Is God Fair?

PSALM 19:9 "IS GOD FAIR?"

A) One time or another in life, we have wondered about this question! * The Psalmist said .......

* "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." * Is this true?

B) Then what about babies who are born with physical deformities?

* What about two mothers who pray for their sons? * It often seems that the prayer of one is

answered while the other goes unheard!

* What says the farmer who lost everything because of a draught while refreshing rains fell on

the land of another?

C) Why does a good man die at the age of 37 while one who is a menace to society enjoys good

health? * Why would a fair God permit a cunning scoundrel to become rich & live in luxury,

* While some honest good man meets defeat at every turn?

D) How about a Christian marriage that is ending in divorce while ungodly people .......?

* If God were put on trial, it would be easy to make a case against His fairness!

* If I were the attorney for the defense, I’d begin with the evidence from God’s own Word!

* And in my defense of the fairness of God, I would make four points!

(1) MAN’S DISOBEDIENCE! * In the first chapter of the Bible you’ll see that God made a perfect

world, and that sin, trouble, pain and death came into this world against His will!

A) God gave man, when He created him, the ability to think, to determine his own life,

* The right to choose, or what we call, "a free will." * It meant that man could choose evil

instead of good, he could obey God or disobey Him, rebel and do his own thing!

B) Then we read of man’s tragic disobedience which was the beginning of all his troubles!

* God could have safe-guarded man by denying him freedom, but then He’d have to settle for

less than a man. * The blame for man’s troubles comes because he’s chosen evil instead of good.

C) And so blame must be put on man himself! * The phrase, "The devil made me do it" is a lie!

* Once a little boy pushed his friend in the ditch, hit him with a rock & then spit in his face.

* His mother scolded him & said that he shouldn’t let Satan cause him to treat his friends that way.

* The boy replied, "Satan told me to push him in the ditch, but it was my idea to hit him with the

rock and spit in his face." * Well, wasn’t it all the boy’s idea?

* And through the centuries, haven’t most of man’s troubles come because of his disobedience?

* Gal.6:7-8 "Be not ....... For he that soweth ... flesh ......."

D) A child is run over by a car & someone says it was the will of God!

* But was it? * It’s comforting to believe that God wanted that child!

* But it’s bad to comfort ourselves at the expense of God’s character!

E) There are three things that involve God’s will!

* One: "God’s intentional will." * Two: "God’s circumstantial will."

* And three: "God’s ultimate will." * Let’s look at these for a moment!

F) First, God’s intentional will! * This is what God intends to happen in your life!

* For example, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ! * 1 Pet.4:12-16 Turn to & read!

* 2nd, His circumstantial will! * This means-He must allow some things to happen in which,

* He did not intend to happen! * Example, death of David’s baby & sword of judgment! * Job

G) 3rd, we can be sure of God’s final victory! * Nothing can defeat His ultimate will!

* Example: Job, God gave him twice as much as he had before! * The devil’s future .......

* Paul said 1Cor.13:12 "We see through a glass darkly" and much happens in that dark glass

that we just don’t understand! * "But then face to face, now I know in part; but then shall ......."

* In considering whether or not God is fair, a 2nd point to keep in mind is:

(2) THAT JUSTICE TRIUMPHS MORE OFTEN THAN WE THINK!

* There are rewards for right and punishment for wrong!

* Though the mills of God grind slowly, they do grind!

A) One trouble with us is that we measure the justice & fairness of God by the wrong things!

* Living in a fine home, having money in the bank, high honors and even good health are not in

themselves blessings! * One can have all these and much more,

* And still have an uneasy conscience and a restless heart!