I have been getting more and more opportunities recently to go into classrooms that have kids with emotional behavioral disorders. They are wonderful and colorful kids. It is only a matter of time before I hear...
"Hey! That's not FAIR!"
"I'm RIGHT! You're WRONG!"
I often smile when I hear the kids say that to each other because who taught them to argue for what is right? Who taught them to argue for what is fair?
DOCTRINE #22: RIGHT AND JUST
The principles of right and just are the causes of holy. These principles measure the conformity to holy. Right is a qualitative measure. Just is a quantitative measure. Right is qualitative holiness. Just is quantitative holiness.
Question: Do you believe you are living a right and just life?
Next Doctrine: Doctrine #23
Table of Contents
If you need it, here is the support from the Word of God...
SCRIPTURE
"35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity.
36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." (Leviticus 19:35-36)
(Just was associated with quantitative measures. Quantity is a measure of an amount. If something was just it would have to be a pure and clean amount. God wants measures to be fair and He is the one who is establishing this to us, as He did with the children of Israel. Man wants measures to accommodate him.)
"8 Better is a little, with righteousness, Than great revenues with injustice.
9 A man's heart deviseth his way; But Jehovah directeth his steps.
10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; His mouth shall not transgress in judgment.
11 A just balance and scales are Jehovah's; All the weights of the bag are his work.
12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness; For the throne is established by righteousness.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings; And they love him that speaketh right.
14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death; But a wise man will pacify it.
15 In the light of the king's countenance is life; And his favor is as a cloud of the latter rain.
16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! Yea, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver." (Proverbs 16:8-16)
(It is better to have a small quantity that you acquired by doing what is right, than to get a large quantity by means of doing what is unfair or wrong. If a king has a divine sentence it has to be from a place of justice, and just balances are God's...not man's. Wickedness is opposed to righteousness because wickedness is wrong. This passage led right into the passage we saw during wisdom. All of the king's actions and decisions ought to be governed by (how) principles that God has set in place...which is WISDOM! We will see in later Doctrines that righteousness is the effect of right/righteous and justice is the effect of just.)
"1 Then Job answered and said,
2 Of a truth I know that it is so: But how can man be just with God?" (Job 9:1-2)
(Thirteen verses later, Job said...)
"15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge." (Job 9:15)
(In both passages, Strong's #6663 tsadaq was used. In Verse 2 it was translated as just. In verse 15 it was translated as righteous.)
"51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters by all thine abominations which thou hast done.
52 Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters." (Ezekiel 16:52)
(In this passage, Strong's #6663 - tsadaq appeared three times: "righteous" once and "justified" twice. When this word was used to judge by weighing out who was more or less right, it was translated as "justified". When it spoke of the overall quality of the individual, it was translated as "righteous". Israel committed double the sins of Samaria and continued to justify themselves and judge Samaria. God's chosen people were all thinking as men think. Short term, and justifying themselves.)
"5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right," (Ezekiel 18:5)
(In this passage, "just" was Strong's #6662 - tsaddiyq and "right" was Strong's #6666 - tsĕdaqah. Both came directly from Strong's #6663 - tsadaq.)
"7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities." (2 Peter 2:7-10, KJV)
(This passage was from the King James Version. The word "just" in verse 7 and the word "righteous" in verse 8 were both Strong's #1342 - dikaios. Here were two more passages from the King James Version that translated the same word as "just" and "right". Those who have the Mind of Christ in them are able to be delivered by God out of temptation, like Jesus in the wilderness. We can either choose to be led by God now or be led by God on Judgment Day. This life is the time to choose whose causes you are going to be about.)
"12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" (1 Peter 3:12-18, KJV)
(The word "righteous" in verse 12 and the word "just" in verse 18 were the same word. You can suffer for doing good or suffer for doing evil. Suffering is a WHAT. God cares about the HOW/WHY. If you suffer because of doing God's Will in your life...happy are you! In order to be quickened by the Spirit you have to be put to death in the flesh. It would be a contradiction if you would walk by the Spirit and the flesh at the same time!)
"47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:
51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God." (Luke 23:47-51)
(The centurion called Jesus "righteous" and Luke called Joseph of Arimathaea "just". The word "righteous" in verse 47 and the word "just" in verse 50 were the same word.)
If God is the Holy One and sets up measures for what is just and what is right, what does that say about who He is?
