Let justice roll

 Since I knew I would be preaching on justice this morning, I thought I would share with you some actual past and present laws from various parts of the United States: 

§         In Maine it is against the law to step out of a plane while it is in the air.

§         In Chico, California, detonating a nuclear device within the city limits results in a $500 fine.

§         In New Orleans, you may not tie an alligator to a fire hydrant.

§         In Waterloo, Nebraska, barbers are forbidden from eating onions between 7 A.M. and 7 P.M.

§         In Los Angeles, it is against the law to kiss a toad.

§         All bees entering Kentucky must be accompanied by certificates of health.

Crazy!

 How many of you have ever been stopped by an officer of the law? It is not a fun experience. Just in case you ever find yourself in such a predicament, I want to give you a top ten list of things you shouldn’t say to a police officer:

10.       Sorry, Officer, I didn't realize my radar detector wasn't plugged in.

9.         Hey, you must've been doin' about 125 mph to keep up with me. Good               job!

8.         8.        Stick ‘em up!

7.         7.         I thought you had to be in relatively good physical condition to be a      

       po             Police officer

6.         You're not gonna check the trunk, are you?
5.         I pay your salary!
4.         Gee, Officer! That's terrific. The last officer only gave me a warning, too!

3.         3.         I’m sorry, I didn’t see the speed limit sign. I am supposed to be 

wearin             wearing glasses.

2.         Do you know why you pulled me over? Okay, just so one of us does.
1.         Help me, here: are You Andy or Barney?

This morning, I want to continue my series of messages on the attributes of God. Last week I noted that He is omnipotent – all powerful.

 Today we are going to explore the fact that He is perfectly just. He is, we aren’t.

In New Jersey, two 8-year-olds were suspended from school and spent five hours at the police station for making "terroristic threats". Their crime? One of them made a paper gun and said "I'm going to shoot you all."  It was later found that the paper gun wasn't even loaded.

An Arkansas first-grader was suspended three days for pointing a chicken nugget at a teacher and saying "Pow, pow, pow". Justifying the suspension, the principal said, "It's not the object in the hand, it's the thought in the mind.”  

Four New Jersey kindergarten students were suspended for playing cops-and-robbers during recess. They pointed their fingers at one another shouting "Bang, I shot you". The principal, ordering the suspension, said "We have to be extra careful in today's world."

To be sure, these are strange days in which to live.

 While we appreciate the legal system, I believe we would all have to admit that it is not perfect.

·        All to often, our sense of justice is compromised by prejudice,

·        fashioned by Hollywood,

·        subject to emotion,

·        colored by cynicism,

·        or biased toward the wealthy. 

I would guess that each of us have heard the new golden rule: Those who have the gold set the rules.

 As a result, I submit to you the same as we will not know true peace until the PRINCE OF PEACE comes, so it is, true justice will never be found until the GOD OF JUSTICE comes to establish His everlasting Kingdom here on Planet Earth! 

NOTICE WITH ME NOW SOME VERSES OF SCRIPTURE THAT DEAL WITH this matter of JUSTICE

·        Psalm 9:16 notes, “The LORD is known by his justice.”

·        Psalm 11:7 declares, “For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice.”

·        Psalm 89:14 echoes, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;  love and faithfulness go before you.”

·        Isaiah 30:18 likewise confirms, “For the LORD is a God of justice.”

·        Isaiah 56:1 likewise states, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Maintain justice and do what is right….’”

 Jeremiah 9:24 then states in part, “...I am the LORD who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the LORD.”

Do you want to delight the heart of the Lord?  I just gave you the formula:

·        Be kind,

·        do justly,

·        and live righteously.

Again, the Lord says that He literally “delights” in these things.

 Psalm 106:3 likewise pronounces a blessing upon the just (The New Living Translation), “Happy are those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.”

 Would you like another thirty verses on the subject? I could give them to you. Again and again the Lord stresses His justice.

 When we think of the book of Exodus, we oftentimes think of the Ten Commandments. However, Exodus chapters 21 through 23 sets forth standards of justice that cover such things as:

·        personal injury claims,

·        rights of private property,

·        restitution to victims,

·        as well as the caring for the poor, the orphaned, the widowed and the foreigner.

God is concerned about such matters.

 Notice Deuteronomy 16:18-20, “Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town…, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you.”

Centuries later God set a man after his own heart on the throne of Israel.  This man, David, was to be a king who would do “what was just and right for all his people,” according to 2 Samuel 8:15.

 King Solomon followed his father David to the throne.  Do you remember what this wise man asked for from the Lord? Wisdom? You are right, and yet, there was more. Notice these words as found in 1 Kings 3:9, “Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people AND TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG.”  1 Kings 3:28 then adds, “They held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.” The Lord thus granted the king both wisdom and a keen sense of fairness.

Before I come on to my next point, I simply want to note that some people have not been blessed with the wisdom of Solomon. A man on trial for murder bribed a member of the jury to hold out for a lesser verdict of manslaughter. After debating several days, the jury finally brought in the verdict, "Guilty of man-slaughter."

Sometime later the murderer asked the man if he had had a difficult time influencing the others. "Yes," said the former juror, "I had a lot of trouble. All of them wanted to vote not guilty.” 

LET US NOW LOOK AT JUSTICE AS LIVED OUT IN THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS.

The Apostle John wrote of Jesus in John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH.”

I like the word “full” here. In the original language it meant, filled up (as opposed to empty), covered in every part, thoroughly permeated with, full, complete, lacking nothing, perfect.  Do you get the point? Jesus is FULL of truth. There is no room left for untruth, greed, jealousy, hate or anything else that might mar His sense of justice. 

 I so like what Chuck Colson wrote in his excellent book, Loving God. I quote: “Jesus… walking into the synagogue, …picked up the parchment with the words of the prophet Isaiah and read: “‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.’ Jesus put down the scroll and said, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” The Lord then went on to demonstrate in His ministry a deep compassion for the suffering and forgotten. He fed the hungry, healed the lame, and gave sight to the blind. He was concerned not only with saving man from hell in the next world, but delivering him from the hellishness of this one. Thus, the Son reflected the Father’s passion for mercy and justice.”

 ·        God had seen throughout the centuries the terrible injustices that had been heaped upon the poor, the outcast, the widow, the prisoner, as well as the oppressed -- nonetheless, He had never been poor, blind, in prison, or oppressed.

·        He had seen men hurt,      cry, sweat, and bleed -- but He had never experienced these maladies Himself.

·        He had watched as His people had been hauled into court but he had never been taken before the magistrate. 

 Such a lifestyle might have made people question the sensitivity of God in their times of need.  After all, what did He know about suffering humanity for He had never been in their place!  THEN CAME JESUS!  “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Through Jesus, the God of Justice became one with us.

 God doesn’t understand, you say?  AH!

God doesn’t know how you feel, you charge?  Come on, get real.

God isn’t fair or He would....  He would what?

·        Maybe He would come to earth,

·        He would eat with sinners,

·        He would suffer at the hands of evil and unjust men,

·        He would die a terrible death on a cross hanging between two thieves,

·        Maybe He would...  No, He has already done it -- all!

Friends, the fairness charge has truly met it’s match in the person of Jesus!  He is just; He is faithful and just!

 There is a huge painting hanging in the Supreme Court building in Switzerland. It was painted by an artist named Paul Robert, and the title of the artwork is Justice Instructing the Judges. In the foreground are the litigants -- a wife standing against her husband -- a designer against a builder -- a patchwork of this one against that one.  Above them stand the Swiss judges.

How are these people to judge in these important and various cases?  The artist’s answer is simply this: Justice is no longer blindfolded with sword held vertical as it is commonly seen. Rather, Justice is unblindfolded, with her sword pointing downward to a book on which is written “THE WORD OF GOD.”

 SO, HOW DOES THIS JUSTICE ISSUE RELATE TO YOU AND ME?

1.         IN THE END JUSTICE WILL FINALLY HAVE ITS DAY.

Would you like to know what I do for a living? I solve problems. That is it in a nutshell. Every since the fall of Adam and Eve mankind has been trying to come to grips with his or her problems. Marriage problems, spiritual problems, employment problems; problems with the children, the neighbors, the city or the county. Problems. People come to me for help.  They want some help with their problems. 

Some of the most difficult issues that I have to grapple with are the “he said, she said; he did, she did” type problems. Both sides have their stories. I tend to believe both of them.  When he’s talking I believe him; when she’s talking, I believe her.  Who is to know?  What is truth?  How can real justice be served?

 God knows. He is able to sort it all out. He will be the final arbitrator!

·        “But pastor, He was so mean....”  Friends, God keeps good records.

·        “But, it hurts so bad...”  I assure you, God knows.

·        “She just wasn’t fair.”  God will be.

Each and every problem will meet its match in the Lord. 

Every work, every word, every prayer, every gift, every thing will be weighed by Him. He will right the records. Each and every thing will be tested and tried.

·        That which was dishonest,

·        that which was mean-spirited,

·        that which was born out of pride and arrogance,

·        that which was selfish and cruel will go before the Lord. 

 Justice will have it’s day when humanity has to stand bare before the One whom the book of Revelation calls “The faithful and true witness.”

 Let me be perfectly honest with you. While I hate all crime and injustice, I have to admit that I hate some worse than others.

 Abortion is such a crime.

I hate it. As many of you know, I use to run an ambulance company. I remember one call that came in from a young mother that was in labor. She needed help quick. By the time we arrived on the scene, she had already delivered the child. It was stillborn and several months early. Nonetheless, there wasn’t any way that a honest human being could look at that baby and not recognize it as being human. I will never forget it. Yet, since abortion became legal in the United States in 1973, better than 30,000,000 pre-born babies have been murdered! In fact, one out of every 4 babies conceived in the US is aborted. In more than 14 metropolitan areas, abortions out number live births. I take comfort in knowing, God the Righteous Judge will eventually deal justly with this issue.

 I hate slavery

I have lived in both the north and the south. It doesn’t matter to me, where I live. To me to buy and sell another human being like cattle is both immoral and repulsive.

But pastor, slavery no longer exists! Wrong. Christians are being sold today in certain parts of Africa. It is a part of the terrible persecution that continues to go on there.

Then too, the world was shocked to hear of a ship that reportedly carried some 250 slave children from Benin in Africa. When the ship docked, only a handful of children were abroad the vessel. UN officials have questioned whether the ship’s captain, a Nigerian with a criminal past, could have thrown his human cargo overboard. 

 Let me read to you a portion of an Associated Press  report: “Despite international efforts to stamp out child trafficking, it remains a serious problem in West and Central Africa, where desperately poor parents are sometimes willing to give up their children for as little as $14…. Boys are then typically resold to cotton and cocoa plantations for as much as $340. Girls often end up as domestic workers or prostitutes.”

Several years ago I read two books that dramatically impacted my life on this issue. One was the biography of John Newton, the fellow who wrote Amazing Grace. Prior to finding Christ, Newton was a notorious slave trader. The second book was entitled, The Emancipation of Robert Sadler. Sadler was sold into slavery in the early 20^th century. He was finally able to escape the plantation in the early 1920s. The gentleman eventually received Jesus and went back and shared the Lord with his former owners. Great read!

I am truly proud of the fact that it was mainly the church in America and Britain that stood out against the issue on slavery and brought about it’s end.

God again will deal with this. He knows and He will judge!

The Nazi Holocaust is the third great evil that I hate.

Victor Frankl, the eminent Psychiatrist and former inmate at a Nazi concentration camp relates his story of the “first selection” that occurred upon disembarking from the prisoner transport at Auschwitz. (Taken from Man’s Search for Meaning). A tall SS officer stood in front of the prisoners as they slowly filed by. Frankl describes it in this way: “His right hand was lifted, and with the forefinger of that hand he pointed very leisurely to the right or to the left. None of us had the slightest idea of the sinister meaning behind that little movement of a man’s finger, pointing now to the right and now to the left.”

Very quickly they learned the meaning in the finger. When it pointed to the left, the victim proceeded straight through the gates into the gas chamber and crematorium. Those directed to the right earned a temporary reprieve in that they would be utilized as slave labor.

That tragic account is yet another reminder of man’s inhumanity to man and his awful lack of justice. Many of those that Frankl wrote about had committed no other crime than that of being:

·        Jewish,

·        Old,

·        Crippled, or

·        Diseased.

Yet, with but the flick of a finger a man could determine LIFE OR DEATH! Life in a slave labor camp or death in a Nazi gas chamber or crematorium. As you well know, 6,000,000 people were killed in such a manner under the evil reign of Adolph Hitler!

What’s the point? The point is, evil deeds and evil people will eventually face the justice of God. The Bible says that “The books will be opened.”

·        What books?

·        What will they reveal?

·        How much is there?

While we don’t know for sure the names and types of each of these books of judgment, we do know that the Book of Conscience will be opened, as will the Book of Secrets and the Word of God – the Bible.

 Notice that Revelation 20:11-15 states, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.  If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Do you see the justice as well as the fairness?

·        Every lost person,

·        every Christ rejecter,

·        every soul whose name was not found in the Book of Life will be there.

 God does not show any degree of favoritism.

·        The small as well as the great,

·        The beggar and the king,

·        Those who had been buried at sea as well as those who were in some earthly grave.... 

·        Each one will be judged -- individually. No one gets off due to stature in this life or due to the means or place of his or her death. 

 The Lord will manifest perfect justice. He will not base His actions on hearsay, rumor or innuendo. Twice it was stated in the passage that His judgment will be based on what THEY had done. Not on someone else’s sins; no not yours or mine. Each one will face judgment based on his or her sins alone!

 h, I take no joy in this, but: 

·        The drunk driver who took the life of some innocent teenage girl will be judged...without his bottle.

·        Those who have presided over the slaughter of the innocents will be there -- without their unjust laws.

·        Those who have oppressed and beaten down the poor and the outcast will be there -- but their greed will no longer serve them.

·        Those who have served idols of  immorality and pleasure will be there -- but the thrill will be long gone!

 Some of you here this morning have been cheated out of that which was rightfully yours.  Some of you have been lied about. Some of you have been hurt if not devastated by evil men. Yes, the wicked have taken advantage of you, bullied you, and persecuted you! I have seen your tears in my office. 

 Listen. Revelation 16:5-7 declares, “Then I heard the angel say: 'You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.'  And I heard the altar respond: 'Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.'“  God is going to have the last word! Vengeance belongs to Him.

 Undoubtedly, one of the most famous court cases of the last fifty years has to be the murder case of one Orenthal James (OJ) Simpson. Christopher Darden, a member of the prosecution team -- the largest in California history -- wrote a book on the trial. The book, In Contempt, became a best seller. On the back cover Darden wrote these words, “I never got a chance, of course, to cross-examine him. And I didn’t want to anymore. I just wanted to talk to him, to make sure he knew that he hadn’t fooled all of us and that his “Dream Team” hadn’t fooled most Americans.

I wanted to tell him that there was another court that would hear his case one day, with a judge who would separately try racist cops and murderers. A court where everyone will have to account for his actions alone. A court where the only witnesses will be the eyewitnesses, Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown.” So true, Mr. Darden, so true! 

I remember reading about a woman some time back -- true story -- whose husband had been unfaithful to her. She was so upset due to this that she decided to take her own life. The lady, according to the newspaper, jumped from her third-story apartment window. According to the account, she survived the fall even though she spent some time recovering in the hospital. The man that she accidentally landed on below was killed. He was her unfaithful husband!

2.         Next, let’s look at God’s justice and our sins

1 John 1:9 tells us that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and JUST to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” As we can see here, the justice of God comes into play in regards to our salvation.

 The Bible tells us that we had all sinned.

That no one was righteous, no not one.

Then too, the penalty of sin was death. “The soul that sins shall surely die.”

 To deal with that dilemma, Jesus, God’s Son came to earth and die in our place. To truly become our substitute on the Cross.

 As a result, when God looks at the record of our sins, He sees at the same time, that the penalty for our transgressions has already been paid. That the old debt against us has “paid in full” stamped across it.

 The Apostle Paul speaking of this says that we have been JUSTIFIed which simply means:  made to be "just as if I had never sinned."

§         The crimes had been carried out.

§         The sins had been committed.

§         The lies had been told.

§         The thoughts were bad.

§         The words were wrong.

§         We were one and all guilty as sin!

 Nevertheless, through no merit of our own, without any righteousness of which we could boast, God, in His infinite mercy reached down -- way down -- and saved me and you,

§         Forgave me and you,

§         Washed me and you clean from all wrong,

§         And then even forgot that we had ever been bad!!!

 “We have been saved by faith through grace. . .”

This is justification. 

 Any time God is reminded of my sins, He is reminded that the price has been paid for my redemption and due to the fact, He is faithful and just, He sees us as being justified.

 The Book of Romans speaks of this awesome miracle on a number of occasions. notice:

Romans 3:21-24 (Living Bible).  "But now God has shown us a different way to heaven--not by `being good enough' and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (through not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us--declare us `not guilty'--if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins.  And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.  Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal; yet now God declares us `not guilty' of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins."

 As someone once noted:

                                    He took what was ours as though it were His,

                        And gave that which was His as though it were ours.

                                                What He was not, that He became,

                                    So that we might become what we were not.

3.         IN LIGHT OF ALL THAT I HAVE SHARED THIS MORNING, BE JUST!

Exodus 23:2 warns, “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.” Be honest in spite of every one and every thing that is going on around you. 

Refuse to be a pawn of the crowd!

·        If you have to testify in court, tell the truth.

·        If your friend is in trouble, be fair.