Page 7 - Called to Be Just template

Sometimes the world seems so dark that you may wonder where God’s just ice is. If
Read the following scriptures as a crew. Have the students highlight the verses in
you’ve ever experienced the sudden illness of a relative or see the millions of people
their bibles and then pick words that caught their attention. They will be viewing suffering in the world, this is one of the first questions you’ll ask: “Where is God? Why
them in the holy as well. doesn’t he do anything?” Sometimes it seems like God is not even listening to us hu-
mans when things are getting bad.

Is God ignoring us? NO! He is simply respecting the choice humanity made. A long time
Isaiah 42:3-4 ago at the fall humanity had a choice: Follow God and let Him determine what was
“In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discour- good and evil or to do it our way. We would choose between good and evil according
aged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put to our own opinion. God, being the ultimate gentleman, He would never over ride our
their hope” choice. What we did not realize when we chose to do things our way, was that we
were also responsible for the consequences of our choices.

Matthew 5:34-48 God never wanted anyone to be hungry, or lonely or poor. He wanted everyone to
have all their physical needs met along with their emotional needs. It hurts His heart so
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“ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed much to see one of us facing hardships and injustice. He could step in and “fix” things,
by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since but that would override the freedom He imparted on us when He gave us free will. He
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the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something can’t intervene directly, but that does not stop Him from helping. This is why He
to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger chooses to use those who follow the way of Christ.
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and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick
and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ We have been chosen by God to bring the hope and justice of God to the world. I don’t
37 mean that we have to all taking power from others, we tried that once, and we failed
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry
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and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we miserably. Rather than forcing people to change and be just, God wants us to think
smaller. To look after out neighbors, to keep an eye out for those who we can immedi-
see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe ately help. Those of us who are not hurting can help those who are, those who have
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you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ more than enough, should practice generosity and give to those who are lacking.
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“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least
of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’.” God wants a living Church, a church whose members not only gather to worship Him
once a week, but who go beyond the walls of the building and who look out for each
other. In a living church, there are no poor people, there is no loneliness, there is no
Isaiah 1:17 one who fights alone. In a living church, the love of God pours out unto each of its
members, because each member is not interested in self preservation, but in the
17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause health of the whole church.
of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
When God calls us to be just, He is calling us to be heaven on earth. To show the world
that the God who made everything cares more than they’ll now and if they invite Him
to speak into the issues of justice. How can we as humans expect to dole out justice, if
we ignore the words of the only being in the universe who is ultimately just?