Is God fair?

What a question! In our Wednesday evening Bible study, we were all given a blank piece of paper and asked to respond to this question. Wow! The answers we received created no small stir. Personally, I think it was great! If there is anything that needs to happen from time to time, it's just what happened tonight. We were challenged to think about how we understand God. Of course that's right on target with the theme of this blog.

Now, I know it's late, but I've been thinking about this all night, so I've just got to put some thoughts and insights down before I sleep. First, let me say that I think all the answers I heard had merit. In fact, if the question had been, "Is God just?" instead of "Is God fair?" then the class would have responded with a unanimous affirmative, "Yes, God is just!" The entire discussion tonight revolved around understanding the definition of "fair." By the way, there was a great effort made to leave the answer open, so we can come back to it next week. Don't miss next Wednesday evening. It should be GREAT!

Let me go back to my response. I said, "No, God is not fair. He is just." That's because there is a difference between justice and fairness. Now, that difference has been somewhat obscurred because language is not static but always changing. So let me illustrate why I could dare say that God, who is perfect in every way, is not fair, but that He is just.

You see, we begin to understand fairness as children, somewhere between the ages of 6 and 8 years old. According to Dr. Adele M. Brodkin, Ph.D., this is the age when a "child can grasp the concept of fairness for the first time." He also says "that child development experts have dubbed this the 'age of reason' because for the first time we can actually expect children to be logical." (For more on this see www.scholastic.com/schoolage/experts/behavior/6_8_notfair.htm)

If we were to define, "fair," as just or right then there is no doubt about God being just or right. The problem really stems from humanism and its effect on our culture. Fairness is rooted in reason, and elevates human reason. In order to answer the question, "Is God fair?", one must become the judge. If I sit in judgment over the deeds or actions of anyone, then I elevate reason above their action. I cannot judge God. I cannot declare that he meets my standards of fairness. Isaiah 55:8-9 records:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Humanism has been responsible for "fairness laws in this country." Fairness laws have removed personal responsibility and opened a "Pandora's box" of problems for our legal system. Our laws should be based on Biblical Authority and not humanistic reasoning. This has resulted in some absurd decisions in our courts beginning with the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Later Handicapped Children sued their parents for letting them be born. (See Research in Principles of Life Advanced Seminar Textbook pp. 15-17.)

The Word of God is the final authority in our life. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35)

Absolute truth would declare that God is just and right whether He measures up to our ideas of fairness or not. God does not have to be fair. He is so much more than that. He is Holy, Just, Righteous, Perfect! Since God is perfect it is difficult for those of us who have partaken of the poison of humanistic education to reason that the lofty idea of fairness could not or should not be applied to God. Consider this, He is perfect in all His ways, and we are admonished to be perfect as He is perfect, but that's a topic for another time.

Finally, I am so thankful that God's perfect justice and holiness, met His awesome love and mercy in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. In Him the price was paid for my sin on the cross. It certainly isn't fair that someone should have to pay for another's sin, but that's just what Jesus did for me, and you. Accept that love and mercy today, and make the God connection.