Read. Attributes of God Just. Key Verse: In This Lesson:

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1 Attributes of God Just Attributes of God: In this series, we will strengthen our relationships with God by studying the scriptures to further grasp not only what God does, but who He is. In This Lesson: Read Genesis 18:22-33 and discover what the Bible says about God s justice. Equip Think about how knowing God is just impacts the way you view the positive and negative situations in your life. Accountability Discuss your thoughts with your group and encourage each other to apply God s Word to your lives. Pray Pray together with your group because everything begins with, ends with and depends on God. Scorecard How are you doing with the mission that Christ has given you? Key Verse: The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4) A man reaps what he sows ~Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV)

2 Read When we think of God as just, we immediately move to the act of justice, often skipping over the attribute of just. God is just. God acts with justice. We will address both of these areas as we look at the attribute of God as just. We also have to realize that, in almost all cases, the words just and righteous are used interchangeably, as they come from the same root words in both the original Hebrew as well as the original Greek. So, when we think of God as just, we should also think of God as righteous. Let s look at the idea that God is just. It is part of who He is. God is unchanging (Malachi 3:6 or James 1:17), so we can find this attribute a constant comfort as we seek to gain greater understanding of our God. Having a God who is just is critical to our worship of Him. J.I. Packer said it eloquently in his book, Knowing God: A God who did not care about the difference between right and wrong and did not judge humans for acting one way or the other would not be an admirable being, worthy of our love or trust. The fact that God is just and will judge between right and wrong gives ultimate moral significance to our lives and makes us accountable for our actions. We have to be careful to not confuse the attribute of God as just with the idea that God acts justly out of a moral requirement that is outside of Himself. Sometimes we innocently say things such as, Justice demands that God acts in this way. This would falsely attribute the moral requirements of justice as influencing God's actions. God is just and therefore, the moral standards of justice are set by Him, through Him, and for Him. Read Genesis 18:22-33

3 Read When dealing with the justice of God, the topic can get a bit heavy. This can be a difficult topic, partly because when we see God act on the attribute of justice, we see people get what they deserve and it can seem harsh to the human point of view. What we need to keep in mind is that God is always fair and righteous and just, and when His justice is not tempered by mercy and grace, then people get what they deserve as sinful creatures that are in spiritual and moral rebellion. Thankfully, God works within this fallen world, and until Jesus returns to reign, true justice will not be realized in this world. We know that God has revealed His justice in man s heart. Some call it our conscience; it is the innate knowing of what is good and right. Romans 2:14-16 says, For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. We all know that there is a standard of right and wrong and there is a need for justice. Many people do not like the idea that God will judge people who do not want His gift of Grace (paid for by Jesus) and that We are called to live a they will be sent to hell, a place of eternal separation from the just life but, at the same time, we are not to goodness of God. However, if we really think about it, we do consider ourselves judges not want a God who is not just. We need to know that God s or to seek vengeance. ways are above those of man and constant. God s justice is a standard that He does not and cannot change; because He is a just God He cannot turn a blind eye to sin. Payment must be made and sin must be paid for. God s justice cost Him His own Son. The illustration comes to mind of a judge passing down the sentence of the death penalty, only to immediately step

4 Read down from the bench and command the bailiff to take him away instead, in order to pay the price for the one he just condemned. Another way to look at how God acts justly can be seen through the distribution of rewards and punishments. Unbelievers will be judged for their sins while believers will be judged (not at the loss of salvation) for what they do in this life with the gifts of God they have received. This difference is between the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) and the Great White Throne of Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). The Judgment Seat of Christ (also known as the Bema Seat) is where Jesus will judge those who are followers of Christ. This is not a judgment of salvation but of rewards or lack of rewards for our lives as followers and the fruit we have borne during our time on Earth. The Great White Throne of Judgment, on the other hand, is a judgment of salvation where Christ-followers will be imputed with Jesus righteousness and found justified while the unbelievers will be eternally condemned to separation from God. We are called to live a just life but, at the same time, we are not to consider ourselves judges or to seek vengeance. But we also need to take comfort in God s justice. As the Psalmist frequently cried out for God s justice, there was also recognition of the righteousness of a just God. For additional reading: Luke 17:28-32 Acts 5:1-5 Romans 14:10-12, 1 Corinthians 3: Corinthians 5:10 Revelation 20:11-15

5 Equip As you read through the Scriptures, perhaps there were some things you didn t understand or needed to study further. Take some time to think and respond to the following questions: 1. What is the important distinction between God being just and acting with justice? 2. If God is just, why do the unrighteous go unpunished? 3. What have you learned or been reminded of in this study that will help you in dealing with situations in your life?

6 Accountability Before your next D group meeting, think about the questions below. You will discuss these with your group. These questions will help you to examine your life in light of the truth you explored this week. They also give other group members an opportunity to encourage you to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. 1. How do we respond to God s justice in our lives and the lives of those around us? 2. Share a time when you have questioned God s justice in your life or a loved one s. 3. What one thing is the Holy Spirit leading me to change in light of God s justice?

7 Pray We believe that we must pray because everything begins with, ends with, and depends on God. Use the following A.C.T.S. model to pray: Adoration: Begin your prayer by adoring God; He is worthy of all our praise! Be specific when offering Him your adoration, not just You're so wonderful but God your mercy and love toward me is wonderful, this allows us to really build our relationship with our redeemer. Confession: When we pray with unconfessed sin in our heart we are beginning with barriers to our prayer. He knows our sin and has called us to confess and repent. Our confession shows that we acknowledge our sin and submit to God s authority, mercy, and grace. Thanksgiving: Simply let Him know what you are thankful for. This could be as simple as Lord, thank you for loving me, even when I feel unworthy, or you could tell Him the entire list of things you are thankful for. Just make sure you are thanking Him for what He gives and does. Supplication: This means humbly pleading for something. We come to God with our requests because we know all good things come from Him. If our heart is right and we are seeking things that are His will we are told if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. A.C.T.S. is an easy to remember acronym that helps us remember what we want to talk to our Heavenly Father about and how we should approach Him. This model can be used for short or long prayers. The model is a good reminder but far more important than the model is the act of praying.

8 Pray My prayer request regarding the topic this week is: My prayer request regarding a situation in my life is: My prayer request for others is: (fill this out at D Group)

9 Scorecard What is Jesus mission? It is to make His gospel known to all people through word (sharing the gospel) and deed (demonstrating the gospel). This is the mission that every generation of His followers must take up as well. But, don t confuse becoming missional with becoming a foreign missionary. A missionary may devote his or her life to making the gospel known beyond a border or across an ocean. But, Christ calls all of His followers to make the gospel known through word and deeds wherever they live, work or play, as well as in their surrounding communities. Who am I praying for an opportunity to share the truth of Jesus with right now? Who am I intentionally witnessing to about Jesus right now? Who am I discipling right now?