Many people think of God as some kindly, jolly old St. Nicholas, the man upstairs who loves everyone and wants everyone to be happy all the time. Whatever you want to do, whoever you want to be is fine with him. Just love one another and make people happy the way he does, and you’ll be fine.
Others look around at the heartbreak and evil in the world and conclude that God is either not powerful at all, and therefore can’t stop bad things from happening. Or he is unfair in his dealings with people and allows bad things to happen when he shouldn’t. In other words, God is unfair.
One of the first phrases kids learn to say is, “That’s not fair!” One of ours would say, “It isn’t any fair!” She was usually right. And we would respond the way parents have responded for generations, “Life isn’t fair.” And we were right, too.
But is God fair?
Some people would say no to that question because God allows innocent people to suffer. In other words, bad things happen to good people.
There is evil in the world. And sometimes people suffer because of evil in the world. But the reason there is evil is that God gave us the freedom to choose, and, starting with Adam, people have chosen to rebel against God. Sin has cursed all of creation, and none of us are immune to that curse. Part of the reason why bad things happen is that God has given us a choice. Evil and suffering are the results of people making wrong choices, not God making wrong choices.
As humans, we tend to want freedom from all restraints, like the Outback Steakhouse commercials used to say, “No rules, just right.” But we also want protection from the violence and injustice created by the absence of restraints. We can’t have it both ways.
Other people feel that God is unfair because people get away with doing evil things. In other words, good things happen to bad people. That’s a good point, and we see it all the time. It’s also true that a god who would let people go around doing bad things to others would not be a fair and just God. Any judge who would knowingly let convicted criminals go free would not be good and fair.
We look around at people who are doing bad things yet who are still successful, and we feel like the author of Psalm 73. Why in the world are we following all the rules, when others break the rules and get rewarded? Is there no justice?
Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. (Psalm 73:13-14 NLT)
It may seem that God allowing good things to happen to bad people is wrong. The truth is, no matter how things look to us, God is perfectly fair and just.
Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that man gets justice. (Proverbs 29:26 NIV)
Our problem is that we have things backward. We think of God as someone who exists to meet our needs and to answer to our standards of what is right and wrong. We think we know what is right and best. But we don’t see as God sees. We don’t know what God knows. No matter how things appear to us, God is just.
Because of God’s perfect justice, all rebellion and disobedience to God has consequences. If it appears to you that a bad person is being rewarded, understand that God knows what’s going on. In his sovereignty, he is allowing it to happen for his reasons. But also know that justice will be done — on God’s timetable, not ours.
God is perfectly holy, and that means, by definition, that he is perfectly fair and just. God is incapable of making an unjust and unfair decision because he is just, it’s who he is.
When we see others doing wrong, we love that about God. We want justice and fairness. We don’t like it so much, though, when the injustices are ours. We want the policeman to help us when someone robs our house. We just don’t want that policeman around when we cheat on our income taxes.
God is perfectly just and fair. Justice on this earth will be done. That means I must face justice for my poor decisions, for my rebellion and disobedience. Now, suddenly, I don’t want God to be so fair and just.
But as Christmas approaches, we’re reminded that there is more to God than his perfect justice. We have the most incredible news the world has ever known, news that we need to shout from the mountaintops. News that can fill you with joy right now as you read this. God is perfectly just, that’s true.
But God is also perfect love.
More on that next time.
Awesome words my friend!! I love you and greatly admire your wisdom. And yes, it gives me great joy to type my email!!