Thank Goodness We Don’t Get What We Deserve

eklose
August 8, 2016

“Why can’t God be fair?” That question just makes me cringe, but it’s a question that I hear so often and I remember when my Pastor said something about this very same question. He said something that upon first hearing makes sense and makes you say, “Oh, yeah, thank goodness!” But when you think about it for a long time it makes you truly say, “Oh, God. Thank you so much. I love you. I am indebted to you. My life is yours.”

This is what he said: We so often hear people wish that God were fair. They see hurricanes and tsunamis. They see good people lose everything. They see people who aren’t so good, gain the world. And they think that God isn’t fair. But think about this for a moment. Where would we be if God really were fair and we received all we deserved? We’d be in a world of hurt!

Romans 5:12 sets the stage for us here, stating that we are all sinners as descendents of Adam, ” Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned “. Romans 6:23 then tells us, ” For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ”  If God were fair, where would be? Well, according to this verse we would be in hell with no chance of Heaven because we would be getting what we deserve. If we wish that God were fair, for what are we truly wishing? We’re wishing to receive what we are truly due given our sinful condition. We’re wishing to get what we really deserve for our actions. Friends do you really want God to be fair?

Because God isn’t fair, we have the promise of salvation, the promise of forgiveness, and the promise of a life lived in His presence. ” That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord ” (Romans 5:21). Did you catch that “even so“? That “even so” is God not being fair and not holding us to what we deserve. Thank Goodness. ” But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us ” (Romans 5:8). Did you see the “yet sinners”? Again, that’s God not being fair. And why would He do such a thing as not being fair? Because He loves us. ” For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life ” (John 3:16). ” In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins ” (I John 4:9-10).

My friends, because He loves us, He wasn’t fair. He was so unfair that we, by acknowledging Him as Saviour, can have complete forgiveness for our sins and eternal and everlasting life in His presence. If God were fair and we received what we deserved, there would only be eternal punishment. So that next time that you feel that you deserve life to go differently and you are about to say that you wish God were fair, think before you speak – and then thank Him from the bottom of your heart for His unfairness.

© 2023 Woman at the Well Ministries