by Barry Newton

If you have ever suffered prejudice, you can really appreciate just how wonderful the truth is that God is fair. That's right. When we come before God, nobody gets special treatment ahead of (or behind) you because of their connections, social status or race. That's right, being daddy's little girl won't help or hinder. Being a member of an ethnic minority will not make it any better or any worse. The manner in which God will judge the world is the same for us all.

The Principles of God's Judgment

Without favoritism, God gives to each one according to what that individual has done. Romans 2:6,11 If someone strives to do good, God will give that person eternal life. But if someone is self-seeking and rejects the truth thereby following evil, he or she will suffer God's wrath. Romans 2:7-11

But is this truly fair? An astute person might observe, "since not everyone has had an equal access to a clear understanding of what God wants from us, do not some people have an advantage over others? For example, it would seem that by giving His Law to the Jews, this provided the Jews with an advantage over other nations."

Paul responded that even those nations which did not receive God's Law show by their consciences that they are aware of God's laws. Since God will only judge each person by what he or she is aware of, God is fair! Romans 2:12-15

Those who did not have the Mosaical Law will be judged upon the basis of their conscience's understanding of God's ways. If they are aware that they have sinned, then they will be condemned based upon their own understanding. Those who had access to the Mosaical Law and who sinned will be judged by that Law. So, in the end God is fair. All are judged by what they know.

Good News Turned Bad?

But just how much hope for me (or for anyone else) does such a fair system of judging inspire? Can either you or I claim to be without sin? Can anybody, based upon their knowledge of right and wrong, say, "I am perfect and have lived up to the standard of God's glory?" As Paul wrote, "For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law; and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law." Romans 2:12

Since everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glory and since neither Jew nor Gentile has an advantage in judgment before God, God's righteous judgment is not particularly wonderful news to our ears. If we could be saved based upon our own goodness, this would mean that we would be saved by works.

God is Fair When He Saves Through Grace All Who Believe

The story of the gospel is utterly amazing and reveals the justness of God. On the one hand, the gospel tells us that Jesus' sacrifice provided atonement for sin. Because God has made it possible for sinners to be cleansed in Christ, God is not corrupt when He declares a sinner to be righteous in Christ. The gospel reveals that God is just and fair. Romans 3:22-26

On the other hand, the gospel teaches us that Jesus' sacrifice is for all people since all have sinned and have fallen short of God's glory. Once again God is shown to be fair and just. By making this priceless gift of salvation available to all who trust in Jesus' blood, God has not shown any unjust favoritism. Romans 3:22-26

It does not matter who we are or what we have done, Jesus' sacrifice can handle our sin if we will trust in him. Nobody deserves to be saved, but God justifies everyone who comes to His Son.

Is this not great news? I am justified not upon the basis of who I am, but who Jesus is! If we have responded with the obedience of faith (Romans 1:5; 16:26), we have reason to exult in God because we are no longer going to be judged by God's Law but have been saved on the basis of the grace that comes from Jesus' sacrifice. Romans 5:1-2, 6-11; 7:6

Wow! Now this is something to get excited about and praise God for.

by Greg A. Tidwell

"It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World" has remained one of my favorite movies. Picking up on a dying man's last words, a madcap group of strangers compete against each other in a wild race for stolen treasure buried under "a big W." Each member of the all-star cast throws himself into the great comic roles with ecstasy. The viewer hardly realizes the movie's epic length because of the fast paced gags that punctuate the storyline.

But what if you were trapped in that sort of world -- a world where real dialogue could never exist because every meaning is twisted and turned into the punch line of a gag? It wouldn't take long for your laughter to change into tears. Part of the joy of comedy is that it provides a temporary escape from the real world. Its enjoyment rests on its transient nature. Perpetual farce quickly changes from comedy into tragedy. The joys found in "Hotel California" become a terror if "you can never leave."

Stranger than Fiction

There are many strange stories I could tell you concerning the sad state of American religion, where entertainment (and even farce) have taken the place of the Lord's service.

There is the denominational church, for example, where the ministerial staff took lessons from professional wrestlers so as to put on an exhibition for their Sunday assembly.

Or the church of Christ where the preacher sent the congregation into the parking lot with the bottles of bubble-blow to send a "bubble offering" up to God.

As isolated events, these travesties might be amusing, but as part of a trend enveloping the religious landscape, they are terrifying. In the Lord's church we must say, "Enough is enough." Rather than smiling indulgently at strange teachings and practice, we must hold ourselves accountable to a high standard of truth and reason.