"I AM": Just

Life’s unfair…

Kids come home from school and talk about their day:
     “The teacher said...and that’s not fair.”
     “My friend…and that’s not fair.”
     “It rained again; it’s just not fair.”

After supper mom and dad discuss their day:
     “The boss told us...and that’s not fair.”
     “I can’t believe what happened to…; that’s just not fair.
     “Did you hear what’s happening overseas? That’s really unfair.”

I’m not saying that people complain all the time (though some do). Rather, I think we spend a lot of time thinking about and talking about and wringing our hands about the many inequities of life, that is, the stuff that’s not fair.

The Psalmist often cried out to God because of the inequities of life. Yet, he concluded that God was his strength. He said that he “will wait upon the Lord.”

What does that mean, to wait upon the Lord?

In short, it means that a person is willing to endure the inequities of life and allow God to straighten everything out later. To wait upon the Lord means that, while the inequities in life are real, I will trust that God is also aware. I will be content to allow God to take action in His time as He sees fit.

So, is that really fair? Is God being fair?

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.   —Romans 12:19

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.    —Romans 12:21

The simple idea is that God understands that life is not fair and He promises to deal with the inequities of life. We just need to be patient… because...

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.    —2 Peter 3:9

From the opening pages of the Bible mankind has opposed God by declaring his selfish independence. The flood at the time of Noah dramatically shows what man deserves because of his arrogance: death. So, the question we should be asking is, “Why has God allowed us to live!?” The passage above answers.

The justice of God demands payment for sin; the justice of God demands death. Yet the love of God demands forgiveness, fellowship...life.

God will allow the guilty to live, but only if someone dies in their place, but who? Each person must bear his/her own guilt for sin. So, who is there to take my place, to take your place? The answer: Only someone who is sinless; someone who has no sin debt.

The prophet Isaiah wrote of the future Christ saying that God would be satisfied with his sacrifice. He went on to say that “He will bear their iniquity.” (53:11) Jesus, the Christ, was the satisfactory sacrifice for you and me because he was sinless. That’s not fair that he took my place and your place, but it is just! It satisfied the debt requirement for sin.

Is life fair??? No; you are still alive. 

Is life full of inequities??? Yes, but God is patient...are you?

It is as if God said to Moses, “I AM who I am...I am just.” And he did…

The LORD God...who will by no means leave the guilty unpunished….    —Exodus 34:7