During my tenure as a presiding judge, people got here into my courtroom professing to hunt justice and even often times demanding it. But, in point of fact, only a few actually wanted true justice. Rather, those that were aggrieved wanted revenge on those they viewed as accountable for their respective predicament, while those that were accused perceived that justice for them should end in mercy shown. Nevertheless, whatever their viewpoint, the thing they desired became their very own personal view of justice. Obviously, justice could conceivably include one or each of those sentiments, but not at the identical time and place. In fact, true justice is more likely than to not fall somewhere between these two different paradigms.
What Is the Definition of Justice?
The concept of justice itself deals with the moral idea that everyone must be treated in the identical manner. It involves ideals like impartiality and fairness under the law. In common legal parlance, it implies that the law is “no respecter of individuals,” which simply holds that no discrimination must be practiced or any favoritism shown to certain those who is just not afforded to all.
Likewise, we hear a lot today in regards to the love of God and the way all-encompassing it’s. That much in itself is thankfully true — love is an attribute of God that is not going to, nor can it’s, modified. It is who God is. But what is usually missing on this dialogue is that God can also be righteous and holy at the identical time. Because God is righteous within the purest sense, He cannot simply turn a blind eye toward our sinfulness, irrespective of how much He loves us. Herein lies the issue for mankind. We do not need the capability to achieve the identical form of agape love demonstrated by God, and we definitely do not need the power to achieve the extent of purity that God demands. So, how will we transcend our mortal beings to achieve the purpose where we’re “accepted” by God?
Humanity’s Endless Quest to Satisfy a Higher Power
This particular query has plagued humanity because the “memory of man runneth not on the contrary.” There has all the time been some attempt by man to appease the next power than himself as a way to obtain a level of favor. Whether it’s a product of nature like rain or fire that was sought or another advantage like a productive hunt or later a harvest, motion was taken to induce the specified results. This “something” that appeases the next power is defined within the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as a “propitiation” or as an “atoning sacrifice.” It can all be summed up in man’s ultimate query of how do I satisfy the next power that I could not know personally but that I do know intrinsically exists? I realize that there are those that deny the existence of anyone or anything higher than man. However, within the words of my mentor, the late Dr. Norman Geisler, and my friend Dr. Frank Turek, really thoughtful people just “don’t have enough faith to be an atheist” in view of all of the evidence specified by nature and the world through which we live.
So, since there’s a God who is clearly more powerful than any of us, how will we, as mere humans, reach a position where we might be assured of acceptance by this supreme being? Quite frankly, lots of folks just take the route of ignoring the likelihood without even considering what must be done. These people we call nones, agnostics, and even skeptics. Then there are others who simply attempt to think good thoughts and do good deeds within the hope that one way or the other they can be ok for God to take notice. Their thought line is that surely, He will promote them into His good graces because they are only nice people. In either event and at best, these approaches to God in a roundabout way rely upon the individuals to be ok in their very own right to satisfy God.
The Bridge to God through Christ’s Sacrifice
For true Christians, the fact is that there is no such thing as a one ok to satisfy the standards set forth by God to ensure that us to be acceptable in His sight. If that be the case, then there should be another approach to reaching God’s level, or conversely, by definition, we’re doomed to whatever punishment there could also be. In referring back to this idea of propitiation, there’s a marquee for the pathway to God present in John 3:16 —
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should imagine in Him shouldn’t perish, but have everlasting life.”
However, for those who take a look at this verse closely, there’s a distinction that many at the moment are overlooking of their zeal to be “inclusive,” irrespective of the fact or the price. John 3:16 doesn’t say in any manner that God saves us by His love. Because of His righteousness, He couldn’t simply open up a side door to heaven and slip us in because we’re such cute and cuddly creatures. What it does say is that because God loves us a lot, He provided a bridge for us to achieve Him through the life, death, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ.
The Transformative Power of God’s Grace
Mercy alone, irrespective of how great the degree, doesn’t have the power to save lots of anyone. But due to God’s mercy, His grace is provided to all of us who’re utterly incapable of saving ourselves. Mercy doesn’t require any payment and, due to this fact, lends itself to being unjust in its application. On the opposite hand, the grace of God is the most expensive commodity ever imagined within the universe. It required the very best penalty ever paid, the death of the completely pure and sinless Jesus on the cross in exchange for the forgiveness of my sins and people of everyone who ever lived, or will live, who call on His name. By and thru the person of Christ, God’s love involves us where we’re despite the best way we’re. In Romans 5:8, Paul sets out this principle quite plainly when He proclaims,
“While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
It is that this grace that not only rescues us from our sin but additionally transforms us after which ultimately empowers us to walk in the entire righteousness of Christ. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s anger was not necessarily diverted from the sin but diverted from only those that trust within the name of Jesus. In so doing, God’s anger was placed on the shoulders of the very one who was sinless, God’s only Son. According to Ligonier Ministries, what this implies is “that Christ, in His perfect life and atoning, substitutionary death, satisfied the wrath of God against our sin and against us. It was not that He simply satisfied or assuaged God’s wrath against sin; He assuaged God’s wrath against us.” Therefore, he became our propitiation, allowing those that trust in Him to face acquitted within the day of judgment before a totally righteous God.
The Continuous Work of Christ in Our Lives
The story doesn’t end there. When we’re rescued by Christ, there should be a change. Otherwise, there might be no ultimate rescue. So, even despite the best way we’re, Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us within the moment we come to Him. But greater than that’s the fact that God begins work in our minds and hearts at that moment that lasts not just for our lifetime but additionally for eternity. We are assured of that because, through the Holy Spirit in our lives, we turn out to be an increasing number of like Christ as we lean into Him and upon Him. Sinclair Ferguson explains this phenomenon well when he states,
“It is misleading to say that God accepts us the best way we’re. Rather, He accepts us despite the best way we’re. He receives us only in Christ and for Christ’s sake. Nor does He mean to depart us the best way he found us. But to remodel us into the likeness of His Son. Without that transformation and recent conformity of life, we do not need any evidence that we were ever His in the primary place.”
At Southern Evangelical Seminary, we’ve been teaching in regards to the grace of God for over 32 years. Even within the face of vexations brought against us by an unbelieving culture, we’ll stand steadfastly within the only truth that matters that’s present in Scripture, which is the saving power of the cross of Jesus Christ punctuated with the exclamation for all eternity by His resurrection. There isn’t any other avenue of travel, nor would we seek to search out one. There is room on our journey for all who will truly imagine. Won’t you join us?
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Martin Barraud
