Perfect Justice

Perfect Justice

Prairie Baptist Church – 10/25/09

P.M. Service

Text: Psalm 9

Key verse: Psalm 9:9-10 - 9The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 10And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Premise: The justice of God is two-sided and perfect in its judgment and execution. We, His saints need not fear retribution but reward and refuge.

The Introduction

A young lady who occasionally walked through the park after work, stopped to have her picture taken by a photographer on this particular day. She was very excited about her picture being taken. As she walked out of the park, she looked at the Polaroid picture in total amazement. She turned and headed back to the cameraman. When she got there she stated, "This is not right! This is not right! You have done me no justice!" The photographer looked at the picture and looked at her and stated, "Miss, you don’t need justice, what you need is mercy."

JUSTICE — That perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government.

• In remunerative justice he distributes rewards (James 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:8)

• In vindictive or punitive justice he inflicts punishment on account of transgression (2 Thess. 1:6).

There is a slight difference between justice and judgment:

Justice – rendering to everyone that which is his due, i.e. equality

Judgment – a formal decision by the court (or in this case, the judge)

1. The Elements of Praise to God – 9:1-2

2. The Effects of the Judgment of God – 9:3-6

3. The Eternal Protection of God – 9:7-14

4. The Equal Justice of God – 9:15-20

In this Psalm we get a picture of both sides of God’s justice.

Body

1. Justice for the Sinner

A. Dreadful - 3

i. Fearful justice

ii. Heb. 10:31 - It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

B. Wrathful – 5-8

i. In Scripture, God’s strong and vigorous opposition to everything evil. There is a Greek verb that can be used both of anger and of the swelling of buds as the sap rises. It points to the kind of anger that results from a settled and consistent disposition, and not to a losing of one’s temper. God’s wrath is like that, rather than like human anger on a grand scale. With us, wrath always has elements of passion, lack of self-control, and irrationality. The wrath of God does not. The Shaw Pocket Bible Handbook, Walter A. Elwell, Editor, (Harold Shaw Publ., Wheaton , IL; 1984), p. 361

ii. Destructive justice – 5-6

a. It is designed for annihilation

b. Nothing can withstand this kind of justice and nothing will survive

iii. Eternal justice – 7

a. Psalm 90:2 - Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

b. It is not a temporary justice from a temporary God

c. Our God is an everlasting, indestructible, unconquerable God

iv. Perfect justice – 8

a. Romans 2:5-6, 16 - 5But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 16in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

b. Righteous is the perfect standard

c. It is flawless

d. It is holy and will always be right, perfect and equitable

C. Punishment – 15-17

i. Mr. Thomas, one of the missionary brethren of Serampore, was one day, after addressing a crowd of natives on the banks of the Ganges, accosted by a Brahmin as follows: "Sir, don’t you say that the devil tempts men to sin?" "Yes!" answered Mr Thomas. "Then," said the Brahmin, "certainly the fault is the devil’s. The devil, therefore, and not man, ought to suffer punishment."

While the countenances of many of the natives disclosed their approbation of the Brahmin’s inference, Mr. Thomas, observed a boat with several men on board descending the river. With that facility of instructive retort for which he was so much distinguished, he replied "Brahmin, do you see yonder boat?" "Yes," "Suppose I were to send some of my friends to destroy every person on board, and bring me all that is valuable in the boat--who ought to suffer punishment? I, for instructing them or, they for doing this wicked act? "Why," answered the Brahmin with emotion, "You ought to be put to dead together!" "Ay, Brahmin," replied Mr. Thomas, "and if you and the devil sin together, the devil and you will be punished together." --H. F. Sayles