Sermon # 8 - Grace, Justice And Righteousness Series

We read in Jeremiah 9:24, “If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me, because my love is constant, and I do what is just and right. These are the things that please me. I, the LORD, have spoken.”(GNB)

If anyone in this world would like to boast about something, he should not do so about his knowledge, wealth or strength, but rather boast in the realization that they know the Lord, the one who is gracious, just and righteous. The Lord our creator desires that each one of us should know Him in a personal way. There are many parents who lament that their children are incapable of understanding them. When this happens it creates a sense of pain in the hearts of parents, who truly love their children, take every effort to care for them, and provide for them. The children who are unable to comprehend this, continue to be indifferent or insensitive to these feelings of their parents. So also, God yearns that His children should understand who He is, and should be able to comprehend His divine attributes of grace, justice and righteousness.

God of grace

In this study we will meditate on these three aspects of God namely God’s grace, justice and righteousness. When God created man, He made him in His own image and He also gave him the power to rule over all that He had created. This was God’s grace bestowed on mankind. There was no need for God to have created man in His own image and likeness. If we were to closely observe this, we realize that human beings are the extraordinary ones in all of God’s creation. God has given to man the ability to reason, understand and make decisions. For a few moments analyze our human body, the way it is created and functions, and you will for sure realize what an awesome creator God is behind this marvelous creation. Take the eye for example, it far surpasses any hi-tech camera that any man can invent. The eyes have stereo-vision, are multi-dimensional and have such depth that is far beyond human comprehension.

No wonder the Psalmist said it this way in Psalm 139:14, I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. (GW)

The Psalmist was so astounded by this creative power of God that he burst forth in praises and thanksgiving, as he pondered on the amazing and miraculous way he was created.

God of justice

Not only is God gracious, but He is also a just God. Sometimes when God extends this grace over us, we may be misled to forget that He is also a God of justice. God in His grace created Adam and Eve and placed them in the beautiful Garden of Eden. However, the Serpent subtly entered that garden, and deceived Adam and Eve. The consequence was that God had to execute His justice on Adam and Eve when they chose to disobey God. Man lost the power and authority that God had graciously endowed on them. Moreover, this is the justice that God meted out to the Serpent who entered that garden and deceived Adam and Eve.

We read in Genesis 3:14, Then the LORD God said to the snake, "You will be punished for this; you alone of all the animals must bear this curse: From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live.(GNB)

The justice of God was what made Him punish the serpent to crawl on its belly and eat the dust of the earth.

We also read in Genesis 3:15, I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel." (GNB)

Here the Lord mentions that the snake will hurt the heel of the woman’s offspring, and that man will crush the snake’s head. This signifies that the head of the Serpent which deceived Adam and Eve will one day be totally crushed or defeated. On that very day when man fell into sin, God had a divine plan to redeem man from this dreadful situation he found himself in. We can therefore see that the grace of God, and the justice of God always go hand in hand.

Grace and Justice in the days of Noah

We read about Noah in Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (AFV)

As God beheld all of mankind during Noah’s days, God observed that Noah was a righteous man in his generation, and hence God’s grace rested on Noah. The people who lived during the time of Noah had no time to seek God or to think about God. All of their ways were evil and wicked. God therefore decided that He could not leave this unchecked, for soon they would destroy all that God had created. God spoke to Noah and commanded him to build an ark. The invitation was open to all to enter the ark, but no one was willing. All those who refused to accept the offer were destroyed because God is a just God.