Day 7 – God is Just; Lust is Injustice
God is just and His word is just, but lust is injustice towards God and others.
Psalm 19:7-11 -
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Romans 7:12 - 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
1 Peter 1:14-16 - 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 19:2).
God is holy and just. He gave us His law, His word, to display His holy and just nature. Like Him, His word is good and brings unlimited good:
1) It revives our souls.
2) It makes wise the simple.
3) It rejoices our hearts.
4) It enlightens our eyes.
5) It endures forever.
6) It is righteousness altogether.
7) It is more valuable than gold.
8) It is sweeter than honey.
9) It warns us.
10) It brings great reward to those who keep it.
The eternal value of God’s word is clear, and He rewards those who obey it.
God gave His word so that everyone would reflect Him. He is just and He holds everyone accountable to His word. Since He is holy, He requires His people to be holy too. He loves His people, and He expects us to love Him as well. We demonstrate our love to Him by being obedient to His word from our hearts.
Application
When you lust, you mistakenly believe that lust can give you the good only God’s word can: reviving, wisdom, rejoicing, enlightening, endurance, righteousness, value, sweetness, warning, and reward. However, lust actually brings the opposite: weakening, stupidity, weeping, darkness, death, injustice, vanity, bitterness, danger, and judgment.
God is just and His word is just, but lust is injustice towards God and others.
When you lust, you also assume that God will not hold you accountable for it. After all, you wouldn’t lust in front of God’s visible presence, though He is with you always. Since lust is sin against God, from seed to deed, it can only bring death; it’s always marching to death, your death and the death of others (James 1:13-17; 4:1-10).
Now, it’s true that our sin, lust included, is imputed to Christ through faith in Him, meaning God holds Christ accountable for it, not us, concerning our salvation. God has forgiven our sin and given us Christ’s righteousness through faith (Rom 4). Yet, God does hold us accountable for how we live as Christians, concerning our loss of reward when we get to Heaven (1 Cor 3:11-15, 4:5; 2 Cor 5:10). God cares how His people live.
Every time you lust, you trade some of your eternal reward for momentary satisfaction.
Marching Orders: Thinking God’s Thoughts After Him
Receive, believe, and live the truths you’ve read. Memorize and meditate on these truths today:
Memorize and Meditate on One Sentence to Shape Your Affections:
God, being inherently holy and just, has crafted His word in the same vein; thus, He holds all accountable to live in obedience to it.
Memorize and Meditate on a Short Poem to Shape Your Affections:
Holy and just, our God stands supreme,
His law, His word, a glorious beam,
To display His nature, so pure so bright,
A perfect guide, both day and night.
Like Him, His word, a fountain of good,
Brings unlimited blessings, as only it could.
Just and holy, He calls us to be,
Mirroring His nature for all to see.
Fulfilled by Christ, the law and word,
Freeing us with His righteousness, like a bird.
He takes our sin, our heart of stone, away,
Gifts us His Spirit and a new heart, so we won’t stray.
Listen to This Song Often to Shape Your Affections:
Add this song to your playlist, “Before the Throne of God Above”
On YouTube,
Song by Sovereign Grace Music (Written by Charitie Lees Bancroft)
VERSE 1
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heav’n He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart
VERSE 2
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me
VERSE 3
Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless Righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God