Justice (Ablaze Message)

These are my (Amy's) sermon notes that I taught from at our IHOPE Ablaze service.

Justice

Defining “Justice”: Making wrong things right.

The issue of justice in the world is very popular today. Terms like “social justice” “social equality” and “equal rights” are seen frequently in the news concerning a variety of situations in our state, nation, and around the world. Everyone has an opinion about what “justice” really is- essentially, what they think is right and fair, or unjust and unfair.

Justice and Judgment

For justice to be brought about, there has to first be a determination of what is right and wrong- a judgment has to be made. To “judge” something is simply to make an evaluation.

To judge something is to make an evaluation. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that the way we evaluate others is the way is an invitation for others to evaluate us in the same way. If we are critical of others and make harsh or snap judgments, others will likely judge us in the same manner. (Matthew 7:1-5).

Jesus’ instruction about judgment is not to stop evaluating, but to evaluate rightly by looking beneath the surface issue. “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” John 7:24

Humanity’s Impaired Judgment (Genesis 3:1-5)

After the fall, humanity became more concerned with “being right” than “knowing God”. We were deceived by the enemy into thinking that we have the ability or perspective to determine what is good or evil apart from God.

The result of this deception is that humanity is now prone to fit God into our way of thinking instead of letting who God is shape the way we think.

Getting to know Jesus, the Judge

We know biblically that Jesus’ second coming is going to look very different from his first coming. If we do not acknowledge these differences, we risk being offended at God or worse, not recognizing Him when He returns. These are the foundational purposes of the 1st and 2nd comings of Jesus:

1. Jesus first coming to the earth was to make a humble appeal to humanity by revealing who God is, performing acts of compassion, and atoning for our our sin on the cross. Jesus the suffering Servant.

2. Jesus, second, final, and permanent return to earth will be to display His glory, achieve justice for His people, and establish the kingdom of heaven on earth forever. Jesus the conquering King.

Revelation 19:11-16 is a clear picture of Jesus at His second coming. The intensity that Bible describes Jesus having at His 2nd coming is shocking in comparison to His first coming! Where is the vulnerable baby in a manger that humanity met 2,000 years ago? We must know the heart behind this intense appearance to make right evaluation of who He is. We must not judge “by mere appearances.”

The Heart of the Judge

When God revealed Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai, this is how He describes Himself:

“The LORD, the LORD, to compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7.

“Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:14

“Jealousy” implies ownership. We must remember that God is Sovereign (he rules over all). His ownership of us is expressed in 2 main ways:

1. God made us. He fashioned our very beings- body, soul, and spirit.

Genesis 1 & 2; Psalm 139; Acts 17:24-28

2. God purchased us back from the grip of satan with the blood of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Revelation 5:9

God is jealous for our affection (and all of us!), it rightly belongs to Him- because He has given humanity His full affection. This has 2 main implications:

1. God will not “share” us with anything less that Himself because we were made for Him- to share close relationship with Him. This means He is opposed to false idols in our life.

2. God will not forever tolerate satan, demons, and people under their influence to abuse His people. There will be a day of reckoning when He fights for His people.

Partnering with the Judge

1. We trust that Jesus will fight for us. This gives us freedom to forgive others quickly.

2. We immediately bring sin issues to Jesus whenever they arise, knowing that He has made atonement for our sin. This gives us freedom to forgive ourselves quickly.

3. We trust Jesus in the process of our sanctification. We trust that because He is opposed to our sin, He will cleanse us and bring to completion the good work that he has begun. (Philippians 1:6)

4. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us know Jesus rightly and prepare us for the return of Jesus.

5. We ask Jesus what is on His heart so we can intercede with Him and receive strategy to bring about His Kingdom on the earth.