LOVE AND JUSTICE

What would love look like without Justice? A situation filled with injustice does not sound like love. And it isn't love.

unjust laws, false scales, and injustice and oppression of the vulnerable, betrayal, false witness, that's injustice. God is just, patient, loving, forgiving, merciful, looking out for our eternal wellbeing.
There will be no injustice in heaven.

We talk a lot about God's justice, debating what that means. God is love and God is just. It's part of His very character.
But are we looking at all the injustice in our hearts?

What's the difference in being "just" and being "honest" in our dealings with others?

When God calls us to do justly, what does that mean?
(Micah 6:8)

How would you expect a just and loving man to act in troublous situations?

So what do we picture a "just" God to be like?

THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

Love, real, principled, genuine LOVE, is the gift of God in righteousness.
God is love with perfect holiness -- Godly love encompasses honesty, unselfishness, goodness, kindness, peace, joy, faith and hope. This is all part of the gift God offers to all Who come to Him and make Him the center of their lives.

This alone will bring a realm where there is no more pain, no more sorrow, no more sickness or death.
NO MORE EVIL.




People may rationalize evil as being "good". But evil, is evil. Evil is the enemy of honesty, unselfishness, goodness, kindness, peace, joy, and hope. Evil is the author of misery, deceit, selfishness, pain, sadness, sickness, hatred, meanness, cruelty, hopelessness, and death. Evil is just plain BAD. Evil is not love, the two are incompatible, and the only way to find true goodness and true love, is to turn away from all evil and come to the ONE Who is Love.

Turn to Jesus, for He is Life and Light, and Love.

Love Lifted Me
I was sinking deep in sin,
Far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within,
Sinking to rise no more;
But the Master of the sea
Heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me,
Now safe am I.

Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!

All my heart to Him I give,
Ever to Him I'll cling,
In His blessed presence live,
Ever His praises sing.
Love so mighty and so true
Merits my soul's best songs;
Faithful, loving service, too,
To Him belongs.


Souls in danger, look above,
Jesus completely saves;
He will lift you by His love...

Out of the waves of evil
Into His kingdom of love

We asked, at the beginning of this quarter, "what is love"?

Again, that is an important question, for our understanding of love, can change the whole meaning in the lessons we are studying.

Trying to channel everything about God in the "HIS LOVE" concept, can be good in that God is LOVE and everything He does is motivated by love.
Yet, we must understand that God's love is not just a warm, tender feeling towards someone, even though He does have warm, tender feelings toward us. God's love is "tough love", and sometimes can even appear to be cruel. Yet God's love encompasses far more than just a feeling towards us, it is a very active love, with a very definite plan for me. But not just for me, it's for the whole universe, Even though each person, individually is precious to God.

The question. "Why does a God of love allow so much evil and suffering?"


We can look at the question from a focus on "me". God is shaping my life to fit into the kingdom of glory. He wants me to depend fully on Him in spite of everything around me, good or bad. He wants me to get a glimpse of the battle between the concepts that, "total freedom is to live outside of God's law" and "real freedom and happiness is living with Christ within His law".

Somehow, people just have a hard time comprehending the horrific evil of evil. In it's early stages it often doesn't seem that bad, in fact it may even feel exciting and good. But in the end, evil always hurts us, hurts those around us, and the ripple effects hurt and damages millions who may not even be guilty of that particular sin. To comprehend the horrendous truth as to what constitutes evil, it's indisputatble evil
And often we don't understand the peace that passes understanding which only God can give us. A peace we can have, even when the world is falling all around us. But we may never experience it, unless we reach a point where we desperate need that peace and find it with Jesus.


On broader scale.

We find that God's plan is much greater, it is to forever free the universe of sin!
Bible talks of thousands upon thousand and ten thousand beings out there.
They witnessed the most powerful, smartest, created being (one who was highly trusted in the heavenly courts) launch a case against the Almighty God of all Creation!
Even though 2/3 dismissed his case, yet the questions had been introduced into their minds.

As long as there are still questions in the minds concerning this topic, sin will present itself again.
But the cross, and the thundering evidence of the depths evil drags people to,
will fore ever make sin totally abhorrent to all in God's kingdom. And then God's true love will reign, from God and from the hearts of the redeemed and the angelic hosts.

This weeks lesson deals with an age old point of controversy. Yet, it is an integral part in understanding some of the deepest questions in our lives.

Why is there so much evil in the world if God is an all powerful God of Love?
That question blames evil on God, instead of recognizing that sin has evil consequences.

If God is all knowing and all powerful, if He knows the end from the beginning and everything in-between, how can we have free will? Don't we just have to follow the script as he already knows what we will do and where we are heading?
Throw in a misunderstanding of predestination, as in God determines who is saved and lost before you are even born and the holy Spirit is commissioned to save those predestined to be saved, and leave in sin, those predestined to be lost?

In all those questions there is a lack of understanding that God gave mankind "free will".

Let's take Judas, and see if we can find some answers to those questions.

Judas was one of Jesus' twelve closest followers. One of the disciples.
Jesus accepted him into his inner circle -- why? He knew Judas would betray Him.

Were those lessons unheeded because God had chosen Judas to be the betrayer and he couldn't do anything about it? No! Jesus was appealing to his heart and mind to be an "overcomer" not a "betrayer".
At the last supper Jesus longed to reach Judas and turn him away from his evil course:

God's fore knowledge did not make Judas betray Christ. God also saw a different path that Judas could have taken. Judas made his own choice. He had free choice.
And by making the wrong choice, the night of evil fell upon him.

The question coming up in the last two lessons -- is there really a devil and a host of real fallen angels who are now demons?

The answer is, yes, there is.

1 Peter
5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:

Ephesians
6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Matthew 4 The devil tries to tempt Jesus to doubt God, and even goes so far as to offer Christ the kingdoms of this world if only Christ would be subject in a worshipping way to Satan!

Rev. 12 A war in heaven.
God could have easily won that war and blotted the rebelling angel from existence, but this was not a war of simply power, but a war for the minds of intelligent beings. It's still a war for our minds, whether we believe in God as being all goodness, all righteous, just and holy, love and fairness, or if we believe in Satan's lies, that God is unfair, arbitrary, keeping us from finding our full potential by giving us a restrictive law?

Gen. 3:3 Well Satan lost the battle back then and it was he that showed up in the garden of eden to lure the first humans with his doubts and lies about God.

Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
10:18 And Jesus said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

Jesus warned Peter, that the devil was out to snare him that night --
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
22:32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren.

The battle for the mind (as far as the host of unfallen angels were concerned) was won at the cross, any lingering doubts that satan's accusations against God might be true, were sweep away as these unfallen angels watched Christ's betrayal and crucifixion's. The contrast between Christ and satan was infinitely great.

It's just us humans that haven't eradicated all doubts of God's goodness and love yet. And the devil tries to keep people in doubts, cause he knows he can build on our doubts and drive a wedge between us and our total trust in the only One who can save us from the devil's domain.

Rev. 12:17 And the dragon was furious with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev. 12:12 Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.

THE UNSEEN WORLD


Unseen powerful beings are present around us
both
working for God
or working for Satan

Heavenly Beings
Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivers them.
Genesis 28:12-13 And Jacob dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it,
Psalms 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Evil beings
Rev. 12:9 Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
1 Timothy 4:1-3 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
James 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe?and shudder!

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.



Ephesians 6:11-18 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;



James 4:7,8,10
"Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you...
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

I like the points this weeks lesson starts out with on the "gods of the nations". Most would say these are just idols or such graven images which the people worship, but there is a power of evil that exists behind it. We see at Mount Carmel when Elijah told Ahab to bring the "the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred" who stand for the false "gods", and all the people to see who is the true God, that God exposes the so-called "gods of the nations." And these are not "gods" which are mere "figments of pagan imagination", but there was a real force of evil behind the false worship. We see that it had come into Israel from the surrounding nations and manifested itself among the people in many ways and levels, even families and tribes.

Deuteronomy 29:18
Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

And God warned them of these "gods" when they came to the land of Canaan out of the bondage from Egypt..

Joshua 23:7
That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:

And the even fact of the many "gods" the nations followed was well known by the kings around them

2 Chronicles 32:14
Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?

And we might just say these were just mere idols of these nations and nothing more. But something put these ideas of false worship and spread it far and wide among the nations. Behind the "gods" of graven images they thought they were worshiping was a actual power of evil which wanted the worship that only God deserved.

Jesus answered, You say rightly that I am a king, for this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. John 18:37

WHO IS OUR KING?

Jesus is the "The Lord Our Righteousness" Jeremiah 23:6

He is the master and Ruler of Righteousness, truth, love, life, peace.

BUT THERE IS A USURPER
There is another master ruling down here upon earth, the ruler of disobedience, Eph. 2:2, that is his agenda, to lead mankind into rebellion against God.
He is the master liar, murderer, thief, usurper, and enemy of mankind, and claims all of us as his citizens.

OUR CHOICE
This makes the proper choice of kings vital to each one of us. Yet, unfortunately many didn't think they a had choice concerning who was their King, or even realize that they were already serving an enemy king. When discussing righteousness we have tended to focus on how close we can come to following the rules of the law. The Pharisees did that, but were missing the central author, provider and sustainer of righteousness. They claimed to be God's people, but Jesus told them they were under the wrong king. (see John 8:44)


WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS?
It's true that "Righteousness is right doing, and it is by their deeds people are judged"( COL 312)

But to stop there is missing the most important part:
for the same author also wrote: "Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and "God is love." (1 John 4:16)...and "love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10). Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him. {FLB 109.3}

The central focus of righteousness is not on what we eat or say, but rather on who we serve and to whom we belong. We receive righteousness by receiving Him.

Someday Jesus will come to take over the dominion and rule as King of kings and Lord of lords, BUT He has already come to rule according to the verse in Isaiah 9:6 where we read that "the government shall be upon His shoulder".
The kingdom of grace precedes the kingdom of the final glorious kingdom.

Jesus, while here on earth, preached " Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: (Matt 4:17) and He was, already back then, inviting people to seek heaven's citizenship. "John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me has everlasting life.


Now, we can chose to be citizens in His kingdom of grace, being fitted to being citizens of His eternal kingdom in the future.

THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
1. Have I made Him king of my life?
2. Am I serving Him in love which manifests itself in joyful obedience?
Every member in church professes to be His subject, but membership in a church is just an outward action, the real question is are we serving Him in love? It's not a matter of what of adapting to whatever is required normal behavior to belong to the church, the important aspect is -- what does my King want me to do and to be? Are we subjects of the King?

The scary thing is, that by default we find ourselves serving the enemy, but Jesus came to break the chains by which satan has bound us, and to set us free, so we can have a choice.
Since the fall of Adam and Eve, Satan has claimed ownership of all the kingdoms of this world, and he still claims ownership.

But we need to remember satan is a defeated foe. Claim that fact as truth. Don't let him have dominion over you. We do not need to let him dictate our lives. Christ came into this world to give us a marvelous choice, complete with forgiveness, cleansing, power and most important a new heart and spirit of love and righteousness. (Eze 36:26, 1 John 1:9)

He made it possible for us to have righteousness, life, love, peace, hope.

We need to make Him King of our lives. A King Who wants to walk and talk with us daily, and wants us to walk and talk with Him in all of life's situations; to depend upon Him, follow Him where ever He leads.
All His law is about His love for us. If we are willing, He will write that law on our hearts and minds, and we will really keep it from the heart, because we love our King! When we are loving, it is just His love shining through.

Satan is the ultimate king of Babylon. And yes, he has his human agents in his Babylonian kingdom, he will put up an enormous fight to maintain his kingdom. But he is a defeated foe.
Rev. 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him [are] called, and chosen, and faithful.

Christ is King of kings, the true King throughout eternity. The call to come out of Babylon is a call to change who our king and master is. It's a call to make Jesus our supreme and only King, to follow Him where ever He leads.

i had trouble seeing how the writer of the lesson made this connection.. "we can see in Scripture that the Sabbath itself is integrally connected with deliverance and justice".

Here is it in context in Wednesdays lesson...
"Read Matthew 23:23-24. What are the "weightier matters of the law"? Read Deuteronomy 5:12-15 and Isaiah 58:13-14. How do these passages demonstrate the relationship between the law (particularly the Sabbath commandment) and God's concern for justice and deliverance?

Jesus identifies the "weightier matters of the law" as "justice and mercy and faith." And in relation to one law in particular?the Sabbath?we can see in Scripture that the Sabbath itself is integrally connected with deliverance and justice.

In Deuteronomy 5, the Sabbath commandment is grounded in relation to God's deliverance of Israel from slavery. That is, the Sabbath is not only a memorial of creation but also a memorial of deliverance from slavery and oppression. And in the context about turning from one's own pleasure to call the Sabbath a delight by taking delight in the Lord (Isa. 58:13-14), the emphasis is on works of love and justice for others?doing good, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless (see Isa. 58:3-10)."