Justice - Why do we care so much about it?

 

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Why do we have a keen sense of justice?

We now live in a society where the general opinion about whether things are right or wrong can at times be vague.  

In the Bible, God has given us clear information about what is right and what is wrong. But there is also a reality about things being just or unjust. 

Here are some things to consider:

1. Why do children cry “that’s not fair” or “it’s not right”?
2. Why is there an inbuilt awareness of fairness in a child? 
3. Why is it common for people to have a really well-developed sense of justice? 

The Bible gives us the explanation. It teaches that God ‘has written His law in our hearts’. God gave us this inbuilt awareness of right and wrong. Holy scripture (the Bible) teaches that we have a conscience. It teaches that we have an inbuilt knowledge within ourselves and a knowledge about ourselves. We automatically can clarify the reality of the rightness or wrongness of the things that we say, feel and do. 

For example, most of us feel impulsively that telling blatant lies is wrong. We instinctively know that to remove property that belongs to someone else is wrong. The Bible teaches these principles, but somehow we know them to be true! Is that significant or coincidental?

The ‘ten commandments’ teach that you shouldn’t steal, you shouldn’t lie, you shouldn’t take somebody else’s wife and so on. The list defines prohibitions as well as teaching positive things that we should do. Things like loving God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind. Jesus summarized the rest by saying, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,’ Matt. 22. 39. 

You may say to yourself, ‘I’m not really sure why we all know those things?’ Let me come back to what the Bible says - God has planted within us an awareness of right and wrong. Just look across society for a moment. People are very interested in equal rights and equal opportunities. We are very concerned that disabled people are cared for, that ethnic minorities aren’t disadvantaged, and that there is religious freedom, freedom of thought and freedom of belief. We campaign for the rights of the unborn child, plus we debate people’s rights to free speech. Public behaviour is monitored, ensuring that people do not overreach themselves and inflict damage on other people or their property. In all of this, we try to balance the rights of a society to be free and yet remain free of criminal activities. 

These things are right. I believe we are like this in society because God has implanted in us an awareness of things that are very important to Him - a consciousness of right and wrong and of the realities of living in a way that is fair and equitable. God describes Himself as a just, as well as righteous, doing right. He is a God of light; God is love, a God who is eternal and a God who is all-knowing! 

We wouldn’t know these things if God hadn’t revealed them to us in the Bible. This is why the Bible is such a key book for us to read. In fact, it is God’s message to humanity, and it’s an amazing thing that we have it so freely available despite some countries that still restrict access to the Word of God. 

Let me leave you with a statement from the Bible, the Bible says, ‘For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God,’ 1 Peter 3:18. This verse is saying that if God was being just, if God was being fair, He would punish us for our sin, He would penalize us, He would judge us for breaking His law because we are guilty. But the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world and suffered for sins to bring us to God. He personally suffered the penalty for sin by dying for us. Three days later, He was brought up back to life. His resurrection is sufficient evidence that the price for sin was fully paid. His resurrection establishes that you can take advantage of salvation. You do this by confessing your sin (to God, not a religious representative) and asking God to forgive you. You are effectively asking for God’s blessing upon your life. 

I wonder if you would take advantage of God’s offer of salvation today. Will you come to Him for forgiveness and rest upon Him for salvation? You can know what it is to be forgiven and saved. 

 

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved – the Bible, Acts 16:31

 

For more information please visit our webpage www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Good versus Evil!

The fact of evil in the world is a very disturbing thing and causes many people heartache and problems. It is quite right to question why evil exists, how things came to be the way they are and if there are any solutions to these big issues.

The Bible clearly teaches that God created good as well as evil. This is a puzzle to many and rightly so because we wonder how a God of holiness could create something called evil. As we read the Bible we discover this 'God is light and in him is no darkness at all'. We also discover that God is kind, compassionate, caring and loving. This is all summarised in the statement 'God is Love'. So there is no indication that God acts in an evil way despite the fact that at times we do not understand why he allows certain circumstances in our lives.

There are other very clear statements in the Bible which indicate that God expects people to obey his holy commandments and principles which are there to ensure our blessing and well being. However the Bible does state that God will judge all men according to his standard of righteousness on the day of judgment and our only hope of salvation is found in His Son, Jesus Christ. 

The Bible teaches that God created all things. He gave human beings the ability to think, act and choose certain courses of action. God established a principle in the universe of sowing and reaping. There are consequences to actions and outcomes to behaviours and the choices that we make. Bad choices end in bad outcomes and so evil is perpetuated as a result of wrong choices. To say that God wants us to make bad choices and reap evil consequences would not fit with what you read in the Bible. From the very beginning God told us what was good and what was bad. He told the first couple (Adam and Eve) that the day they disobeyed Him they would die. He warned them that breaking His law put them at a distance from him. And so it did! Since the day Adam sinned we live life without God. We hurt and suffer because of the existence of evil activity in our world. And if we end this life without seeking forgiveness and reconciliation to God we seal our fate and face eternal separation from God (bear in mind this includes all that God provides: love, joy peace, safety etc). 

It can be so different! God sent his Son (Jesus) into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. God has taken the initiative and in the death of His Son paid the debt of sin. He offers the gift of eternal life to all who will take it.

The only condition is acceptance of our condition as guilty before God and acceptance of Jesus Christ as the exclusive means of salvation. If we turn from our sin and depend on Christ for salvation we will immediately come into the good of God's great offer of salvation.

For more information text the word INFO to 07747 101352 

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

All posts have the aim of pointing people to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour or to aid Christian growth and development.

Are we getting the message?

I spotted this cute cartoon in local fast food restaurant last week in Birkenhead. It is amazing how a simple sketch can catch your imagination! It gets the message across! I was in no doubt what the message was - put your rubbish in the bin. I didn't need a lot of words, it's simple. Look and learn.

I see life and the message of the bible the same way. The main message is quite simple.




What do you think of when you see this? Do you think of death, finality, fear of the next stage, the end of life? The imagery is not hard to grasp. The bible says "It is appointed unto men once to die, after this....the judgment", Hebrews 9.27.


Most people associate a cross with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The symbolism is clear, a man dying on a cross. There are a lot of questions that this raises if you take the time to stop and think.

Who really was Jesus?
Was his death miscarriage of justice?
Does his death have any real significance in the big scheme of things?
If he never sinned does that mean he was capable of suffering for our sins, to bring us to God?

The answers to these questions, and more, lie in the bible. There is no point in looking elsewhere. The bible is the only communication that God has given to us to answer these questions. I would recommend that you read the following verses for answers. You will get a bible on-line or in most high street book shops. I have quoted the passages below.

Who really was Jesus? John 20:31 says "these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name".

Was his death a miscarriage of justice? The bible says in Acts 2 that Jesus was "a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs" but that the people of the day had taken, and by wicked hands crucified and slain him. In chapter 3 it is stated you "denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted into you". So yes, there was no legal reason to kill the Son of God but his death has provided salvation for those who will repent and trust him.

Does his death have any real significance in the big scheme of things? The bible strenuously states "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures", 1 Corinthians 15.3,4. Again in 2 Corinthians 5.19 it says "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses into them".

If Jesus never sinned does that men's he was capable of suffering for our sins, to bring us to God? 1 Peter 3:18 states "For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring is to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit".

For more information, podcasts or video links visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk.

All posts have the aim of pointing people to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour or to aid Christian growth and development.

Location:From Perth, Scotland