What does "Is God unjust?" reveal about human perceptions of divine justice? Setting the Context Romans 9:14: “What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not!” • Paul raises the very objection he knows listeners are thinking: “If God chooses some and hardens others, doesn’t that make Him unfair?” • The blunt “Certainly not!” shuts the door on the charge, but the question itself is revealing. The Human Instinct Behind the Question • We instinctively measure justice by human standards of equality and reciprocity. • We assume God must operate by the same rules we would impose on any earthly judge. • Paul labels this thinking “speaking in a human way” (Romans 3:5–6). The phrase tips us off: the problem lies not with God’s character but with our viewpoint. God’s Justice Declared in Scripture • Deuteronomy 32:4: “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are just.” • Psalm 89:14: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.” • Job 40:8: “Would you discredit My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?” • Revelation 15:3: “Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations.” These verses form an unbreakable baseline: God’s justice is perfect, unassailable, and foundational to His rule. Misunderstandings Exposed by Paul’s Rhetorical Question 1. We confuse justice with strict uniformity. – Romans 9:15 quotes Exodus 33:19: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.” Mercy, by nature, is undeserved—so it does not violate justice when given selectively. 2. We overlook the Creator–creature distinction. – Isaiah 55:8–9: God’s thoughts and ways transcend ours. – Romans 9:20: “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?” 3. We assume we deserve positive treatment. – Romans 3:23: “All have sinned.” Justice would condemn every sinner; mercy rescues any sinner. 4. We suspect partiality where Scripture insists there is none. – Acts 10:34: “God does not show favoritism,” meaning He never acts on arbitrary or sinful bias. His choices serve His righteous purposes. Divine Justice vs. Human Fairness • Human fairness: equal slices of the pie. • Divine justice: every action perfectly consistent with God’s holiness, wisdom, and redemptive plan. • Romans 9:17 illustrates: God raised Pharaoh up “so that My name might be proclaimed.” Justice includes God’s right to display His glory in judgment as well as in mercy. Mercy and Sovereignty: Two Pillars • Mercy is never owed; sovereignty means God distributes it freely. • Romans 9:16: “It does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” • Yet sovereignty never negates responsibility (Romans 9:19–23). Clay cannot blame the Potter; vessels prepared for wrath bear real guilt. Takeaways for Today’s Believer • Questioning God’s justice exposes the limits of human perception, not a flaw in God. • The more we grasp our own sinfulness, the more we marvel that the question is not “Why does God choose some?” but “Why does He choose any?” • Worship flows from trusting the God whose justice and mercy met at the cross (Romans 3:25–26): He remained “just and the justifier” of the one who has faith in Jesus. |
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