God’s Holiness and Justice
Acknowledgments: Insights from message by Dr. Henry Schorr, Centre St. Church, Calgary AB Canada
Dr. R. C. Sproul - book - ’The Holiness of God’
Today were going to speak about God’s justice and holiness. In order to worship God correctly we need the Bibles perspective of God’s holiness and justice. When we get a glimpse of God’s holiness we will begin to trust him through the circumstances and valleys of this life.
God’s holiness is a reflection of His love and care for you. Now we understand a little of God’s holiness but his justice is least understood. God’s justice and holiness go together like a razor and a razor blade.
But as we read the Bible we wonder why God does the things he does. When we read the Old Testament we wonder why God punishes people so severely and even takes their lives. They are inseparable. God’s justice comes from his holiness.
Sometimes we don’t mind talking about God’s holiness but are reticent to speak about his justice. In fact if we were honest many of us would admit that we feel God is just not fair. The truth is many people have read about the justice of God, how he dealt with people and nations in the Old Testament, and said that is too much for me. They walk away without that God’s justice is driven by his holiness. So first lets think about God’s holiness.
There are four things we can learn about God’s holiness:
1. God is in a class all by Himself
In Isaiah we read ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty. The whole earth is full of his glory.’ Let me give you a little hint. In ancient times there was a literary technique called repetition. The writer is emphasizing the most important point. That is why the word holy is repeated three times.
God is way above us in holiness. Were not even in the same league. Isaiah discovered that when it comes to righteousness and moral purity no human can stand before a holy God. God is untouched by the human decay and sinfulness of this world. There is no defect and no mar in our holy God. God’s holiness overwhelmed Isaiah. He is brought to a point of total humility because he not only saw God’s holiness but how sinful he was before our majestic holy God.
People who have been caught in a tsunami, avalanche, hurricane, or tornado understand this in part. They say they are just awestruck, terrified, and speechless at the moment. They get a sense of the almighty power of Almighty God.
The disciples of Jesus experienced this first hand. One day they were in a fishing boat on Lake Galilee. A huge storm came up and the boat was ready to sink. Jesus was asleep at the stern. They lost it. They shook Jesus awake and yelled ‘hey don’t you even care if we drown?’ Jesus awoke and rebuked the wind and the waves. The wind was instantly gone. The lake was instantly calm. The disciples marveled and said ‘even the wind and the waves obey him.’ Do you see what happened here? They knew the lake, they new the weather patterns. They were rugged fishermen. But they could do nothing about this ACT of GOD, this disaster that threatened their lives. They were in the same boat with someone who had total power over nature. They saw that Jesus was no ordinary man. They knew that Jesus was in a class all by himself. Even nature was subject to him. That is what Isaiah also experienced.
2. God’s holiness reveals what we are. The Bible says when Isaiah saw this vision of God he was seated on a throne, high and exalted. Isaiah experienced the holiness and majesty of God. That is something we will all experience. If we do not experience it in this life we will experience it in the next. The Bible says that one day ‘every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.’ Not some tongues, but every single one. You’re included, every Muslim, every atheist, all your family members. None will escape bowing down to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, so why don’t we start today?
Some of you refuse to do that because you do not want to give up
control of your life. What your really saying is I know what I need better than God does. I can make my own decisions. I can solve my own problems. That is where Isaiah was. Oh, like you he was in a place of worship. But his heart was not right until he saw a vision of God’s holiness.
Years ago Evelyn and I were Directors of a Christian Family Camp Weekend. The keynote speaker was a friend of mine, Bernie Smith. Now Bernie was an awesome man of God. The kind of guy, who would wake up at 4:30 AM daily, read the Bible and pray for two hours. None of us could live up to Bernie, including his wife Margaret. Now Bernie was at times strong willed. So he said in his serious voice that if he was on the Board of the Camp there would be no tuck. For those of you who are not familiar with camp tuck is basically junk food time. Around 2 in the afternoon the tuck bell goes and you get cold pop, chips, maybe some licorice. Bernie said the camp should only have fresh fruit for snacks. He didn’t just talk the talk, he walked the walk. This guy ran marathons into his seventies. And you know he was right; sugar just wires the kids and is unhealthy for all of us. But Bernie’s wife was different. Since Bernie got up so early he always had a nap from 1:30 to 3:30 PM so he slept through tuck. So picture this, its 2 PM one day and the tuck bell rang. I see Margaret, Bernie’s wife coming toward me. Her arms are loaded up with cold pop, chips, and licorice. So I say hey Margaret didn’t Bernie say that we should only have fresh fruit. She looks back at me and says ‘yea but don’t forget the preacher is sleeping.’
As I thought about this passage I concluded few of us have a clear vision of a holy God. We have one of a God who, like Bernie, is taking a siesta. I wondered if Isaiah, before this day, had the same view of God. But after this day he realized something. He had been into the junk food too long. Like Bernie’s wife Margaret everything was out in the open. He was not clean before God. He was not a useful tool for God. He was probably like my friend Bernie, strong for God. But when he saw the holiness of God he "Woe is me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
God gave him a new picture, a new vision of who he was. When he had 20/20 vision of whom God was, his holiness and righteousness, he clearly saw who he was. God desires for you to see Him in all his holiness and splendor. He knows that when you do, like Isaiah, you will see yourself in your true sinful state. But theology was never intended for information. Like Isaiah, God’s desire is for us see Him as holy and to become more holy in our lives.
Friends there are no problems in your life that God does not have a perfect solution for. There is no sin in your life that he cannot give you victory over. There is no mystery that he does not have the key for. He is God and your not. Sooner or later we will cry out like those angels that Jesus is in a category all by himself. That Jesus is high and lifted up. That Jesus is majestic and righteous. That Jesus really is our redeemer. Don’t wait until it is too late. Start with a new picture, a new vision of Jesus today. Begin to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Give him your life. Give him your all.
3. God holiness means He is righteous. The Biblical word really means straight. So the idea is that God is perfectly straight although creation and mankind are crooked. We can easily relate to that. When I was ten I had a cousin who was convicted of armed robbery. My mother said he was crooked and that is why he served time in jail. Then we he served his time he got a real job and stopped stealing. My mother said he had gone straight. Now to be righteous is to do what is right.
Now I call the church to pray for revival at our prayer summit on January 20th at 6:30 PM. The other pastors are also calling their people to prayer. There is nothing more important and there is no higher calling. You asked me to come and be your spiritual leader. Prayer for revival is what we need. Why do we pray for revival? Because going straight must start with the people of God. I want you to imagine a new community with me:
o No more crime
o No more drugs
o No stealing
o No adultery
o Little or no divorce
o No lying
o No swearing
o No greed
o No corruption in government
Some of you may be thinking, ‘life would be kind of boring if we were all righteous.’ But I disagree with you. But most of us don’t really even believe that God has the power to transform our lives and communities. So we live like fatalistic Christians. Well that is the way it is. We live a kind of crooked life.
There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
and they all lived together in a crooked little house.
Like the nursery rhyme we really don’t believe our lives and community can be made straight again.
That reminds me of my golf game. I started playing about 12 years ago. After awhile I analyzed my game. This was my conclusion:
o I lined up the wrong way
o I used the wrong clubs for many hits
o I looked down at the fairway instead of down at the golf ball while swinging
o I took 8-10 shots to get the ball into the hole, when others took 2-5
o For some strange reason the other golfers did not want to play on the same fairway as me
o They were always yelling four at me
o By the end of six or seven holes I was frustrated
o But I noticed something else
o The other players were having a blast
o They were playing the game rightly
o So I asked two friends for help. Neither was helpful.
o One simply brought me two ice cream pails full of golf balls. He said these will last you for awhile. That did nothing to improve my game
o Then I had a great idea of how my other friend could help me. I asked Mike, I said, Mike when I hit off the tee just stand behind me and observe my swing. See if you can help me. After the hit I said Mike what do you think. His reply ‘I’m amazed that you even hit the ball.’
o Now the only thing that keeps me going is once or twice per game I have a Tiger Woods hit (well for me it’s a Tiger hit). It goes straight.
o There is something inside of us that rejoices:
o when things are done right
o when a church does things right
o for me, when the church comes together for prayer
o when church attendees reach out to one another in love
o when a family treats each other right
o when the boss treats the staff right
o when the staff treat the boss right
You see that is not going to happen until we look up to God and say your right. I am no longer going to live my way; like Sinatra sang ‘I did it my way.’ No God you are right and I am not. Like Isaiah I look at you and change my ways.
4. God’s holiness demands his justice
Unlike us God always acts according to his righteousness, so he is 100% just 100% of the time. Did you ever read a passage in the Old Testament and think that God had a bad hair day? Sure you have. We normally don’t have a problem hearing about God’s love, grace, kindness, and those types of things. But isn’t it true we struggle with the fact that God is perfectly just (Deut. 32:4). Nehemiah understood this, even when things were bleak, even when his people were in exile and the walls ruined (Neh. 9:13).
Let’s look at a passage that at first glance seems rather harsh. In King David’s time the ark of God was in another country because it was captured by the enemy. The ark of God was where the two stone tablets of the tend commandments were housed. It was the symbol where God revealed his divine presence and will for the people. King David thought it was a good idea to bring the ark back to Jerusalem. So he sent two men to get the ark. They made a cart. They strapped the cart to two oxen. They placed the ark on top of the cart. Then two men walked alongside it to guide it back to Jerusalem. Here is what we read.
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God (2 Samuel 6:6-7 NIV).
At first glance we think what was wrong with that. It seems like the oxen stumbled and the man was trying to prevent the ark from falling off the cart. God struck Uzzah dead because of his irreverence. What did he do that was so irreverent? Volunteers are hard to come by. Should not Uzzah have been praised for trying to stop the ark from falling off the cart?
Now I have no doubt that David’s intentions in bringing the ark to Jerusalem were noble and good. He did not forget his earlier vow to return the ark to its rightful place of prominence. But what began as a joyful day quickly became a day of national grief and shame. Why?
He forgot God in the process. Not once in this passage do we read that David consulted God. Often we wonder why our lives and extended families are a mess. We make major decisions about a marriage partner, about big purchases, careers and travel without consulting God.
David forgot to consult with God. The Bible says he "conferred with each of his officers1 Chron. 13:1-14." There was no need to consult these men. God had already given clear instructions in as to how to move the ark Numbers 4:5-6. It should be covered with a veil, to shield the holiness of God from any kind of rash intrusion, and then carried on poles on the shoulders of the Levites or the priests (Numbers 7:9).
God had plainly revealed his will, but David had a better idea—one he had learned from the pagan Philistines. He would put it on a "new cart" (2 Samuel 6:3). However, God had never said anything about using a new cart. This was a human invention contrary to the will and law of God.
When we do even honorable things in the wrong way there are dire consequences. For example, there is nothing wrong with desiring a husband or children. But when we don’t include God in the plans we suffer a lot of heartache. I am so thankful for God’s grace. We can start consulting God today.
Why did God’s anger break out against Uzzah if David was at fault? The Lord had plainly taught that even the Levite family designated to carry the ark; "and they must not touch the holy things or they will die" (Numbers 4:15). So God said use the Levites for carrying the ark. Moses did not consult God and sent Uzzah (Numbers 4 and 7). God not only gives clear instructions, he keeps his promises and fulfills his threats! He is not a marshmallow parent. His justice, unlike ours, is perfectly righteous based on his holiness.
God’s actions are not the result of a temper tantrum. God is never out of control. His justice comes from the very fabric of who he is. He makes no mistakes. His justice is sometimes enacted immediately. At other times he enacts mercy. But in the end he will demand that all sins be paid for. There will be a day of reckoning.
God is perfectly right to execute justice but often he extends mercy. That leads to another issue. Why do bad things happen to apparently good people? Why did Butto get assassinated in Pakistan?
In order to understand God’s purposes we need to go back to the original creation of man. In the Garden God told Adam and Eve not to partake of the fruit of one tree. They saw it as a restriction. God saw it as freedom. They sinned by taking the forbidden fruit. Now God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die (Genesis 2:16-17 NIV).”
When we read the scriptures we find out Adam and Eve did not physically die right away. That is because God chose to extend his mercy or grace and delay his full justice so that grace would have time to work.
Are you getting a true picture here? The Bible says that were under judgment because of our sin. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. We ask the wrong question. The question we often ask is why did God allow that person to die or get sick? The right question is ‘why did God allow me to live?’ Because if God were to enact his justice none of us would live, just like David’s worker who reached out for the cart. We forget that God is patient for a reason. The reason is so we will turn to him in repentance, be forgiven and live victoriously. You see life and health is not something we deserve. It is a gift extended to us. Every heart beat is an act of mercy.
So how do we make sense of all of this? How do we apply this to our lives?
We apply this in three ways:
1. Let’s admit were angry at God and repent. We get angry with God when He does not come through with our prayers. We really think we deserve more grace from him. But do you know what is wrong with that statement? None of us deserve grace (Ex. 33:19). God is not obligated to treat us all the same. His grace is totally undeserved.
R.C.Sproul in his classic book “The Holiness of God” gives an example of the confusion we have between grace and justice. Sproul was teaching a class to 250 students. He told them that the first term paper was due Sept. 30th. He said anyone who was late would automatically receive a ‘F’ unless there was a death in the family. Sept. 30th came and 25 students did not hand in their papers. They pleaded with him for mercy, for an extension. He granted them grace and gave them extra time. The second paper was due October 31. Guess what happened? This time 50 students did not have their papers done. Now they begged the professor with every excuse in the book. So he said all right. But the next paper is due Nov. 30th. There are to be no excuses and no whining. Anyone who is late even one day will automatically get an ‘F’ unless there is a death in the family. Is that clear? They all said yes. Guess what happened? Nov. 30th came and 100 students did not hand in their papers. Sproul picked up his black grade book and called out their names:
o Johnson – no paper – F
o Muldaney – no paper – F
Now Muldaney screamed this isn’t fair. The professor said to him ‘you think it is not fair?’ That is right he yelled. Sproul said so I see you want justice. I see you were late for your last paper as well. If you want justice I am ready to change your last paper to an “F”. The student got the message. He had no further arguments.
God comes to you and says ‘my son or my daughter you have it all backwards. My grace to you is a gift not a right. You have presumed on my grace. God is worthy of our adoration or praise not our misplaced anger. Confess your misplaced anger and thank God for his grace.
2. Don’t take God’s justice lightly. In other words do not take sin lightly.
We do suffer injustice from other people. But we will never suffer injustice from God because he is 100% just 100% of the time. Let me warn you about something. Don’t ever ask God for justice. You might just get it.
The Bible says “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you (Hosea 10:12 (NIV).” The Bible says do not take sin lightly. Discipline yourself so God does not have to discipline you. He pleads with us to stop sinning so it will go well with us, our families our church community and the entire area
3. Remember God’s grace is not forever. There will be a day of
judgment. If we do not choose Jesus on earth we will suffer without Christ for all eternity. Now I love this church too much not to give you a warning. And the warning is stop running from Jesus. Cry out to him. Tell him you need him. Because of our sin and rebellion we were facing an eternity without God. Fellow Christian never forget that we were condemned to hell with no hope of heaven. Out of love for us God the Son became a curse for us and satisfied God’s justice on the cross. It would have killed you for all eternity but he the lamb took our sin upon himself. That is why he is so worthy of our adoration, of our every act of obedience, every song of worship, every day of your life. He is worthy of this churches life. He is worthy! He is worthy! He is worthy!
Conclusion
Open up the alter to come and pray.
