God Is Just

We love justice whenever we are wronged or sympathize with those who have been wronged. When we commit wrong against others, however, do we love justice just as much? While we struggle to be perfectly just, God does not, as we will see this coming Sunday. 

This week we will be reminded about how a distorted view of justice can undermine our trust in God. In Ezekiel 18:21-24,30-32, the Jews were confused about why the Babylonians seemed to prosper while God’s chosen nation was experiencing defeat. The Jews made the common mistake of assuming God was either not fair or not reasonable. But we see in these verses that the Babylonians had regrets and repented. At the same time, the Jews relied on their privileged position and past spiritual heritage rather than a right relationship with God. 

The prophet Ezekiel ministered during some of the darkest days of Israel’s history: the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Babylonians and the subsequent exile of the people. Chapter 18 addresses the responsibility of all the people to respond to the message of the Lord. God is and does not allow the righteousness or unrighteousness of one person to dictate another person’s relationship with Him. 

Ezekiel prophesied in Babylon, where God’s people were exiled because of their sins. Ezekiel focused on the case of a sinner, a wicked person. How would a just God deal with the wicked? The obvious answer is found in two prior verses in this chapter (18:4b,20a), “The person who sins is the one who will die.” The phrase “the one who will die” is emphatic in Hebrew. The result of sin is certain death. Yet, in 18:21, we find a different scenario being presented—not one of certain death, but rather one of potential life. Ezekiel wrote, Now if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed. This statement forms the conditional part of a tremendous theological declaration; God provides an escape from spiritual death because of His love. The verb rendered turns often conveys the idea repent. In view is a complete “about-face” morally, spiritually, physically, and socially concerning one’s actions. For the wicked to satisfy this condition, he must turn away from self-serving ways and toward the God-given, others-serving manner prescribed in the Law of Moses. 

With just and right, Ezekiel paired two essential terms. First, to be just, a person had to treat neighbors equitably—not showing partiality or prejudice, irrespective of any external distinctions such as race, education, or gender. Even more, the just person lives to ensure the rights of others. Unlike the wicked who lives for self-gratification, the lives to serve others, to reflect the character of God, who Himself is. To be just, a person deliberately had to mold his life to God’s prescribed manner of living as outlined in His Word.

Ultimately, we can adapt only with the aid of God’s empowering Spirit. However, Ezekiel stresses the possibility of life despite one’s wickedness. When the wicked turns, he will certainly live; he will not die. Ezekiel stated the full implications of life for the wicked should they repent: None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. Transgressions refer to deliberate misdeeds and rebellions against God’s prescribed norms. Will be held against is literally will be remembered. The idea is that God deliberately chooses not to remember human rebellions once people turn from their sins. Instead of the inevitable death prescribed for all sinners, the wicked person who turns from sin will live because of the righteousness he has practiced. A superficial reading of this statement might lead to the errant view that one can save oneself by doing good work. However, Ezekiel did not intend to suggest such an idea. The key is to understand the term righteousness correctly. In this context, righteousness does not refer to good deeds a person might do. Instead, righteousness refers to specific acts prescribed by God in His Law as normative for His people. The term carries the idea of willfully conforming to God’s norms or standards. 

While God clearly wants people to do what is right, He finds no pleasure in punishing them when they do wrong. He is not cruel and heartless. Instead, God delights in changed human behavior, which is why He encourages repentance. One must turn from sin and turn toward God. God honors genuine repentance and honest faith. When people repent, God always forgives. When God forgives, the consequence of death is removed, and the forgiven individual discovers life in its place. 

God must execute justice against guilty criminal behavior as sovereign ruler of all creation. Seeing people, He created being destroyed gives Him no sense of satisfaction. Rather than giving Him pleasure, the judgment of human beings causes God tremendous grief. God does not wish anyone to incur His wrath. Therefore, the choice God gives to every person is to reject responsibility and die or to repent and live. Without repentance, no sin goes unpunished. With repentance, every sin can be forgiven.