Leviticus 24:22 “You
shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own
country; for I am the Lord your God.”
Continuing Pastor Obie’s
message, he tells us that the two types of justice are (1) Primary Justice that
is protective and preventative, and (2) Secondary Justice which is restoring
back to what is “right”. Obie expounded
on three things that biblical justice fight for. (A) Equal treatment – The
Bible teaches equality for all those created in the image of God as our moral
compass. Therefore, we fight for unity. (B) Special concern for the vulnerable
people – Provide for and teach both skills and mindset for a better lifestyle to those in a less
social and economic situation (including the poor, widows and orphans,
foreigners and the disadvantaged). Isaiah 58:7 says, “Is it (justice) not to share your bread with the
hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when
you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own
flesh?” (C) Generosity and charity ate linked together. Give to those in
real need. The children of God have been blessed in order to be a blessing to
others through us. “Go” and “do” are action words. Justice is a call to action.
Exodus 34:6-7 “The Lord,
the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding
in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means
clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
The second requirement of
God from Micah 6:8 is that loving kindness shall diligently practice mercy.
What you love in life, you act upon. When you love the Lord with all your
heart, soul, mind and strength, you act upon the things that please God. Both
love and mercy are attributes of God and He wants us to lovingly show mercy to
others in this world as a reflection of His nature. Mercy is given in the
context of a gift of God. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “God, who is rich in mercy, because of
His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in
trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been
saved).” The three elements of mercy are (1) Conception – when we see the
need. (2) Compassion – when we are moved by the need. Yet, compassion without
action is dead, so (3) is Correction – when we act to correct the need.
Psalm 25:9 “The
humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.”
The third requirement of God
from Micah 6:8 is that walking humbly with God is to think rightly of ourselves
and God; then follow in His holy and righteous ways. We need to have a clear
and honest vision of ourselves, because there can easily be two. (A) What we
think we are based upon who we want to be and (B) reality - who we really are.
God can work with a humble heart, so walk humbly with God. Humility is defined
as: In ethics, freedom from pride and
arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth. In
theology, humility consists in lowliness of mind; a deep sense of one's
own unworthiness in the sight of God, self-abasement, penitence for sin, and
submission to the divine will. Pastor Obie explained that humility means to
bring yourself low to an Almighty God.
Leviticus 26:12 “I
will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.”
The three things that
walking humbly with God ensures are: (1) It ensures that God’s will is
priority. (2) It ensures that we are moving in the “right” direction. The word
disciple means a disciplined student and follower of the Lord. Jesus modeled
righteousness, not just the way to heaven. (3) It ensures that there is a
relationship with the Lord. Communication as we walk is the key to an active
and genuine relationship. God doesn’t want empty religion of going through the
motion, like doing something on our check-off list of things-to-do-today. The
sacrificial, redemptive and atoning death of Jesus Christ for our sins has
regenerated our spirit and restored our relationship with God. Reconciliation
was possible because all things are possible with the Lord. Get on the journey.
In Christ, Brian
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