Thursday, September 30, 2010
It's Not Fair
Mark Daniels based on his devotional reading notes that God is not fair:
But when we say that we so often forget that God, while not "fair" is deeply just. We forget that our sins are not forgotten or ignored, but that someone else paid the extraordinarily heavy price demanded by them. In some ways the answer to the question, "Why did God not simply forgive our sins by proclamation?" answers itself - becasue His justice demanded sacrifice.
That's why the concept of "fairness" is still around, it's a childish and somewhat petulant means of expressing injustice. And justice is one of God' inherent characteristics. And yet, we talk so much of God's grace that the idea of justice is highly perverted in our society.
Let me give you one example. There is nothing whatsoever just in taking money from those that have earned it to give it to those that have not - when such is done so with force, either like Robin Hood at the tip of an arrow, or like Barak Obama with the force of government, justice is deeply perverted. Not to mention that such an action is decidedly ungraceful - at least to the person that has earned their money.
And yet, if the person of means is touched by God's grace, and gives of their wealth in gratitude for that grace and because that grace has created generosity in their hardened heart - then ALL have experienced grace AND justice has been served.
Christ had to be crucified so that both God's grace and His justice could be served. As we seek to spread the grace of the crucifixion and resurrection to the world, we must do so in a manner that is both graceful and just. This is true with so many things we confront as social and personal issues.
Grace and justice can both be served. And the result is always fair.
If God were fair, I personally would be in an eternity of trouble.Very reasonable statement that - there is nothing "fair" about God's grace. I, like Mark, am deeply grateful for that fact.
But when we say that we so often forget that God, while not "fair" is deeply just. We forget that our sins are not forgotten or ignored, but that someone else paid the extraordinarily heavy price demanded by them. In some ways the answer to the question, "Why did God not simply forgive our sins by proclamation?" answers itself - becasue His justice demanded sacrifice.
That's why the concept of "fairness" is still around, it's a childish and somewhat petulant means of expressing injustice. And justice is one of God' inherent characteristics. And yet, we talk so much of God's grace that the idea of justice is highly perverted in our society.
Let me give you one example. There is nothing whatsoever just in taking money from those that have earned it to give it to those that have not - when such is done so with force, either like Robin Hood at the tip of an arrow, or like Barak Obama with the force of government, justice is deeply perverted. Not to mention that such an action is decidedly ungraceful - at least to the person that has earned their money.
And yet, if the person of means is touched by God's grace, and gives of their wealth in gratitude for that grace and because that grace has created generosity in their hardened heart - then ALL have experienced grace AND justice has been served.
Christ had to be crucified so that both God's grace and His justice could be served. As we seek to spread the grace of the crucifixion and resurrection to the world, we must do so in a manner that is both graceful and just. This is true with so many things we confront as social and personal issues.
Grace and justice can both be served. And the result is always fair.
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