What Does God Want: ACT Justly (Sermon Audio)

This is the audio and outline from the October 10, 2021 sermon, “What Does God Want: ACT Justly”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Goshen Christian Church.

Text: Micah 6:8, Matthew 23:23, Isaiah 56:1-2

I suspect we have all had our share of conversations and questions about what God wants and how to know His will. Many of those discussions I have been involved with have often included an element of a person wanting to justify their own actions by either claiming they are doing what God wants or by saying what He wants is so elusive that it doesn’t matter. Many times we try to get so specific about the details of life that we miss the big picture that God has stated clearly in His Word. In fact, God said through the prophet Micah three things the Lord requires that ought to form the basis for our understanding of His will. Today we look at the first of those three things, that we would act justly.

Learning to act justly requires that we learn God’s view of right and wrong and His view of justice which always centers around making things right. Being able to act justly means that we will need to develop a(n) . . .

Acceptance of Justice. Proverbs 21:3, Isaiah 56:1-2
- Because justice deals with righteousness and morality, it is important that we accept God’s definitions of right and wrong in order to know and accept His view of justice. Many times when we experience wrong done toward us, we cry out and claim we want justice when often what we really want is revenge and retribution. While God’s laws are often clear about punishment and consequences for wrongdoing, woven throughout all of it is a desire that individuals would repent and make things right. In fact, if our view of justice is the popular “everyone should get what they deserve” mentality then we have doomed ourselves to eternal separation from God. It is through our acceptance of God’s view of justice that we find He has made a way through Jesus for us to be right with Him.
Commitment of Justice. Psalm 106:3, Ezekiel 18:21
- Accepting God’s view of justice for our self is only the beginning to our being able to act justly. A commitment to justice done God’s way is needed by us in every part of our life. Jesus taught that the forgiveness that we receive is proportional to the forgiveness we give to others. This commitment to making things right will lead us to turn from the ways of sin to walk in obedience to God’s Word. We act justly when our relationships with one another are built on a desire and practice of making things right between us regardless of who might be at fault in whatever differences we may have.
Teaching of Justice. Isaiah 1:17, Romans 3:21-26
- Accepting and committing to justice is good, but as with all good things God brings into our life, He wants us to be involved in teaching others the things we have learned. We teach others when we treat them fairly when no one else will and they want to know why we’re different. We teach others when we go out of our way to make things right with them when we could have easily ignored the situation between us. God has made it clear that He has taken care of the offense between us and Him by being both just and the one who justifies. God wasn’t the one who did wrong in the relationship between us and Him, but He is the One who stepped in and made things right through the blood of His Son, Jesus. We act justly when we swallow our pride and teach others through our example of being forgiven so we can forgive others..