Power, Love and Justice

May 19

I Samuel 13-14

Psalm 62:9-12

Proverbs 14:3-4

John 9

Power, Love and Justice

“One thing God has spoken; two things I have heard:  ‘Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love;’ and ‘You reward everyone according to what they have done.’”   Psalm 62:11-12 NIV

God’s attributes are infinite and we cannot even begin to understand Him, but in this verse David does a good job of giving us an accurate, concise place to start.  A look at God’s power, His love and His justice will give us a well-rounded description that we can sink our teeth into.  God’s power, often referred to as His omnipotence, takes many forms.  It is the force behind the creation of the universe from the vastness of the galaxies that includes the stars and planets to the intricate details of the human eye, the beauty of a butterfly or the varieties of color in a field of wildflowers.  He is also the One who sustains and preserves everything He has made.  He is not limited by any physical, intellectual or time constraints.  He sees all, knows all and controls all.  There is nothing beyond His ability to accomplish.  His power cannot be overestimated.  (Job 26:7-14, Psalm 147:4-5, Jeremiah 10:12-13, Romans 1:20, Hebrews 1:3, Ephesians 3:20) 

God is also characterized by perfect, unconditional love.  We cannot do anything to deserve His love or to lose it.  It is based on who He is, not who we are.  It is righteous, holy and sacrificial, free from ulterior motives or selfish intentions.  God’s love is filled with mercy and grace that always desires and works for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)  It is also forgiving and compassionate.  He is not vindictive and never reacts in anger.  It is everlasting and eternal enduring through any circumstance, forever.  (Psalm 36:5-7, Psalm 136, Isaiah 54:10, Lamentations 3:22-24, John 3:16, Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 3:16-19, I John 4:7-12) 

God is holy and righteous. His righteousness demands that everything must be as it should be.  He cannot overlook sin and injustice.  Since we are made in God’s image, when we see injustice, we experience a sense of outrage and desire that justice is served.  Sin is rebellion against God and it is offensive to Him in every form.  Romans 6:23 explains that the penalty of sin is death.  We deserve death, but in His love, God did not want us to perish, so He sent His Son to take the punishment for our sin.  This provided the means by which justice could occur and yet all who believe in Him would not experience death and hell. (John 3:16)  His love and justice cannot be separated.  If we only examine His love, we do not understand His holiness and His hatred of sin that requires punishment.  If we only examine His holiness and justice, we do not understand His incredible love and compassion toward us.  We can take comfort in the knowledge that every wrong will be made right, justice will prevail.  (Ecclesiastes 3:17, Proverbs 21:15, Romans 12:19, Isaiah 9:7,  Revelation 20:11-15)  An understanding of the power, love and justice of our God helps us get a clearer picture of His plan of redemption for mankind.