I hesitate to call God fair at any time. I once read an article that discussed what children perceive as fairness. In it, the author noted that the concept of fairness gives children (specifically, siblings) the idea that they must watch one another to ensure that everything is fair. This article changed my perspective on parenting and this was the launchpad for just parenting in my own home. I believe it is the same way with God: He does not want his children to watch one another to ensure that we all get the same thing. Even Ephesians 4:7 speaks about God giving out a measure of grace that is appropriate (just) for each believer.
If we think about it, we honestly would not want God to be fair. I’ll share one word that will make you agree: Jesus. Jesus was without sin but was still made the sacrifice for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). In all fairness, we should pay for our own sins. Another person should not have paid for them for us. But God in his infinite wisdom decided to satisfy the laws he established and still be just. And today, God wants his children to stand up for just causes, too.
Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isaiah 1:17, ESV)
Do Good – Serve Others
Isaiah 1:17 challenges us to learn to do good. The keyword there is learn. This emphasizes that this nature is not already inherently in us, but with God, we can learn how to do good. Doing good is service to others; it’s looking out for others, as the rest of this verse in Isaiah denotes.
Correct Oppression
There are many oppressive causes that we can choose to rally and get behind. I don’t believe that every Christ-follower is meant to fight every cause, but there is at least one cause that we should be passionate about. The Bible tells us to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). Waging an effective fight means seeing the oppression and choosing to get involved in its correction.
Seek and Bring Justice
As with correcting oppression, Isaiah admonishes believers to seek and bring justice. In this current stage of affairs, it’s easy to choose to turn a blind eye to an injustice if it does not directly affect us. However, Hebrews 10:24 encourages us to consider one another and consider how to stir one another to love and good works. We should see the crimes that are committed against our brothers and sisters and be moved to do all we can to set things right on their behalf. Just as we would want someone to do for us.
God gives all of his followers a just cause to fight. It is in all of us to seek justice and be just as he is just.
Reference: Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. “Just”. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/just.
Featured photo by adrianna geo on Unsplash; in-text photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
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Technology allows us to be more connected than we’ve ever been. And in a post-pandemic world, where most people still work from home as the engage in their local community, it’s important to also have a virtual community you can lean on. Not just any community, but a community of people with a shared interest: a love for Jesus.
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