WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.299 It is true that God is a God of love, but if 00:00:05.299 --> 00:00:08.099 there is any distinction of importance in the 00:00:08.099 --> 00:00:13.460 attributes of God, his holiness seems to have 00:00:13.460 --> 00:00:18.019 first place. Whenever God grants a vision of 00:00:18.019 --> 00:00:21.600 himself in the scriptures, the most prominent 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:25.620 of the divine attributes was always holiness. 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:31.109 Job, for example. God appeared to Job at the 00:00:31.109 --> 00:00:35.030 closing of the drama about his life. In the final 00:00:35.030 --> 00:00:38.649 words of Job, which are recorded for us, say 00:00:38.649 --> 00:00:44.670 this, my ears had heard of you, but now my eyes 00:00:44.670 --> 00:00:51.130 have seen you. Therefore, I despise myself and 00:00:51.130 --> 00:01:01.589 repent in dust and ashes. God's holiness. Job's 00:01:01.589 --> 00:01:07.549 lowliness. Moses was shepherding his sheep on 00:01:07.549 --> 00:01:10.209 the side of the mountain when he came across 00:01:10.209 --> 00:01:12.909 a tree that was on fire but was not consumed. 00:01:13.890 --> 00:01:16.670 As he approached the tree to see what was going 00:01:16.670 --> 00:01:19.209 on, the angel of the Lord spoke to him out of 00:01:19.209 --> 00:01:23.170 the fire. And the angel said to Moses, take off 00:01:23.170 --> 00:01:25.709 your sandals for the place where you are standing 00:01:25.709 --> 00:01:32.510 is holy ground. Holy grounds. I am the God of 00:01:32.510 --> 00:01:35.069 your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, 00:01:35.409 --> 00:01:38.189 and the God of Jacob, and at that Moses hid his 00:01:38.189 --> 00:01:45.810 face because he was afraid to look at God. In 00:01:45.810 --> 00:01:48.609 the year the king Uzziah died, Isaiah had a vision 00:01:48.609 --> 00:01:53.870 of God, and God's glory filled the temple, and 00:01:53.870 --> 00:01:56.609 he heard the heavenly creatures crying out, holy, 00:01:56.709 --> 00:02:01.180 holy, holy. is the Lord God Almighty. The whole 00:02:01.180 --> 00:02:05.920 earth is full of his glory. And the response 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:09.939 of this prophet who was the best man in his nation 00:02:09.939 --> 00:02:16.460 was, woe is me. Prophets normally pronounced 00:02:16.460 --> 00:02:19.800 woe upon those who were being judged by God, 00:02:20.419 --> 00:02:23.180 but here Isaiah, in the presence of God's holiness, 00:02:23.659 --> 00:02:28.139 pronounces judgment on himself. Woe is me. He 00:02:28.139 --> 00:02:33.500 said, I am ruined. So great was this impression 00:02:33.500 --> 00:02:36.699 of the holiness of God upon Isaiah that as he 00:02:36.699 --> 00:02:39.879 wrote his book, he speaks of God more than 30 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:46.919 times as the Holy One, the Holy One. It is God's 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:49.560 holiness that he wants you and me to remember. 00:02:50.659 --> 00:02:54.319 And we are desperately in need of that reminder 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:59.199 because of the awfulness of sin. and because 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:02.819 of the casualness with which we too often engage 00:03:02.819 --> 00:03:08.020 in it. God says to his people, you shall be holy, 00:03:08.539 --> 00:03:13.020 for I am holy. Open your Bible with me please 00:03:13.020 --> 00:03:17.479 to Nehemiah chapter five, where we see Nehemiah 00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:22.560 living on the edge, living on the edge here with 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:29.719 injustice. You see, God is holy. His holiness 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:36.500 requires that he is therefore also just. He is 00:03:36.500 --> 00:03:41.780 just. God's justice is the working out of his 00:03:41.780 --> 00:03:47.180 holiness with respect to humanity and to history. 00:03:48.979 --> 00:03:52.620 The Bible says there is no injustice with God 00:03:52.620 --> 00:03:58.659 because God is just. Thankfully, God is a God 00:03:58.659 --> 00:04:02.659 who forgives sinners who turn to Him in repentance. 00:04:04.139 --> 00:04:07.740 But He is also a God who will punish the guilty, 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:11.719 who refuse Him and fail to heed His warnings. 00:04:13.099 --> 00:04:17.860 God calls upon us as His people to treat others 00:04:17.860 --> 00:04:23.019 justly and to work for justice in our world. 00:04:24.370 --> 00:04:27.829 We see an example of that in this chapter of 00:04:27.829 --> 00:04:31.310 Nehemiah, where in the midst of the building 00:04:31.310 --> 00:04:35.509 of the walls of the city of Jerusalem, it says, 00:04:35.810 --> 00:04:39.449 now the men and their wives raised a great outcry 00:04:39.449 --> 00:04:43.769 against their Jewish brothers. Some were saying, 00:04:44.250 --> 00:04:47.550 we and our sons and daughters are numerous. In 00:04:47.550 --> 00:04:50.449 order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get 00:04:50.449 --> 00:04:53.420 grain. Others were saying, we are mortgaging 00:04:53.420 --> 00:04:57.079 our fields, our vineyards, our homes, to get 00:04:57.079 --> 00:05:01.160 grain during the famine. Still others were saying, 00:05:02.300 --> 00:05:05.000 we've had to borrow money to pay the king's tax 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:08.040 on our fields and vineyards. Although we are 00:05:08.040 --> 00:05:10.899 of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen, 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:14.459 and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet 00:05:14.459 --> 00:05:17.259 we've had to subject our sons and daughters to 00:05:17.259 --> 00:05:20.730 slavery. Some of our daughters have already been 00:05:20.730 --> 00:05:25.949 enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields 00:05:25.949 --> 00:05:30.889 and our vineyards belong to others. In those 00:05:30.889 --> 00:05:36.170 three words, we are powerless. There is the cry 00:05:36.170 --> 00:05:43.350 of those who suffer with injustice. They are 00:05:43.350 --> 00:05:47.550 left powerless, unable to respond to the oppression 00:05:47.980 --> 00:05:51.759 that is upon them. Say with me those three words, 00:05:51.980 --> 00:05:57.079 we are powerless. That's the result of injustice. 00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:00.339 Can you feel this morning the emotion of these 00:06:00.339 --> 00:06:05.920 people who in the midst of famine were having 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:08.600 to sell their own children into slavery to get 00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:13.560 money to pay the king's tax, the king of Persia 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:18.579 here. and they were having to sell their estates 00:06:18.579 --> 00:06:23.360 in order to buy food to eat. They were being 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:27.379 charged usury, not by the Persians, but by their 00:06:27.379 --> 00:06:32.680 own Jewish brothers. And they cried out to Nehemiah, 00:06:32.759 --> 00:06:34.759 the governor, and they said, we are powerless. 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:38.939 When I heard their outcry and these charges, 00:06:39.079 --> 00:06:46.019 Nehemiah says, I was very angry. I pondered them 00:06:46.019 --> 00:06:49.839 in my heart and then accused the nobles and officials. 00:06:50.259 --> 00:06:54.399 I told them, you are exacting usury from your 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:58.120 own countrymen. So I called together a large 00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:01.199 meeting to deal with them and said, as far as 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.740 possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers 00:07:04.740 --> 00:07:08.860 who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling 00:07:08.860 --> 00:07:12.480 your brothers, only for them to be sold back 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:15.899 to us. And they kept quiet because they could 00:07:15.899 --> 00:07:21.060 find nothing to say. Nehemiah gives you and me 00:07:21.060 --> 00:07:23.480 an example this morning as to how God, who is 00:07:23.480 --> 00:07:27.579 just, wants us to react to injustice. I remind 00:07:27.579 --> 00:07:30.660 you of what Micah the prophet said about the 00:07:30.660 --> 00:07:33.939 same time in Israel's history. He has showed 00:07:33.939 --> 00:07:37.699 you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord 00:07:37.699 --> 00:07:43.699 require of you? To act justly. and to love mercy 00:07:43.699 --> 00:07:49.839 and to walk humbly with your God." When we use 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:53.819 the word justice, we all have certain things 00:07:53.819 --> 00:07:57.579 that come to mind. What does the Bible mean by 00:07:57.579 --> 00:08:00.939 the word justice? Well, read these words from 00:08:00.939 --> 00:08:07.120 the Nelson Bible Dictionary. It defines justice 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:10.800 as the practice of what is right and just. Justice 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:15.930 or judgment? specifies what is right, not only 00:08:15.930 --> 00:08:19.670 as measured by a code of law, but also by what 00:08:19.670 --> 00:08:23.709 makes for right relationships, as well as harmony 00:08:23.709 --> 00:08:27.129 and peace. The English term justice has a strong 00:08:27.129 --> 00:08:29.990 legal flavor, but the concept of justice in the 00:08:29.990 --> 00:08:33.690 Bible goes beyond the law courts to everyday 00:08:33.690 --> 00:08:38.950 life. The Bible speaks of doing justice, whereas 00:08:38.950 --> 00:08:42.960 we speak of getting justice. Now notice this 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:47.659 next sentence. Doing justice is to maintain what 00:08:47.659 --> 00:08:53.820 is right or to set things right. Justice is done 00:08:53.820 --> 00:08:56.659 when honorable relations are maintained between 00:08:56.659 --> 00:09:00.080 husbands and wives, parents and children, employers 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:03.899 and employees, government and citizens, and man 00:09:03.899 --> 00:09:09.299 and God. Justice refers to brotherliness in spirit 00:09:09.299 --> 00:09:12.789 and action. You see, when you and I think of 00:09:12.789 --> 00:09:16.330 justice, we think of courts. We think of police 00:09:16.330 --> 00:09:21.309 action. We think of the law. But the Jewish mindset 00:09:21.309 --> 00:09:24.570 was broader than that. Justice was having right 00:09:24.570 --> 00:09:29.750 relations with all of those in your circle. Between 00:09:29.750 --> 00:09:33.690 husbands and wives, parents and children, employees 00:09:33.690 --> 00:09:37.950 and employers, masters and slaves, citizens and 00:09:37.950 --> 00:09:48.120 government. What then is injustice? Injustice 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:52.720 is the outworking of sin in human relationships. 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:57.600 Now, if justice is the outworking of God's holiness 00:09:57.600 --> 00:10:01.799 in humanity, injustice is just the opposite. 00:10:02.220 --> 00:10:06.600 It is the outworking of sin in human relationships. 00:10:07.740 --> 00:10:11.370 In the context of Nehemiah chapter five, The 00:10:11.370 --> 00:10:14.929 complaints of injustice erupt as this work of 00:10:14.929 --> 00:10:18.669 the wall is in progress. The timing from Nehemiah's 00:10:18.669 --> 00:10:20.870 perspective could not have been worse, but often 00:10:20.870 --> 00:10:25.129 that's the way things work. The existing issues 00:10:25.129 --> 00:10:28.870 that were under the surface erupted with a supernatural 00:10:28.870 --> 00:10:32.649 energy. and with malignant management. What I'm 00:10:32.649 --> 00:10:35.350 saying by that is that the devil was the one 00:10:35.350 --> 00:10:37.629 who was behind this injustice, and he caused 00:10:37.629 --> 00:10:42.169 it to erupt at a vulnerable moment for Nehemiah. 00:10:43.350 --> 00:10:46.110 What were the issues that confronted Nehemiah? 00:10:46.710 --> 00:10:48.529 What did he learn about? Well, he learned that 00:10:48.529 --> 00:10:52.409 the poor were starving. They were being denied 00:10:52.409 --> 00:10:56.129 basic food, not by the occupying power of Persia, 00:10:56.429 --> 00:11:02.000 but by their own wealthy countrymen. There were 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:04.820 landowners who were being forced to mortgage 00:11:04.820 --> 00:11:08.000 their properties in order to buy food, mortgage 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:11.639 the properties to a wealthy few. The rich were 00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:16.720 getting richer. Then there were others who were 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:19.860 forced to borrow money at exorbitant rates of 00:11:19.860 --> 00:11:23.740 usury and even to sell their own children into 00:11:23.740 --> 00:11:29.220 slavery just in order to live. The injustice 00:11:29.220 --> 00:11:32.460 that is pointed to in chapter five is economic 00:11:32.460 --> 00:11:36.799 injustice. And that of course is with us always. 00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:41.480 In whatever system of economics you live, there 00:11:41.480 --> 00:11:47.320 are always injustices. But injustice is not only 00:11:47.320 --> 00:11:51.100 economic. Injustice can occur on any level of 00:11:51.100 --> 00:11:55.419 human interaction. It can be a matter of criminal 00:11:55.419 --> 00:12:01.730 law. or the enforcement of punishment. There 00:12:01.730 --> 00:12:06.049 are aspects of both the law and the punishment 00:12:06.049 --> 00:12:09.370 that is meted out from the law that can be unjust. 00:12:11.470 --> 00:12:14.049 Even our system, which I think is the best system 00:12:14.049 --> 00:12:17.529 in the world, has injustices to it. And we see 00:12:17.529 --> 00:12:22.980 it, we read about it every day. There's injustice 00:12:22.980 --> 00:12:25.980 that occurs because of the delivery of basic 00:12:25.980 --> 00:12:31.700 human needs to those who lack them. You think 00:12:31.700 --> 00:12:36.039 of the amount of money that has been given to 00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:41.419 eradicate poverty in our nation. Since that became 00:12:41.419 --> 00:12:44.120 a major focus of our government back in the Johnson 00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:46.340 administration Which is before many of you were 00:12:46.340 --> 00:12:49.399 born you think of the billions and billions and 00:12:49.399 --> 00:12:51.320 billions of dollars that have been poured into 00:12:51.320 --> 00:12:54.559 that and We still have poor with us today and 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:58.139 probably more than then What's happened to that 00:12:58.139 --> 00:13:02.080 money? It has been unjustly used in many cases 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:09.049 for other purposes We have given a lot of money 00:13:09.049 --> 00:13:11.149 to help nations of the world, but what happens 00:13:11.149 --> 00:13:16.090 all too often? Unjust governments scam that money 00:13:16.090 --> 00:13:18.429 and it never gets to the people that it was intended 00:13:18.429 --> 00:13:25.230 to help. Injustice. Then there is injustice in 00:13:25.230 --> 00:13:29.490 the wielding of political power. There's injustice 00:13:29.490 --> 00:13:31.769 that comes because of the treatment of enemies 00:13:31.769 --> 00:13:36.169 or of prisoners. Injustice can be based upon 00:13:36.169 --> 00:13:39.720 social class. It can be based upon the color 00:13:39.720 --> 00:13:43.480 of one's skin. It can be based upon religious 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:48.879 beliefs. It can be based upon gender. Martin 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:52.220 Luther King said, injustice anywhere is a threat 00:13:52.220 --> 00:13:57.399 to justice everywhere. And we have to acknowledge 00:13:57.399 --> 00:14:00.200 that our world is filled with injustice. Now 00:14:00.200 --> 00:14:04.460 there's a problem here. And that problem is defining 00:14:04.460 --> 00:14:08.379 in a society like ours, what injustice really 00:14:08.379 --> 00:14:13.299 is. Because you see, you and I live in a day 00:14:13.299 --> 00:14:17.340 when injustice or discrimination is claimed by 00:14:17.340 --> 00:14:23.600 many people, competing groups even. Often injustice 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.659 is based upon politically correct ideas about 00:14:26.659 --> 00:14:31.500 tolerance. And so accusations fly back and forth. 00:14:31.580 --> 00:14:35.879 What is it that determines injustice anyway? 00:14:37.129 --> 00:14:39.629 Well, I want to say first of all that injustice 00:14:39.629 --> 00:14:42.549 cannot be determined solely by human beings. 00:14:44.149 --> 00:14:47.389 Because whoever we are, however well -intentioned 00:14:47.389 --> 00:14:50.850 we may be, we have biases that are built into 00:14:50.850 --> 00:14:57.110 our lives. We have biases. Now we can make attempts 00:14:57.110 --> 00:15:01.830 to define justice and injustice in human relationships, 00:15:02.370 --> 00:15:11.360 but inevitably we're going to fail. because we 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:14.000 are humans and we ourselves are contaminated 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:19.120 by sin. And we see relationships with others 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:21.559 or relationships between the government and groups 00:15:21.559 --> 00:15:24.279 in our country. We see all of that through glasses 00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:28.740 that are tinted by our own personal bias. There 00:15:28.740 --> 00:15:32.580 is no human being that can ultimately define 00:15:32.580 --> 00:15:36.580 what justice or injustice might be. I want to 00:15:36.580 --> 00:15:41.049 say to you that what determines injustice is 00:15:41.049 --> 00:15:47.970 God. Injustice can only truly be determined by 00:15:47.970 --> 00:15:52.769 a transcendent, unchanging standard, and that 00:15:52.769 --> 00:15:59.690 standard is God's holiness. It is God who defines 00:15:59.690 --> 00:16:06.210 for us what is just and what is unjust. He defines 00:16:06.210 --> 00:16:10.360 it for us because God is holy. and he is just. 00:16:11.700 --> 00:16:14.580 God tells us that he has a particular concern 00:16:14.580 --> 00:16:23.419 for the poor, for widows, for orphans, for the 00:16:23.419 --> 00:16:28.460 strangers in the land, for immigrants, for those 00:16:28.460 --> 00:16:33.409 who cannot defend themselves. He tells us that 00:16:33.409 --> 00:16:35.590 he has a particular concern for those who are 00:16:35.590 --> 00:16:39.210 taken advantage of by corrupt systems of government 00:16:39.210 --> 00:16:44.450 and politics. God has special concern for those 00:16:44.450 --> 00:16:53.049 who suffer injustice in their innocence. Injustice 00:16:53.049 --> 00:17:01.049 is of a special concern to a holy God. We need 00:17:02.620 --> 00:17:05.299 as evangelicals to do a better job of living 00:17:05.299 --> 00:17:11.660 on the edge with injustice. That's because our 00:17:11.660 --> 00:17:14.099 God, the God that we know and love and serve, 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:19.599 is one day going to judge injustice. You say, 00:17:19.700 --> 00:17:22.099 well pastor, if we need to do a better job of 00:17:22.099 --> 00:17:24.519 living on the edge with it, what does that mean? 00:17:24.940 --> 00:17:29.839 That's what I wanna talk about as I close. We 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:34.000 can follow Nehemiah's example. It means, first 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:40.000 of all, seeing the problem. Seeing the problem. 00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:47.480 That's not as easy as it may seem at first. We 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:51.519 think we see injustice, but again, our own bias, 00:17:51.759 --> 00:18:02.740 our own thoughts can blind us to injustice. apparently 00:18:02.740 --> 00:18:06.480 did not see the issues that were brought to him 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:10.900 later as they got into the work. Or maybe he 00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:12.700 saw them and intended to deal with them later, 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:15.200 but the fact is, in the middle of the project, 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:20.140 these things erupted, and he saw them. And that's 00:18:20.140 --> 00:18:23.819 where you and I have to begin. I think we need 00:18:23.819 --> 00:18:27.140 to ask God to open our eyes to see the injustices 00:18:27.140 --> 00:18:33.940 in our world. Secondly, it means taking some 00:18:33.940 --> 00:18:38.559 definite steps to confront injustice. You see, 00:18:38.660 --> 00:18:41.079 you cannot live in complacency with injustice 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:46.299 and also serve a just and holy God. Those two 00:18:46.299 --> 00:18:52.180 things don't match. We cannot live complacently 00:18:52.180 --> 00:18:55.859 with injustice and say that we serve a just God. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:00.859 The Bible says that God is holy, God is love, 00:19:00.920 --> 00:19:05.640 God is light. It also says God is just. God is 00:19:05.640 --> 00:19:11.380 just. Righteousness and justice are the foundation 00:19:11.380 --> 00:19:16.440 of your throne, says the psalmist in Psalm 89. 00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:23.519 The Lord is righteous. He loves justice. Nehemiah 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:27.059 saw the problem and then Nehemiah took some definite 00:19:27.059 --> 00:19:33.650 steps to correct the injustice, verse nine. So 00:19:33.650 --> 00:19:35.609 he gave them this little speech, he introduced 00:19:35.609 --> 00:19:37.950 the problem, put them in their place, and he 00:19:37.950 --> 00:19:42.470 continued. What you are doing, he says, to these 00:19:42.470 --> 00:19:45.289 people who were acting unjustly toward their 00:19:45.289 --> 00:19:50.869 brothers, what you are doing is not right. Shouldn't 00:19:50.869 --> 00:19:55.970 you walk in the fear of our God? to avoid the 00:19:55.970 --> 00:20:00.450 reproach of our Gentile enemies? Nehemiah, first 00:20:00.450 --> 00:20:03.670 of all, reminds them of the fear of God. If you 00:20:03.670 --> 00:20:06.349 and I are going to deal with injustice, I believe 00:20:06.349 --> 00:20:10.329 we have to start there. Teach the fear of God. 00:20:12.509 --> 00:20:18.529 Our society has forgotten the fear of God. As 00:20:18.529 --> 00:20:20.650 was true of that pagan world that was described 00:20:20.650 --> 00:20:24.680 in Romans chapter one, It is true of our pagan 00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:27.960 world, our increasingly pagan culture, there 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:36.299 is no fear of God in their eyes. The fear of 00:20:36.299 --> 00:20:45.160 God is a healthy respect for who God is. In 2 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:49.599 Chronicles chapter 19, King Jehoshaphat appoints 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:53.569 a system of judges. to help him rule the land. 00:20:54.289 --> 00:20:57.869 And among other things that it says there in 00:20:57.869 --> 00:21:02.029 2 Chronicles 19 seven, and I want to turn and 00:21:02.029 --> 00:21:05.369 read it for you, it says that justice was his 00:21:05.369 --> 00:21:11.950 concern and it came from the fear of God. 2 Chronicles 00:21:11.950 --> 00:21:20.359 chapter 19 and verse seven. He told them, consider 00:21:20.359 --> 00:21:23.619 carefully what you do, he says this to the judges, 00:21:24.339 --> 00:21:28.400 because you are not judging for man, but for 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:32.619 the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a 00:21:32.619 --> 00:21:36.119 verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be upon 00:21:36.119 --> 00:21:42.940 you. You see, that king understood that judges 00:21:42.940 --> 00:21:46.059 will only judge properly when the fear of God 00:21:46.059 --> 00:21:53.160 is upon them. If it is the fear of breaking political 00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:55.039 correctness, there will be another decision. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:22:02.019 If there is a fear of some political group or 00:22:02.019 --> 00:22:04.980 some political party, there will be another decision 00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:09.599 given. But if those who deal with justice have 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.859 a fear for God that trumps every other fear, 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:16.700 we will come a lot closer to justice in the world. 00:22:17.609 --> 00:22:21.109 And when citizens of a nation have a fear for 00:22:21.109 --> 00:22:26.369 God, they will have a concern for justice, true 00:22:26.369 --> 00:22:32.529 justice. Nehemiah then in verses 10 through 13 00:22:32.529 --> 00:22:40.069 explains what he wants them to do. Nehemiah begins 00:22:40.069 --> 00:22:42.650 to work for justice. He not only tells them to 00:22:42.650 --> 00:22:45.450 fear God, but he lays out for them exactly what 00:22:45.450 --> 00:22:49.799 they need to do to correct the situation. You 00:22:49.799 --> 00:22:55.380 and I need to do a better job of seeing injustice 00:22:55.380 --> 00:23:01.339 and working against injustices in our society. 00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:05.380 Larry Pegerman and I had a long talk this week 00:23:05.380 --> 00:23:10.460 regarding VAC and its values, and this is one 00:23:10.460 --> 00:23:14.319 of the values of this organization. You see, 00:23:14.339 --> 00:23:16.680 we tend to do a very good job confronting and 00:23:16.680 --> 00:23:20.720 battling moral evil in our world. And we ought 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:25.759 to. Many of us are very concerned about what 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:28.539 he brought up this morning about teenagers who 00:23:28.539 --> 00:23:30.740 are able to get abortions without parental consent 00:23:30.740 --> 00:23:39.039 in California. That is unjust. Parents are responsible 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:43.210 for their children, not the government. And there 00:23:43.210 --> 00:23:46.589 is a Proposition 73 that is on the ballot a week 00:23:46.589 --> 00:23:50.049 from Tuesday that I hope you'll vote for. Because 00:23:50.049 --> 00:23:52.509 it requires that there be permission of parents. 00:23:53.750 --> 00:23:55.670 And there's an exception built into that that 00:23:55.670 --> 00:23:59.789 is fair. But it requires that parents be involved 00:23:59.789 --> 00:24:03.410 in that decision, that major medical decision 00:24:03.410 --> 00:24:09.670 for a young person. We need to work for justice. 00:24:12.129 --> 00:24:15.410 When we see racial injustice, we ought to be 00:24:15.410 --> 00:24:18.430 some of the first people on the line defending 00:24:18.430 --> 00:24:24.569 those who are saying, we are powerless. And sometimes 00:24:24.569 --> 00:24:26.890 I know we get fatigued with these kinds of things, 00:24:26.950 --> 00:24:29.029 but let me tell you, there is still a lot of 00:24:29.029 --> 00:24:32.269 racial injustice in our country. And whereas 00:24:32.269 --> 00:24:35.829 we may feel, and again, this is our own context, 00:24:36.029 --> 00:24:38.809 right? We may feel that we're not prejudiced. 00:24:40.650 --> 00:24:44.869 and that we're not acting unjustly toward minorities. 00:24:46.269 --> 00:24:52.289 The fact is that our whole system acts unjustly 00:24:52.289 --> 00:24:56.430 toward minorities in certain cases. And we, being 00:24:56.430 --> 00:25:00.470 part of the majority, don't see it. I was in 00:25:00.470 --> 00:25:02.950 a meeting a few weeks ago with some black pastors 00:25:02.950 --> 00:25:07.349 from the Bay Area regarding the hurricane. They 00:25:07.349 --> 00:25:09.710 had some things to say that made me sit in my 00:25:09.710 --> 00:25:13.750 chair and listen, because they are seeing these 00:25:13.750 --> 00:25:15.329 are the same people, these are people who love 00:25:15.329 --> 00:25:18.549 the same Jesus I love and preach the same gospel 00:25:18.549 --> 00:25:22.410 I preach, but they see our society in a different 00:25:22.410 --> 00:25:25.569 way than I see it as a white pastor in a suburb. 00:25:26.690 --> 00:25:31.769 I need to listen to what they're saying. They 00:25:31.769 --> 00:25:33.950 may not be right in everything, nor may I be 00:25:33.950 --> 00:25:37.000 right in everything. But I need to understand 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:39.740 their perspective. I need to see it. And where 00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:43.259 injustice is real, and it still is real in some 00:25:43.259 --> 00:25:46.400 cases, we need to be there to defend those who 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:51.400 are powerless against the system. And then in 00:25:51.400 --> 00:25:54.160 verses 14 through 19, Nehemiah sets the example. 00:25:54.940 --> 00:25:56.759 He points to the fact that he and his brothers 00:25:56.759 --> 00:26:00.039 have set an example themselves of justice. And 00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:01.980 you know folks, we can't go out and work for 00:26:01.980 --> 00:26:04.519 justice. unless we're willing also to set the 00:26:04.519 --> 00:26:06.819 example for in our own lives and interaction 00:26:06.819 --> 00:26:10.839 with others. We need to do a better job of living 00:26:10.839 --> 00:26:16.920 on the edge with injustice. That's because our 00:26:16.920 --> 00:26:21.059 God is going to judge injustice. The Lord is 00:26:21.059 --> 00:26:23.839 known by his justice. The wicked are ensnared 00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:27.420 by the works of their hands. In Acts chapter 00:26:27.420 --> 00:26:30.380 17 verse 31, the apostle Paul declared to the 00:26:30.380 --> 00:26:33.759 pagans in Athens, God has established a day in 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:38.420 which he will judge the world in righteousness 00:26:38.420 --> 00:26:43.859 or with justice by that man whom he has ordained 00:26:43.859 --> 00:26:46.980 and he has given proof of this in that he has 00:26:46.980 --> 00:26:50.559 raised him from the dead. And with that, they 00:26:50.559 --> 00:26:52.339 shut him off. They didn't want to hear anymore. 00:26:53.230 --> 00:26:56.509 People don't want to hear about God judging with 00:26:56.509 --> 00:27:00.769 justice. And the fact that that is guaranteed 00:27:00.769 --> 00:27:03.930 because of the resurrection of Jesus. But it's 00:27:03.930 --> 00:27:07.269 true. And because that is true, you and I now 00:27:07.269 --> 00:27:10.349 need to live on the edge, living against the 00:27:10.349 --> 00:27:13.549 injustices of our world. What difference does 00:27:13.549 --> 00:27:15.869 it make anyway that God is just? Let me just 00:27:15.869 --> 00:27:18.190 give you three quick answers. Number one, it 00:27:18.190 --> 00:27:22.539 provides order for human civilization. Just imagine, 00:27:22.579 --> 00:27:28.380 if you dare for a moment, our world without justice, 00:27:28.980 --> 00:27:31.200 at least some justice, without there being God's 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:35.160 order of justice in there. If there were no justice 00:27:35.160 --> 00:27:37.799 in the mix, believe me, this world would not 00:27:37.799 --> 00:27:40.019 be a place you would want to live in. It would 00:27:40.019 --> 00:27:46.500 be hell. It would be hell. Secondly, it guarantees 00:27:46.500 --> 00:27:49.140 that the wrongs of this world will someday be 00:27:49.140 --> 00:27:53.170 exposed and judged. Sometimes it does seem, does 00:27:53.170 --> 00:27:55.710 it not, that evildoers get away with their deeds, 00:27:55.730 --> 00:27:59.049 but that is not so. They may escape the court, 00:27:59.130 --> 00:28:00.849 or they may escape the punishment of the law, 00:28:00.869 --> 00:28:04.109 but they will not escape God. All will give an 00:28:04.109 --> 00:28:07.109 account to him. And as he himself says, they 00:28:07.109 --> 00:28:09.569 will be judged according to the works of their 00:28:09.569 --> 00:28:14.609 lives. Ultimately, there is justice in this universe, 00:28:14.869 --> 00:28:19.049 and it is God who will exact it. But there's 00:28:19.049 --> 00:28:20.890 a third reason that you and I can be grateful 00:28:20.890 --> 00:28:25.869 for justice, and that is that it assures that 00:28:25.869 --> 00:28:28.890 those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are 00:28:28.890 --> 00:28:31.970 saved eternally. You say, well, how does that 00:28:31.970 --> 00:28:37.329 work? Here's how it works. Christ Jesus bore 00:28:37.329 --> 00:28:41.190 the punishment for your sin and for mine. When 00:28:41.190 --> 00:28:44.150 he died on the cross and his blood was shed, 00:28:44.609 --> 00:28:51.640 it satisfied the justice of God. His death paid 00:28:51.640 --> 00:28:56.440 the price for all of the sins of our lives. It 00:28:56.440 --> 00:29:01.920 was justice being carried out upon Him as our 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:06.880 substitute. And now God forgives whoever will 00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:10.740 believe on Christ, removing guilt and any offense 00:29:10.740 --> 00:29:15.549 that is made against His holiness. God is a God 00:29:15.549 --> 00:29:17.710 of love and he is such a God of love that he 00:29:17.710 --> 00:29:20.490 forgives anyone who will come to Christ, anyone 00:29:20.490 --> 00:29:24.509 who will look to the cross. God removes the guilt 00:29:24.509 --> 00:29:27.210 of that sinner and any offense that sinner has 00:29:27.210 --> 00:29:30.509 made against his holiness, God delights in doing 00:29:30.509 --> 00:29:34.329 that. That brings me to the third statement, 00:29:34.369 --> 00:29:38.150 and that is that therefore, because Christ died 00:29:38.150 --> 00:29:41.029 for the sinner and paid the price and satisfied 00:29:41.029 --> 00:29:47.390 justice, It would be unjust of God to now punish 00:29:47.390 --> 00:29:54.170 you again for your sin. God's justice is satisfied 00:29:54.170 --> 00:29:58.509 in Christ. He is not going to punish Christ for 00:29:58.509 --> 00:30:07.329 your sin and then punish you for your sin. That 00:30:07.329 --> 00:30:11.599 would cross the justice of God. If we confess 00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:17.700 our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive 00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:24.680 us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 00:30:25.619 --> 00:30:27.539 Is that the attitude of your heart this morning, 00:30:27.720 --> 00:30:32.660 confessing your sin to God, bringing your iniquity 00:30:32.660 --> 00:30:35.859 to God, bringing your dirty laundry to God, and 00:30:35.859 --> 00:30:40.230 opening your heart to Him? God is just when he 00:30:40.230 --> 00:30:43.589 forgives you because Christ died for you. Have 00:30:43.589 --> 00:30:45.630 you received Christ as your Lord and Savior? 00:30:46.349 --> 00:30:49.670 If not, will you do it today? You see you're 00:30:49.670 --> 00:30:52.190 either on the forgiven side of God's justice 00:30:52.190 --> 00:30:55.529 or you're on the judgment side of God's justice. 00:30:56.750 --> 00:30:59.529 He who believes on the Son has eternal life, 00:30:59.829 --> 00:31:02.529 but he who rejects the Son does not have life, 00:31:02.690 --> 00:31:06.170 shall not see life, and the wrath of God remains 00:31:06.170 --> 00:31:11.420 on him. Every one of us is on one side or the 00:31:11.420 --> 00:31:15.680 other of God's justice. And it's the cross that 00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:19.500 is the dividing line. When we come to the cross, 00:31:20.180 --> 00:31:23.700 we escape the wrath that's fulfilled on Jesus, 00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:28.119 and we're forgiven. Thank God for his justice. 00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:35.019 And my friend, today is your opportunity to cross 00:31:35.019 --> 00:31:39.059 that line. and get on the other side of God's 00:31:39.059 --> 00:31:43.680 justice and experience His forgiveness. Let's 00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:48.180 pray together. Father, in the quietness of this 00:31:48.180 --> 00:31:50.220 moment, I pray that there may be someone who 00:31:50.220 --> 00:31:54.680 will understand and feel the conviction of the 00:31:54.680 --> 00:32:00.039 Holy Spirit, some teenager, some young adult, 00:32:00.599 --> 00:32:04.700 some senior perhaps, who would feel that sense 00:32:04.700 --> 00:32:07.920 of guilt before you. and the shame that comes 00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:13.539 with our sin. And be willing to repent and turn 00:32:13.539 --> 00:32:17.180 from that sin, that shame, that guilt, and go 00:32:17.180 --> 00:32:20.640 to the cross. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that your 00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:23.420 arms are stretched out to receive such a one. 00:32:24.519 --> 00:32:26.839 And they can know your forgiveness and get on 00:32:26.839 --> 00:32:30.940 to the forgiven side of justice. And I pray they 00:32:30.940 --> 00:32:36.130 will this moment. In the quietness of this moment, 00:32:36.250 --> 00:32:39.630 you can do that right where you're seated, inviting 00:32:39.630 --> 00:32:43.309 Jesus Christ to come into your life, to bring 00:32:43.309 --> 00:32:45.950 his salvation that he purchased for you at the 00:32:45.950 --> 00:32:52.069 cross. Will you invite him in? Will you trust 00:32:52.069 --> 00:32:56.130 him as the one who is satisfied with God's justice 00:32:56.130 --> 00:33:02.599 on your behalf? Father, thank you that when we 00:33:02.599 --> 00:33:04.619 have crossed that bridge, when we've come to 00:33:04.619 --> 00:33:08.019 that other side, we're forgiven. We can be assured 00:33:08.019 --> 00:33:11.440 that we're forgiven forever. And that justice 00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:16.400 is satisfied for eternity. By your grace, for 00:33:16.400 --> 00:33:16.779 our sake.