actions of men. That is the cry of the heart you see reflected in such psalms as Psalm 94:1-2: O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth. 2:5–19) and that He is fully aware of the wickedness of Babylon and tells Habakkuk that He is still in control of the affairs of earth. There is concern for justice in our world today. Justice comes with God’s blessing. Lesson #4: Reaping God’s Justice / Luke 16.19 - 31. God is about to judge Sodom for their “very grave” sin (v.20). It seems to me, Daniel, that you are conflating God’s justice with His love. Lesson #1: Justice and Sabbath Laws / Matthew 12.1 - 14. My Worship Time Focus: Job questions God’s justice. 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