Series THE GOD OF LOVE AND JUSTICE with Pastor Mark Finley |
Lesson 6.God’s Love of Justice |
God’s Love of Justice – The Foundation of His Actions |
God is both perfect love and perfect justice. Throughout the Bible, it is clear that His love never compromises justice, and His justice is always infused with love. His nature is unchangeable, and He calls people to reflect these divine principles in their lives. While human justice is often flawed and driven by self-interest, God’s justice remains perfect and reliable. Even when it sometimes seems that God is “yielding,” it does not happen out of inconsistency but because He is in a genuine relationship with people. God’s love and justice are the foundation of His governance, and He invites us to hold on to them and live accordingly.
Memory Text: Jetemia 9:24 – “ ‘But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight’ says the Lord.”
Content:
6.1 Love and Justice
Two Inseparable Pillars of His Dominion
The Bible shows that love and justice are inseparably connected. True justice cannot exist without love, and true love requires justice. In God’s moral order, these two principles are perfectly united, in contrast to the often distorted human justice, which is marked by self-interest and corruption. The prophets repeatedly call for justice and warn against oppression and inequality. Therefore, God’s judgment is a hope for the suffering, as it brings punishment for the wicked and liberation for the oppressed. In a world full of injustice, we long for the day when God’s perfect justice is revealed in love.
6.2 God Is Entirely Good and Righteous
God is Perfect – in Justice, Faithfulness, and Love
God is not only just but the source of all justice and goodness. The Bible attests that He never does wrong but always acts according to truth and love. His justice is unwavering, in complete contrast to human injustice. While human rulers often abuse their power, God’s omnipotence is perfectly pure and just. His light knows no darkness, and His ways are always perfect. Even when we do not always understand why God allows evil in the world, we can trust that He always acts with wisdom and love, and His justice will ultimately triumph.
6.3 God’s Changeless Character
God’s Nature Remains Eternal – Faithful, Just, and Unchanging
God is unchanging in His nature, which means that His love, justice, and faithfulness never waver. While people change and circumstances are uncertain, God remains the rock of consistency. His promises stand firm, and His moral purity is eternal. Although He enters into a genuine relationship with us and responds to our behavior, His nature remains consistently good and just. The Bible repeatedly confirms that God cannot lie and that His promises are unbreakable (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:17–18). In difficult times, we can hold on to His unchanging love, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
6.4 A Repenting God?
God’s Repentance – An Expression of His Mercy and Faithfulness
God does not repent in the human sense because He makes no mistakes or errs. Instead, biblical passages where God “relents” or “gives way” show that He is in a genuine relationship with us. His nature remains unchanged – He is always just, loving, and merciful – yet He responds to human repentance and intercession. When people change, God can adjust His actions without breaking His faithfulness or promises. This is not a sign of weakness but of divine patience and grace. God’s willingness to withhold judgment when people repent reveals His deep love and unwavering mercy.
6.5 Hold Fast to Love and Justice
Holding on to Love and Justice – God’s Way for Us
God is the source of all faithfulness, justice, and love, and He remains perfectly good in all His actions. He loves not only those who follow Him but also those who reject Him – a love that Jesus revealed in its deepest form on the cross. This perfect love requires justice because true mercy cannot exist without righteousness. The Bible urges us to actively live out love and justice (Hosea 12:7) and thus reflect God’s nature. Our trust in God’s justice gives us hope that one day all wrongs will be righted. Until then, we should promote love and justice in our surroundings, just as God exemplifies to us.
6.6 Summary
God’s Love for Justice – An Inseparable Divine Principle
God’s love and justice are inseparably connected – true justice can only exist in love, and true love requires justice. God is perfectly good and just, His nature remains unchanging, and He always acts in faithfulness and truth. Even when the Bible sometimes speaks of God “repenting” or “yielding,” it does not happen because of an error but because He is in a genuine relationship with people and responds to their repentance. God calls us to hold on to love and justice in our lives, for He Himself embodies these principles perfectly. In the end, His justice will be fully revealed, and He will judge all wrongdoing. Until then, we should reflect His nature by practicing love and advocating for justice.
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