Somo la 6: Upendo wa Mungu wa Haki

Lesson 6

God’s Love of Justice

(Luke 16, Micah 6, Matthew 5)

Copr. 2025, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

Introduction: Do you trust people in power? Do you think they are unjust? An old saying is that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. In recent years I have witnessed a lot of injustice among people who whose jobs it was to bring justice. The same day that I am writing this I discussed with one of my fellow law professors a recent religious liberty decision that is so unjust it makes me angry. I was asked if I would file a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to try to undo this injustice. We will see, but if the normal rules of review are followed, this injustice will stand. The greatest power is in the hands of God. Does He create injustice? Does He allow injustice? That is one of the main charges against God. Let’s dive into our study of the Bible and see what we can learn!

1. Injustice?
   
   1. Read Luke 16:1-2. One of the measures of justice has to do with the process. Was this manager treated fairly by his employer? (Yes. In the United States due process requires a notice and opportunity to respond. This employer did not just fire the manager, he told him of the charges in a meeting where he could respond, and then fired him.)
   2. Read Luke 16:3-4. Who is responsible for the future of this manager? The manager or his former employer? (The manager questions his ability to provide for his future because of his lack of fitness and his pride.)
   3. Read Luke 16:5-7. Jesus does not tell us whether the original charges against this manager were true. What do you think, based on his subsequent actions? (Yes, they are true. His is clearly “wasting” (Luke 16:1) his employer’s possessions. I would say that he was cheating his employer for his own benefit.)
   4. Read Luke 16:8. Do you congratulate those who cheated you? Those who outsmarted you and stole your money?
      1. What is the lesson of this parable at this point? (Cheaters win! Pagans are smarter than Christians!)
      2. What is the lesson about justice?
   5. Read Luke 16:9. This story has now taken a decidedly different turn. It is no longer just an incredible story. What is it about? (Heaven (“eternal dwellings”.)
      1. What is “unrighteous wealth?” (In this case it is money. But it could be anything that the world considers valuable: power, beauty, intelligence.)
      2. What does it mean to “make friends” so we are welcomed into heaven? (That sounds like converting others to know Jesus.)
      3. Does that mean we should rob banks in order to pay for evangelistic meetings? (Dishonesty is not what is being commended here, rather being wise, being smart about “worldly wealth.”)
   6. Read Luke 16:10-12. Do these statements contradict the parable we just discussed? (They do on the surface. But if we look deeply they do not.)
      1. What do you think is the deep meaning of this story? (We must be as smart as the world in advancing the gospel. We must use all that the world considers to be valuable to convert others to believe and accept Jesus.)
   7. Read Luke 16:13. How does this conclusion fit this story? (We must choose who we will serve. We serve God by intelligently using our worldly wealth to advance the Kingdom of God.)
      1. Is “our” wealth really ours? (No. God makes all of our wealth possible. Just like in the parable, we are using the “rich man’s” (God’s) wealth.)
      2. What does this story and its conclusion reveal about God and justice? (The justice of God is not always obvious. The superficial answer might not be the correct answer.)
2. Trust
   
   1. Read Micah 6:6-7. Can you put Micah’s main question into today’s terms? (What must I do to please God? Is it giving God my most valued possessions as a payment for my sins?)
   2. Read Micah 6:8. What should we do to please God? (Be just, kind, and humbly walk with God.)
      1. How does this fit the story of the unjust manager that we just studied? (True justice and kindness must be consistent with God’s will. Being humble requires us to line up our will with God’s will.)
      2. What does this text in Micah say about God? (That He is just and kind.)
      3. The pagan world has a different view of justice and kindness. It says we should not discriminate against anyone for any reason. The rules of the Bible about discriminating against wrong and in favor of what is right is merely displaying hate. How does the view of the world contradict these verses in Micah? (It does not trust God. It does not trust what God says is kind. Most importantly, it does not reflect humility towards God, but instead relies on our own opinion of justice.)
   3. Read Jeremiah 9:23. What danger does God point out here? (That humans will boast about their intelligence, power, or money.)
   4. Read Jeremiah 9:24. What should we boast about? (That our God practices and delights in “steadfast love, justice, and righteousness on earth.”)
      1. What does that require of us? (Humility and trust.)
   5. Read James 1:16-17 and Hebrews 6:18. Does God let us down by being unfaithful to His character? (There is not even a shadow of change because God is true to His word.)
   6. Let’s look more closely at Hebrews 6 regarding the trustworthiness of God. Read Hebrews 6:18-20. In addition to not lying, what else gives us confidence in God? (Not only has Jesus died for us, but He is now acting as our High Priest in heaven.)
3. Our Acts of Love
   
   1. We have seen so far that we must carefully and wisely consider how best to love the world to reflect God’s love and justice. We have also seen that the nature of God’s character does not change. Read Matthew 5:43-44. We can pray for our enemies. How easy is it to love them?
   2. Read Jeremiah 18:7-8. This tells us that God “relents” from bringing a disaster. Does that mean that God in fact changes?
   3. Read Jeremiah 18:9-10. This is another statement about God relenting, this time from doing good. How do we reconcile this with God’s absolute statement that He does not change? (The prime mover of change in these texts in Jeremiah 18 is the people. God reacts to bless or punish depending on whether the people listen to Him.)
   4. Wait a minute! Did we not just read in Matthew 5 that we should “love our enemies?” Is it consistent with the love of God to punish wrongdoing and encourage repentance?
   5. Read Matthew 5:44-45. We recently discussed God’s “common grace” love for the good and evil. This is the love required of us towards the world. Specific punishment for evil and blessings for good does not fit the common grace model. How do you explain this?
   6. Read Jeremiah 18:3-6. What is the context for the specific blessings and punishments that we just read about? (God is our owner. He is our father. Our relationship with Him is not common grace, but rather the perfected love of those who claim Him as their Father.)
   7. Read Matthew 5:48. What is God’s goal for us?
   8. Friend, do you better understand the justice of God? He shows common grace to all. But His goal for the world is that people will come to Him. His goal is that we will be perfect as He is perfect. When we come to Him, he will shape us towards the goal of perfection. Will you join God in His goal for you? Will you trust His love and justice?
4. Next week: The Problem of Evil.