Where is the God of Justice? (Mar 14, 2021)

Malachi 2:17-36

Introduction: During this season of Lent we are focusing on this premise: there is no true justice without Jesus, and there is no true Jesus without justice. Justice is a concept that is being actively debated in many of our cultural/political conversations these days. What does the Bible say? The prophet Malachi gives voice to a question that is at the heart of our struggles and experience in a world of injustice - “Where is the God of Justice?” There are three important ways we can understand this question and God’s response to it.

1. A Cry God Hears

Where is the God of Justice?  For a Christian, this is a natural, unavoidable question, particularly when the following two things happen (spoiler alert: they should happen!):

1. When you learn more about the place of justice in the Bible, how it is the foundation of God’s throne, how God loves justice and that God delights in doing justice and righteousness on the earth.

2. The more you learn about and see injustice in our world, and come to know the stories of people who suffer from injustice.

There were many stories like this in Malachi’s day, people who cried out in their souls, “Where is the God of justice?”.  Though they may not have seen deliverance in their day (see 3:5), does this mean that they were not heard?  Certainly not!  God heard their cries, he did not ignore them.  This is an important part of growing in our knowledge of God and in caring about a broken world in which injustice and evil do happen. God tells the prophet Habbakuk: I haven’t forgotten. I hear your cries; to Malachi he says: I will come to set things right.

 When we become aware of terrible, heartbreaking injustice throughout history, in our world, our nation, in the church AND as we become more aware of God’s heart for justice, we should expect deep struggle, doubts and dissonance to happen. But what do we do? We definitely should not hold it in or feel afraid to experience those emotions. It does not distance us from God – rather, it can draw us nearer to God, and in a way that does not question or violate God’s sovereignty in any way.  These cries move God to action (see Ex 22:22, 23), so cry out!

BUT there is also a very different way that this same question can be asked. There is a way to ask this question that does not move us closer to God, but that wearies God and moves us farther away from Him and from justice, when the question is a complaint, rather than a cry – which is what God is confronting through Malachi in our passage.

2. A Complaint God Confronts

Verse 17 says that “You have wearied the Lord with your words”. What does it mean for God to be wearied? This usage carries the sense of being “weary with grief”. God is saddened/grieved by this complaint, and his patience is tested to the utmost.

 This complaint comes from a cynicism directed towards God because of the evil of those who claim to be His people.  In Malachi’s day (which was perhaps not so different to our own) there was good reason to have this attitude – priests were corrupt, sacrifices were halfhearted, injustice was widespread. The complaint can also be understood like this: God how can you let people who say they believe in you do these things? How are you ok with this!?

 God says two things to this in response in 3:1-5: 1) “I am not OK with this – I will come in judgment”; and 2) “I have not changed”. God is letting us know that everyone – especially those who profess to believe in Him – will be held accountable. His standard and requirement for good/justice has not and will never change.

 Sidenote: Struggling to hold on to belief in God because of the existence of injustice is also not a logically justifiable position.  Questioning God about evil and injustice requires there to be an actual God of justice. To protest, to complain about the reality of evil and injustice in the world depends on the existence of a fixed standard of good and evil. To do away with God is to do away with the opportunity for justice.

There is also another more insidious aspect to this complaint. Sometimes it comes from a place of smugness and self-righteousness. An attitude of “What is really wrong with the world is those people/the other side/people who are guilty of such-and-such sin”, and standing over them in judgment. All the while, God states that if his judgment were to come now, we would not be ready and we definitely would not be safe. Perhaps it can also be stated like this:

 It is hard to make sense of the disconnect (compromise) in faith we see in others – but it is even harder to see our own disconnects (compromise). Malachi cautions us about questioning God’s justice while we have done nothing about injustice ourselves.

3. A Question God Answers

Finally, there is a third way that we can understand this question, which is as a question that God does answer. God hears the question, God confronts the question, but our hearts want more: we want an answer to the problem of evil and injustice. Where is the God of Justice?  In Matthew 11, Jesus quotes Malachi and tells us who the messenger is who will clear the way: John the Baptist. Which clearly implies that Jesus is the Lord who comes to his temple/people to refine and cleanse them. God answers the question by saying Behold Me, I am coming.

Christianity says that the only answer that will satisfy the heart and that it is literally historically true is that God did come, and hung from the cross. Christianity does not try to avoid the question of Where is the God of Justice? Rather, it encourages us to ask the question and discover that He hung on the cross for all, bore injustice with the poor and oppressed, and suffered as a victim of injustice, bearing his own judgment for all the unjust who come to him in repentance and faith.

God says in v5, “Because I don’t change you have not been destroyed.” In Jesus Christ alone we see unchanging justice meet unchanging mercy and grace. In what Jesus did, we see that: 1) God’s justice has not changed and 2) His grace/mercy has not changed either. The cross shows us how much God is committed to justice - every act of injustice, and all inaction in the face of injustice, must (and will!) be dealt with – either in the cross or at the final judgment. And – (here is the power for change) The cross shows us how much God is committed to us, every person who admits their sin and need and believes in Jesus is given the unchanging love of God.

This is the unchanging heart of God for the poor, oppressed, needy and helpless. If Jesus Christ does this for me despite how poor, needy, powerless I am – how can I not extend mercy and do justice for the poor, needy and powerless in the world?

REFLECT OR DISCUSS

1. What about this sermon most impacted you or left you with questions about the justice of God?

2. Has this question, “Where is the God of justice?” come up in your own mind/heart? How have you sought to resolve or address it?

3. Why should this question be an expected part of the spiritual journey for those who grow in knowing God and in knowing the stories of injustice in our world? What does this mean for us if this question has never bothered us?  

4. What comfort does it give us that God knows we struggle with this question, that tells us that we can voice and that He shows us how to pray this cry to Him? (See Psalm 10 and/or Habakkuk 1:1-4 for other examples)?

5. What happens to our protest against injustice if we reject God because of injustice? (See sidenote above)

6. How does this passage help you deal with inconsistencies you have seen in people who claim to be Christians? What about the inconsistencies in yourself (especially in areas where you have self-righteously condemned others)?

7. How is Jesus Himself the ultimate answer to this question? How does Jesus’ life, death and resurrection move us to also do what we can to address this question?

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Knowing God = Doing Justice (Mar 7, 2021)

Jer. 9:23-24; 22:1-5, 13-17

Introduction: During this season of Lent we are focusing on this premise: there is no true justice without Jesus, and there is no true Jesus without justice. Justice is a concept that is being actively debated in many of our cultural/political conversations these days. It is entirely possible for us to err in two ways in seeking a biblical application of justice to our present culture. One, we might observe what we see around us and demand for a version of justice without reference to Jesus. Two, we might seek to uphold a version of justice in the name of Jesus that ignores the legitimate plights of others. As we will observe in this series, both of these versions of justice are extra-biblical conceptions that deter us from seeking a comprehensive view of justice as communicated by God in the Old Testament, affirmed by Jesus of Nazareth, and upheld by the early church.

What about Righteousness?
The word justice has become quite a controversial word in our culture for many reasons. The biblical definition is much more comprehensive. Each week we are unpacking the concept of justice from different portions of Scripture - mostly the prophets. This will help us broaden our understanding of justice in a biblical sense. One of the unique ways we see justice used in Jeremiah is in its connection to righteousness. The reason the two terms are mentioned in this way has to do with how well they blend together. Bruce Waltke defines righteousness by distinguishing two kinds of people. “The righteous person is the one who disadvantages themselves for the advantage of the community, and the wicked advantage themselves by disadvantaging others.” The connection to justice is quite interesting: the righteous person is willing to disadvantage themselves for the sake of justice. But just who is the person called to be righteous, and what reason do they have? Jeremiah records God’s directive to his people that is strikingly relevant.

1. The Responsibility of Justice: Who Should do Justice?

On one level, what God says through the prophet Jeremiah about justice is for everyone. Of course, God holds us accountable to do justice and righteousness in whatever setting we find ourselves. Still, the context in Jeremiah can tell us more about the types of people God spoke to through Jeremiah.  

 A) Jer. 9:23 - The wise man, the strong man, and the wealthy man in this passage represent people who are educated, successful, and affluent.

B) Jer. 22:1-2 - The king of Judah, officers, and “people who enter these gates” represent not only leaders, but people with some level of influence, success, or power.

C) Jer. 22:14 - Those who say “I will build myself a massive palace…” represents wealthy people who have adequate resources to adorn themselves.

 One of the most important things we can take from this is that there are people God speaks to directly in by His word that have a special responsibility to do justice. In application, if you are a Christian who has a good education, a measure of success, comfort, the ability to do home improvement projects, and a degree of wealth in savings and investments, then you are one of these people. You and I have a special responsibility to understand and apply biblical justice in our lives because God has blessed us with many things including our ability to help others.

2. The Reason for Doing Justice: A Theological Basis

What is the basis and grounds for justice? The answer is much deeper than because God commands it. Jeremiah 9:24 grounds the reason for justice in knowing God. To know God is to know what He does and what He delights in. He tells us He delights in justice. To say we know God and not care about doing justice is like a situation in which someone claimed to know you intimately, but did not know anything about where you work, what you love, or what makes you happy. If that were true, then you would have every reason to doubt that they knew you, right?

Jeremiah 22:15-16 says it even more starkly and plainly. In speaking of administering justice and righteousness, especially in the case of the poor and needy, God says, “Is this not what it means to know me?” This is one of the most powerful declarations in the Bible. If we drafted an equation it would be Knowing God = Doing justice and righteousness + Taking up the case of the poor and needy. God equates the two, and it is not a matter of propositional knowledge, but intimate, relational knowledge. Two challenges that arise from this equation are equally shocking. One, you cannot know God and not have a concern for justice. In God’s view, there is no possible world in which you can sit comfortably at church without any concern for justice. Two, you cannot have justice without God. Different cultures and times may help us understand different aspects of justice, but it still needs a foundation. It is important to note that people can act justly without belief in God, but that is not the same as having a strong grounds or reason for justice without God.

3. The Motivation for Justice

Even If we claim to be a Christian, we need more than an equation or a logical argument to do justice and righteousness. How does knowing God lead us to doing justice by disadvantaging ourselves for the sake of others? Jeremiah 9:23-24 provides clarity by distinguishing two types of people and their motivations. There are those who boast in their own wisdom, might, and wealth, and those who boast in faithful love, justice, and righteousness because they know God. If you continually boast in the first three, you will never boast in the second three. The former type of boasting will cause you to fault others if they lack the same qualities that you attribute to your own doing. Even if you try to help them, it would be out of superiority/pity rather than love.

To boast in the second three means that you have been broken by divine grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us that we have been saved by grace through Christ that “no one may boast.” Elsewhere, Paul writes, “let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” If we have any reason for boasting, it is not in ourselves but because of God’s grace. This does not mean that wisdom, might, and wealth are bad, just that we remember where these gifts come from. In this way, we agree with the Gospel, and the Gospel motivates us to act in justice and righteousness toward others in humility, as Christ did with us.

REFLECT OR DISCUSS

1. What about this sermon most impacted you or left you with questions about justice and righteousness?

2. Do you agree with the definition given by Bruce Waltke that “the righteous person is the one who disadvantages themselves for the advantage of the community, and the wicked advantage themselves by disadvantaging others?” How does this challenge you or change the way you view what the Bible says about the righteous life?

3. Do you recognize yourself as having a “special responsibility” to do justice? In what ways would you consider yourself blessed? What are the ways you try to avoid or excuse yourself from this special responsibility?

4. Why do you think God speaks so highly of doing justice and righteousness especially in the context of helping the poor and needy? How does this challenge you to consider your relationship with God and with others?

5. Is it possible to have justice without God? What about people who do not believe in God that fight for justice and equality?

6. Read Jeremiah 9:23-24. In what ways are you tempted to boast in these things? How does boasting in these things close our hearts off to the poor and doing justice for the oppressed?

7. How does the gospel of the grace of God brake all our boasting? See Eph 2:1-10 and 1 Cor. 1:26-31.  How has God’s grace done this breaking in your life? In what ways do you sense a need for more breaking (and less boasting)? What does it look like to boast in “knowing” God?

8. Let’s get practical. How do we do justice when we live comfortable lives filled with the pursuit of education, success and wealth for ourselves and our families? Discuss these 3 suggestions:

   1. Availability – A middle class spirit sees its time as its own. How can you surrender your time to God and make yourself available to obedience to his command to do justice?

   2. Proximity - A middle class spirit feels like it has earned a right to be isolated from poverty and need. How can you get closer to actual people who are at the margins/affected by injustice?

   3. Community – A middle class spirit feels like it can do it alone. How can you partner in community to follow God’s call to do justice.

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Tremble, Rejoice, Act (Feb 28, 2021)

Psalms 96-99, Micah 6:8

Introduction: During this season of Lent we are focusing on this premise: there is no true justice without Jesus, and there is no true Jesus without justice. Justice is a concept that is being actively debated in many of our cultural/political conversations these days. It is entirely possible for us to err in two ways in seeking a biblical application of justice to our present culture. One, we might observe what we see around us and demand for a version of justice without reference to Jesus. Two, we might seek to uphold a version of justice in the name of Jesus that ignores the legitimate plights of others. As we will observe in this series, both of these versions of justice are extra-biblical conceptions that deter us from seeking a comprehensive view of justice as communicated by God in the Old Testament, affirmed by Jesus of Nazareth, and upheld by the early church.

What is Biblical Justice? Justice is a word that occurs hundreds of times in the Bible to describe God and the life of obedience required to follow Him. Without delving too far into etymology, biblical justice has two fundamental aspects. The first aspect of biblical justice is giving people their due. In view here is divine retribution and vindication. This also includes giving the needy and oppressed their due as image bearers of God. Since God is the ultimate judge, he will give all people their due according to His holy and perfect standard. The second aspect of biblical justice is setting things right. In view here is restoration. In relation to God, justice is not only about declaring punishment but also re-establishing his order on a greater scale. These two aspects are essential to the biblical conception of justice and are reflected in the ways the Psalms describe the justice of God and the justice God call us to do.

1. Tremble at the Justice of God – Psa. 97:1-5, 99:1-5

The first step in doing biblical justice is to tremble before God, our ultimate judge. Psalm 97:1-5 describes a theophany, or an encounter with God. The imagery is one of sheer power and terror (darkness, fire, and lightning). Why is everything unraveling? Verse 2 tells us that “righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.” The Hebrew word foundation connotes something fixed and immovable. This should cause us to tremble because any form of injustice seeks to undo the very foundation of God’s throne. Those who are guilty of or neglect injustice are accountable to God for something that is the foundation of who He is and all He does.   

Psalm 99 gives some more clarity to how we would respond in this sort of encounter. Verse 1 shows us that the peoples tremble before the Lord as Judge. In view of Psalms 97 and 99 then, there are two kinds of people in the world: sinners who tremble before the God of justice, and sinners who do not. Those of us that tremble before God take a careful approach to justice. We look to God in trembling awe and seek to carry out the work of justice in humility, on our knees before God, not standing over others in judgment.

2. Rejoice in the Justice of God – Psa. 96:10-13, 98:6-9

like sentiment of joy and exultation at the justice of God. What are we to make of this? How can something cause trembling and joy? The key is in the second aspect of justice. God’s justice is not only about just decisions, it’s goal is restorative justice. There is so much joy throughout the psalms because God promises restoration to his people and indeed, all of creation. All things wrong in creation will be set right! That is the goal of God’s justice.

In this world, a hope for justice is a hope in God because God loves justice. It is a real temptation to seek for our ultimate hope and justice in a political ideology, individualism, philosophy, or humanistic activism. Yet, we must seek God in trembling, and rejoice in the fact that he stands boldly beyond the veil of our desire for justice in this world and above all earthly attempts at seeking justice.

Here is where Jesus makes all the difference - the only people who can possibly rejoice at the prospect of facing a God of justice who gives people their due and sets all things right – are people who know they are right with this God!  The gospel is that, through Jesus, God is able to be both perfectly just and to justify those who are guilty of injustice (Rom 3:26). The cross shows us that God does not compromise one ounce of his justice. Jesus took the full and just penalty of justice in our place. He took what was due us. This should make us tremble. But we are justified by grace – he freely gives what is due him to us (a life that receives God’s just vindication and pleasure). This should make us rejoice. This dynamic is how the gospel makes us people who do justice from a place of humility (I’m right with God by grace alone!) and hope (I’m working with God as he sets all things right).

3. Act for the Justice of God – Micah 6:8

The sign that we are right with God is when justice and righteousness are as foundational to us as they are to Him. If we truly consider this, when we look out at a world in which we cannot see God’s justice, we must act. The prophet Micah gives us an excellent model to consider. Micah 6:8 not only challenges our conception of justice, but also describes how we are to act in light of it.

True justice culminates in action: The context of this passage is dire: God is calling out his people for empty and hollow versions of justice that prioritize self-righteous judgment over action. Biblical justice is not merely an abstract concept to think about, it is who God is, and what He does. It couldn’t be clearer – he has told us what to do = justice.

True justice cannot be separated from love: God loves justice because he loves people, not because he loves to uphold the abstract concept of justice. You cannot really love an abstract concept of people in a way that will make any difference for actual people suffering injustice. Real justice deals with real people and requires real love.

True justice cannot be done without humility: We would be foolish to think that we could carry out biblical justice without humility before the one who established it. Carrying out justice in humility involves a circumspect awareness of accountability. This humility is before God and others because we cannot find true justice in a way that elevates ourselves arrogantly over others. We may feel confidently about our concern for justice, but we must carry it out carefully and circumspectly – knowing we are sinners saved by grace.

REFLECT OR DISCUSS

1. What about this sermon most impacted you or left you with questions about the justice of God?

2. Can you think of a few examples of how the quest for justice can be misguided?  Do you understand the biblical definition of justice as presented in the two aspects described above? Would you take from or add anything else to this definition?

3. How does the doctrine of God’s judgment address the problem of human judgment in a time when our judgments are quicker, harsher and more unforgiving than ever (ie cancel culture, social media)?

4. Psalm 99 tells us that justice is not only foundational to God’s rule over the world, it is also central to his heart. In verse 4 it says, “the mighty king loves justice”. This means that injustice not only breaks God’s law as judge, but his heart as well. Are there any areas of justice in our community, world that break your heart?

5. How does the picture of restorative justice in Psalms 96 + 98 give us a solid reason to hope for and work for justice in a world where it so often is incomplete or resisted? How would these Psalms be a source of hope for those suffering from injustice and oppression?

6. Read Romans 3:26. What is the significance for us that God is not only “just” but a “justifier,” and not only a “justifier,” but “just?” How does this give us humility in talking about or working for justice? How does it give us boldness to act/speak even though we are guilty ourselves?

7. What are some actions we can take today as Christians to present true justice and true Jesus to the world around us? Do these actions always have to be grandiose, or can they be small?

8. What sticks out to you the most as you consider the 3 aspects of Micah 6:8? Which is most challenging?

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Don't Abandon the Justice of Our God (Feb 21, 2021)

Isaiah 58:1-12

Introduction: Here is the premise of our series this Lent: there is no true justice without Jesus, and there is no true Jesus without justice. Many today are calling for justice without Jesus. Many are ignoring the call for justice in the name of Jesus. Scripture teaches that both these approaches are incomplete. Those who seek justice without Jesus and those who seek to follow Jesus without listening to what He says about justice will not find what they are seeking. To begin our series – we will look at very convicting and very important text on justice in the bible – Isaiah 58. It’s a serious warning to all those who claim faith in the God of the Bible - Don’t Neglect the Justice of God. Speaking through his prophet, God is doing three things in this text:

1. Calling Out Imposters
In this passage, God tells the prophet Isaiah to call out all spiritual imposters. In vv. 1-3, it is made plain that Isaiah is told by God to “shout” at very religious people. People who are very serious about their devotional life (they fast – how many people do that!). People who are the comfortable and advantaged in society (they are the employers, not the workers). They are called out for having an empty shell of religion. How do we know it’s empty? Isaiah tells us. They are oppressing their workers, ignoring the afflicted in their community and not sharing what they have with the poor and needy. This reveals that all their goodness and religious devotion is not really for God – it’s all for themselves (v3). It’s all an act to get God to give them the life they want, not true worship that seeks to offer God the life He wants – ie a life that does not abandon his justice.  

• Isaiah makes clear that any faith in the God of the Bible that abandons His justice in these ways is an imposter faith. Though we might not want to hear this, if we seek to be faithful to the God of the Bible, we must hear it – even if it calls us out. If we claim to have a relationship with God but abandon the poor and oppressed, this text is saying that we need to examine whether, in fact, we have a relationship with Him.

2. Calling For Justice

So what exactly is the justice that is the fruit of a real relationship in God? In verses 6-7, we have a powerful 3-fold description of the justice God is calling for.

1. We must first see injustice – We must learn to see it for what it is.  People who are comfortable and believe they have earned their good life tend to overlook the plight of the poor/oppressed. They think, “I earned what I have by my own hard work. Other people need to take care of themselves”. But here God describes people who are hungry, the poor and the naked, those oppressed, trapped in injustice with chains as “your own flesh and blood”. In the ancient world, the idea of the equal dignity and human rights of all people was not a concept. It was your own kin/family were what you cared for. Isaiah is saying, “Would you neglect the needs of your own kin?” That would be unheard of and shameful in the ancient world! God calls us to see all people as our own flesh and blood; to see their needs as the needs of our very own family. This is the baseline for justice in the bible - the equal dignity, value, and rights of all people to care and provision.

2. We must show special care for oppressed groups – This passage shows us that biblical justice must go beyond simply showing equal concern for all people, because some people are weighed down by yokes that others do not carry. Isaiah here calls us to break the chains of wickedness, tear off every yoke, untie the ropes that bind people. This is a call to address both individual structural/systemic causes of injustice.
   
   Think about it like this - to clothe or feed someone without tearing off their yoke (giving individual relief apart from addressing the structure/larger system), is a form of justice but it is not enough. In the Old Testament, special care was demanded for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger/foreigner. These are groups for whom God shows special concern (see Deut. 10:18 for one example of many).
   
   It is important that we see why should these groups get special concern. It is because the systems and structures of the ancient world provided them with no security or help if they found themselves in need (wealth passed from fathers to son, women had security only through marriage, foreigners normally ad no access to rights of the judicial system). God’s call for justice goes beyond equality to include a special concern for groups who the systems of a culture overlook or oppress (intentionally or unintentionally).

3. We must share in the cost of justice - Why would working for justice be called a “fast? Fasting is willingly forgoing something, choosing discomfort. Fasting is choosing to feel the cost of greater obedience and devotion. When we fast, we give up something good (ie, food) in order to get something better (God). Verse 7 applies this to justice – we are called to share what we have with those in need. The sharing described is more than just “writing a check”. Isaiah says invite the poor into your home! The justice God calls for comes when his people share what they have with the needy in costly and uncomfortable ways

3. Calling to Repentance

This passage not only calls us out and calls for Godly justice, it calls us to repentance – a change in mindset and life. This is where it might be easy to misunderstand what the prophet is saying. He is not saying, “Do the justice God calls for and then He will allow you to get near to Him/to be in relationship with Him”. He is saying, “If you really get near to God, are really in relationship with Him, you will do the justice He calls for – even when it costs you”.

How does this work? No amount of guilt or  cultural pressure to do justice will move us to do the kind of justice God calls for. What can move us to do justice like this? It’s knowing that what God is calling for here, he has already done for us. The call for justice alone is not enough to make us just. We need to know grace. A true experience of God’s grace is what makes us just. When we understand grace, we see ourselves in the poor and oppressed. When we understand the gospel, we see Jesus in the poor and oppressed (see Matthew 25:31-46). How?

In order to rescue us from the consequences and effects of abandoning His justice: Jesus came to us. The one who was equal with God became equal with us, he took on our flesh and blood; He saw past our sin and mess to our created dignity and worth. He came to break the yoke, chains, and ropes of sin, selfishness and evil that oppress us. He became a victim of injustice, a poor peasant, rejected by the religious structure and wronged by the judicial system; He was beaten, killed and chained, carrying the yoke of the cross. Why?

To bear the full cost of justice in the place of those who don’t meet the standard – even imposters.

REFLECT OR DISCUSS

1. What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?

2. In our current cultural moment: many of us put our defenses up when the topic of justice comes up (oftentimes because of how justice can be attached to ideologies not founded in God’s Word or character). Others put all their defenses down when the topic of justice comes up, and affirm everything (because of how important justice is to the character of God in Scripture). Which do you tend toward? Why?

3. Based on this passage (and others you may be aware of) – why is abandoning justice a sign of imposter faith? How does this challenge you personally?

4. Of the three aspects listed above of the justice God calls for – which is most important for you to take to heart right now? Why?

5. Our current cultural calls to justice avoid personally sharing the cost of helping the poor and afflicted. Progressives look to the government to solve the problems; conservatives generally look to the poor themselves to solve their own problems. God calls his people to share in he cost of working for justice.  John Calvin powerfully describes this in his commentary on this passage: “It is indeed thine, but on this condition, that thou share it with the hungry and thirsty, not that thou eat it thyself alone.” And indeed this is the dictate of common sense, that the hungry are deprived of their just right, if their hunger is not relieved.”

6. How does grace – not guilt – lead us to repentance and a life of justice?

7. Read Isaiah 58:9-12. Here God describes what could be for those who heed his call for justice. What most excites you about what Isaiah describes here? What is a first step you can take toward this?

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Love Is Never Ending (Feb 14, 2021)

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13

Introduction: In many ways we have started this year as confused, divided, and unsettled as we ended last year. As we look to the future as a church, people, and country, we must embrace the language of love. We might think we live in a peculiar time of division and despair, but in 1 Corinthians, Paul encouraged a church in a similar situation. Like us, the Corinthians were not only divided by whom they followed, but about what values they emphasized. What we can learn from Paul is that it is easy to lose sight of what can guide us through our differences. We might have good intentions or correct theology, but when we don’t have love, we miss out on everything that God intends for us. In this passage, Paul makes his final case for love as what should be pursued before all other things.

Paul’s Loving Rebuke
Love is in the air around this time of year. Whether it is the sappy appeal of Valentine’s Day advertising, the cheesy  movie recommendations on Netflix, or the reminder to revisit those New Year’s resolutions we made to our families,  we can all feel it. Because we often associate love with romance, it seems much more light and abstract. However, the  Bible speaks of love more concretely. We must not forget that when Paul is writing to the Corinthians about love, he  begins in the form of a sharp rebuke. Far from fuzzy feelings or mushy sentimentality, Paul is calling out the  Corinthians for their inability to choose love in their divided context. As the text makes clear, they have failed to love  both actively and passively, in what they have done and what they have left undone.  

Lest we be too overwhelmed, we must not forget how Paul follows his rebuke. Paul writes in a way that moves from the  challenge of love to the concept of love. He writes more descriptively in verses 3-6, but in verse 7 he writes that love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Notice that his superlative style here is weightier than a list of attributes. Paul then moves from the concept of love to the duration of love. In verse 8 he begins  with “love never ends” and follows with a discussion about completeness and maturity. As we close this series, we are  reminded that the biblical concept of love is much more than mere romance, a list of commands, or even a collection of  virtues. Love is something eternal. This world might weigh us down, but love will always lift us up. By this we are  empowered to join in the work of love.  

1. Love is Hard Work

When Paul writes that “love never ends,” he is using a unique form of the word never that only appears here in all of his writing. The term denotes a strong negative form that takes on a temporal extension: “not even at any time.” The significance for us is that aligning ourselves with love will not come easy. Love is hard work! In our experience, love is something that will feel as if it is too much to bear especially at times when we feel we have nothing left to give. Consider your present circumstances. Perhaps you are weighed down by life, family, or work in the midst of the pandemic. You might feel the desire to love others more, but not the energy to carry it out. Love demands of us not only action but an underlying and continuous attitude. It is tempting to think that it just isn’t worth the effort, but like many hard things in life, the difficulty lies in that we desire to overcome our aversions in order to mature. Paul is aware of this desire in the Corinthians despite their inability to act in love toward one another. Instead of directing their attention to the hard work of love, they directed their attention to other works that were only partial or limited in comparison.

2. Love is Holy Work

A. Love is the most holy work we can do for another person – Don’t miss the direction of Paul’s argument in  verses 8-10. Love is where the very energy, eternal power and life of God is found. The Corinthian church was  most excited about tongues, prophecies, or great knowledge. They thought these things were the difference  makers. We find ourselves in a similar predicament. We too easily set aside the work of love in favor of other things that seem more effective and exciting to us. The climate we find ourselves in does not make it any easier.  We are drawn to politics, power, education, money, and influence as a means to satisfy our longing for  significance and impact. Paul confronts us head-on by telling us that the most holy and lasting work we can do  is the work of love. The work of love we do for others will last forever.  

B. Love is the most holy work God does in us – We can be tempted to think that a mature faith is one where love  sits in the background while center stage belongs to flashier things like theological knowledge, eloquent  prayer, and externally religious works of ministry. Paul argues that this is how spiritual children think. He  challenges the Corinthians to stop acting like children and grow up into adulthood (13:11). The flashy things  are partial (and even necessarily signs of saving faith), they come to an end, but love never ends. The holy work  that God does in us may seem insignificant (listening, changing diapers, doing acts of service), but it is the  work of God moving us toward true spiritual maturity – growing up into a person who loves.  

3. Love is Heavenly Work 

We ought not be too hard on ourselves because many of our spiritual desires, even those apart from love, are not entirely devoid of meaning or intention. Paul is pointing out that they are a partial reflection of God, just not the complete reflection. Historically, Corinth was known for the production of mirrors constructed from metal, particularly bronze. In these mirrors, you could see your reflection, but only a partial reflection. Paul touches on this in verse 12: “now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face,” but then connects it with what it means to “know fully.” The Corinthians were pursuing what was dim or partial as if it was complete or full. Paul then makes one of his most radical points. Faith and hope have some form in eternity, but they are not intrinsic to God compared to love. Love is the greatest. This makes more sense if we turn briefly to a fundamental Christian doctrine. If God is a Trinity, then we can understand love as ontologically essential to his nature in a communal way. In this way, love is a complete reflection of our glorious God, and our work of love is fundamentally an outworking of a heavenly work.

4. Love is Our Highest Priority Work 

As we conclude our series on love, we would do well to summarize how Paul began and ended his instruction on love. Consider the connection between 12:31 “I will show you the most excellent way,” and 14:1 “Pursue love.” The word pursue in this context is aggressive, like a hunter pursuing its prey. In the same way, if you claim to be a Christian, you are called right now to make love your highest priority. This will not be easy, but it will be rewarding. Life will demand of us different tasks in different seasons, but love should always be at the forefront. We are instructed in this way because God’s love for us in Christ is more that we could ever need or want. If you ever feel inadequate, you are not alone. Think about God’s love for you and allow it to fill your heart with purpose, your minds with focus, and your hands with work.

REFLECT OR DISCUSS

1. How have you felt challenged or convicted about this series on love? Do you feel as if you have learned  something new about Paul’s loving rebuke in 1 Corinthians 13? 

2. What are some ways that contemporary culture portrays the concept of love that are appealing to you? What  are some of the ways in which you feel it is incomplete? 

3. If you were to be honest, does the challenge of love discourage you or motivate you? Are you able to identify  what it is that makes you feel the way you do?

4. Read verse 7 again. Which aspect of the commitment required of love is hardest for you (bearing, believing,  hoping or enduring)? How so? How can we keep committed to the hard work of love when we feel our “love  tank” is empty?  

5. Paul contrasts childish things to mature things in verse 11. He says the slow, hard work of love is the way of  true maturity not the dramatic and impressive things (ie things a child is drawn to). How might this help you  reframe how we think about the work God is doing in you right now?

6. How does knowing that our highest goal and destiny is to be face to face with a loving God in eternity compel  us to do the hard work of love now? In other words - What impact does it make to you to know God knows you  fully and loves you fully – enough to bear any cost to bring you face with his love? 

7. What are some practical ways that you can make love our highest priority in your life? Does this only relate to our relationship with others??

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