6. The justice of God is a debate issue in discussing God's choice of sinners to salvation before the world began by grace alone. Is it just for God to choose one to salvation and not another?
7. Is it just and fair for God to give more to one than to another? This is a question involving what is called "distributive justice." Or, is God fair?
I include these two questions together because they are intimately related. They deal with what is called "distributive justice" because they focus on fairness in the distribution of resources. Later we will deal with what is called "retributive justice" which focuses on punishment for wrongdoing, and whether or not God is just in the punishment he has ordained for those who have transgressed his law, and whether "eternal punishment" is just, or a case of "cruel and unusual punishment" (or whether God is cruel).
Some argue that the unequal distribution of wealth, opportunity, and happiness is evidence of an unfair God. In beginning answering the above questions we must first talk about what it means for someone to be "fair." Secondly, we must ask whether fairness is the same in every respect for both God and his rational creatures.
Questions related to this subject would be whether God is a "respecter of persons," or whether God shows favor, favoritism, or partiality. As we have already stated in previous chapters, every person has no doubt questioned at times whether God was being fair in his showing of divine favors or fair in his government of the world. Many people, when tragedies occur, find themselves questioning God, as did the suffering Job, questioning whether God was being fair or unfair to them. Job thought that God was being "cruel" in his suffering his various calamities. Wrote Job in his complaint to God:
"15 Terrors are turned upon me; They pursue my honor as the wind, And my prosperity has passed like a cloud. 16 "And now my soul is poured out because of my plight; The days of affliction take hold of me. 17 My bones are pierced in me at night, And my gnawing pains take no rest. 18 By great force my garment is disfigured; It binds me about as the collar of my coat. 19 He has cast me into the mire, And I have become like dust and ashes. 20 "I cry out to You, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You regard me. 21 But You have become cruel to me; With the strength of Your hand You oppose me. 22 You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride on it; You spoil my success." (Job 30: 15022 nkjv)
So, was Job right? Was God being cruel to Job? Was God unjust to have put righteous Job though all his sufferings? I have written extensively on Job's situation and have stated what God himself says of Job, i.e. that Job spoke what was right about God. (See Job 42: 7) This is contrary to what many theologians say about Job, affirming that he was not righteous, deserving all his calamities, and affirming that he said things about God that were not correct. These would say that Job's affirmation that God was cruel to him was a falsehood and a case in point. But, I don't think so. I rather think that what he meant was that God was being hard on him in his providence more than he was being hard on the wicked; And, that was certainly true.
In Job's dialogues with his counselors he asked them - "Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?" (Job 21: 7 esv) In other words, why is it that in many cases the good live in poverty and die young and those most wicked often live in wealth and die old? Is Lord God not being unfair in regard to distributive justice?
A superficial view of the case would lead one to think that God was indeed cruel. After all, lots of evil men suffered very little, and yet Job, a most righteous man (God's judgment of him), suffered much. Who would not think that such was unfair and that God was being cruel? The psalmist also spoke of the "men of the world who have their portion in this life" and "whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure." (Psa. 17: 14 nkjv) So, why is it that many wicked people have a better life, economically speaking, and live long lives, and often have fewer burdens and troubles? That was Job's question too. Why do the good die young and the wicked grow old and prosper? Wrote the Psalmist again in agreement with this fact:
"For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men." (Psa. 73: 3-5 kjv)
So, why would God in his providence and government of the world allow the wicked to fair better than his righteous servants, or even his own children? Again, from a superficial view of things, one might jump to conclusions and say that God is indeed cruel, unfair, and unjust. But, a broader and more informed view would see that things are not always as they seem. When you consider that wicked unrepentant men will be imprisoned forever in Hell, and the righteous and penitent will be happy forever in Paradise, then you might see the reason behind this paradox in what the texts above are telling us. God is being merciful to the wicked for he knows that this life is all the good that they will ever enjoy. Wrote the psalmist again in further confirmation of this fact:
"9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming." (Psa. 37: 9-13 nkjv)
God does not chastise or discipline those who are not his children. (Heb. 12: 6-7) There are those who are "without chastisement" because they are not loved by God as are his sons and daughters. This chastening often will involve the denial of blessings in this life, a thing that the wicked do not experience. Secondly, God has sent hard times and troubles to his people in order to purify them, to build their characters, and to try them, and to give them opportunities to learn more about God. Thirdly, it is also because God desires to keep his people from the sin of pride and to keep them humble and meek. Fourthly, the rich nearly always believe that they do not need anyone, including God. This is why Solomon wrote:
"Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God." (Prov. 30: 7-9 nkjv)
The rich are more apt to deny the Lord and their need of him. Their perceived self reliance makes them think that they are superior to others, yea, even being God's favorites, or the world's elite. I wrote a lengthy series on this question titled "God's Elect or World's Elite?" Of course, being in poverty also has its temptations as Solomon said. But, still it is the poor who have a better chance, circumstantially, to seek God's help and his salvation. So Jesus said: "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matt. 19: 24 nkjv) James the Lord's brother also said:
"Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" (James 2: 5 nkjv)
No wonder then that we read where it is recorded that "the common people heard Him gladly." (Mark 12: 37 nkjv) By "common people" is meant those of the lower socio-economic classes. It was these same people that Jesus specially pointed to when he said "the poor have the gospel preached to them." (Matt. 11: 5 nkjv)
Paul also chimes in on this area of our subject by saying:
"26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence." (I Cor. 1: 26-29 nkjv)
Thankfully the apostle said "not many" rather than "not any" for in that case no rich person would be saved. God has chosen the poor of this world for salvation so that his grace, mercy, and power might be more fully manifested.
So, in this introduction to this part of our study of the justice of God, we say that God often sees to it that wicked men receive more good things in this life than even his own people. That might look unfair, at least until we know the reason behind his providence, which the above texts inform us about.
Of course, God had his good reasons for what he did in the story of Job. Much good came from it. So, from a higher perspective, knowing more of the facts and the context, we see that God was not cruel, but only seemed to be for the time, and in comparison to others who are not God's own.
We must also keep in mind the principle that Jesus spoke about when it comes to why he punishes some more severely than others:
"And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12: 47-48 nkjv)
Greater responsibility comes with greater divine gifts and also greater punishments for misuse and abuse of those gifts. Those who know better and do wrong will receive harsher treatment while those who did wrong but did not know better will receive lessor divine rebuke and fewer loss of blessings. Again, James adds these words: "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." (James 3: 1 nkjv)
This is the reason why the Lord rendered severer judgment upon Israel. Notice the words of the prophet:
“Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD’s hand Double for all her sins.” (Isa. 40: 2 nkjv)
Israel was punished doubly so because they knew God's will and were ordained to be the teacher of the Gentiles. In view of this the apostle Paul also wrote:
"Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off." (Rom. 11: 22 nkjv)
God can be severe in "retributive justice." He also, in his distributive justice gives more earthly and temporal blessings to those who are lost and condemned to eternal torment. This is not unjust, however, as we have seen. God has his good reasons for this being so.
In the next chapter we will continue to address the issue of whether God is fair in the distribution of good. After that we will discuss the question of why some are chosen to salvation and others are not.
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