Today, while attempting to write an essay for a college application, I asked that the Lord would speak through me, and He did. And He kept speaking far beyond the 300 word limit, so here is my full response to the prompt, “What is your favorite word, and why?”
My favorite word is justice. As I walk down the streets of Chiang Mai, repeating the word in my head can almost drown out the seductive cries of the powerless employees at local bars and massage parlors as they openly offer sexual favors. As I sit back to watch HIV positive children play at a nearby orphanage, laughing with them almost keeps me from tearing up. And as I listen to a young Christ follower explain to me and a group of my friends about why she’s moving south to Bangkok, mindlessly nodding along could almost make me believe that she was going to be okay.
Almost.
So to cope with the cries heard, to manage the tears shed, to process the doubts that slipped through, I questioned God. I didn’t question His existence, nor did I doubt His power. With a demeanor that resembled Job’s, I took my self righteous and ignorant complaint to the Lord, questioning His justice. How could the King I praise as just allow the practice of human trafficking to thrive? How could the God I praise as loving create these tiny, innocent human beings just so they could be plagued with an incurable disease? How could the Father that I praise as good sit idly by as His daughter is betrayed into the hands of perverse men?
Here’s the answer I got (written and formatted in a way that makes sense for a blog):
Just like Job, I don’t know God’s sovereignty the way I ought to.
God’s justice wasn’t showcased on the cross if God is not a sovereign God. The murder of the innocent God was the greatest crime ever to be committed. Of His betrayer, Jesus said, “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Although he was numbered among His disciples (Acts 1:17), Judas turned His heel against Him. Judas sold God for 30 pieces of silver and betrayed the one “for whom and by whom all things exist (Hebrews 2:10)” with a kiss. The spotless lamb of God went to the grave silently. God’s justice wasn’t showcased on the cross if God is not a sovereign God.
But God’s justice was showcased on the cross because God is the sovereign God. If God is not sovereign, He is merely a passive spectator of the universe He has created. If God is not sovereign, He is not just, for He can neither control nor judge His creation. But it was through His justice that He saved the world.
God’s justice was showcased on the cross. Hebrews 2:2 says of Jesus’ death, “Every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution.” Jesus put on our sin and cancelled “the record of debt that stood against us…nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). God, in His providence, willed Jesus to die on a cross, and Jesus came to the earth saying, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” Furthermore, Jesus knew what Judas was going to do, and urged him to “do it quickly” (John 13:27). He did not seek to rush His unfortunate and unlucky fate, but rather He welcomed suffering because He foreknew the victory to come from it. He did not die a feeble and quiet death, but rather He humbly offered up Himself as a sacrifice, counting the justice of the coming Kingdom of God greater than His physical comfort, thus paying the due price for sin, majestically winning the victory over death. Now, he sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father, waiting expectantly for His enemies to be made a footstool for His feet and the ends of the earth His possession as was prophesied.
It’s fitting that the most well known passage on God’s sovereignty paints Him as a just God. And it’s here where my questions are answered. “Who are you, O man, to answer back to God?” (Romans 9:20). To question God’s justice is to deny God His sovereignty.
If I knew of Jesus’ suffering without knowledge of God’s sovereignty, I would consider the suffering to be unjust. I would be like Jesus’ followers: faithlessly and ignorantly mourning the death of an innocent Savior with no hope. I would question God’s justice. But the one who understands God’s sovereignty views suffering differently. Yes, he still mourns at the pain that others are experiencing, but he rejoices because he has hope for something better. He has hope in a risen Savior who has been given the authority to execute judgement (John 5:27). This Savior ate with the tax collectors, gave sight to the blind, gave the deaf ears to hear, and gave the dead life. He humbled the rich and praised the poor. He is coming in His glory to sit on His glorious throne to separate the sheep from the goats.
Month 1 Recap: My team completed our first month of ministry at Zion Hostel/Agape Home. With the help and encouragement of my teammates, I’ve been able to utilize the free time God has given me to study His Word, worship Him, and form relationships with the people of Chiang Mai. This past week we had a few days to debrief the first month.
Praise: Praise God that our new ministry is at an orphanage affiliated with Remember Nhu, an organization that aims to keep children out of human trafficking. Praise God for putting people that need Him in our paths. Praise God for His faithfulness. Praise God for the Christ followers that He has placed in Chiang Mai, and praise God that the church cares about injustice. Praise God for the hope we have in Jesus.
Prayer: Please pray that souls are saved through the relationships we have formed. Pray that God places a passion for truth in this squad and in Adventures in Missions. Please pray that the language barrier does not hinder our ministry. Pray that spiritual strength and discernment are poured out upon this squad to combat the temptations put in our way.
