Do you really know what God expects of you? I am not talking about what it takes to be
saved or whether or not you are keeping his commandments. I am talking about how God wants you to live
and act. Throughout the Old Testament, there are
numerous examples of God’s people doing all the right things, but still
angering God because their hearts were not aligned with their actions. Sure, the requirements of the law are the
requirements of the law; but is it possible to be technically obedient to God
and still be rebellious in spirit and attitude?
The answer, of course, is yes.
So what really does God require of us? They answer may very well be found in Micah
6:6, which says:
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does
the LORD require of you
but
to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk
humbly with your God? (ESV)
Apparently – at least according to this verse – there are
three things that God requires of us in terms of how we act and behave.
First: To Do Justice
The NIV says to act justly.
The NLT says to do what is right. Basically, this is all about justice. Our legal system is supposed to be set up so
that justice always wins. Can you imagine what the world would be like if the
legal system were corrupt and no one ever received justice under the law? Some may say that we have reached that point
in many ways. Certainly, this is what
happened to Israel and was part of the reason God destroyed Israel.
However, God’s expectation is not just to have a legal
system that defends justice – although clearly this is his desire and when
Jesus returns and sets up his kingdom that is exactly the way he will rule. God’s expectation is for each and every one
of us to always show justice – to always do what is right – all the time. Let’s be honest. We don’t always do what is
right, do we? In fact, much of the time,
we do what is selfish – what WE want to do.
Just because it is legal doesn’t mean it is right – or just. Sometimes
we even stretch the bounds of legality.
Maybe we obey the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law – or maybe
we outright break the law, knowing we will never be caught. God expects us to always act justly – to always
do what is right, not just what is legal or what we can get away with.
In any given situation, how do I know what is right or what
is wrong? Ultimately, the Bible is our
standard for right and wrong – essentially the Law. And, in fact, Jesus gave us a great rule for
knowing what is right and what is wrong.
In Luke 6:31 he says “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so
to them” (ESV).
Second: Love Kindness
(or Mercy)
I actually prefer the NIV84 rendering here of mercy over
kindness, but both are applicable. Mercy
is compassion and kindness towards someone in need – especially someone who has
offended you. Unfortunately, Mercy goes
completely against every fiber of our existence. When someone harms us, we want revenge – we
don’t want to show mercy. When we see a homeless person, we think they probably
deserve it because they are an alcoholic or a drug addict or a criminal. After all, why should I help them, I have
enough struggles of my own.
Allow me to pose this question to you in response to
that. What if God did not show you
mercy? Your sins are a great offense to
God. What if, instead of providing a
means of forgiveness, God sought revenge on you? Let’s not even go that
far. What if God didn’t seek revenge;
what if he just sought justice? I think
we would all be in trouble if he did that.
You see, there is a direct conflict between JUSTICE and
MERCY. When someone harms you, isn’t it
justice that they pay the penalty for what they did to you – an eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth? Isn’t that
Biblical?
It is Biblical and we all have a right to justice. So does God.
God DEMANDS justice. That means
each and every one of us deserve to go to hell.
On the other hand, God also DESIRES mercy. That means God needed to find a way to
satisfy justice and still forgive you for your sins.
So what did God do? God sent Jesus and allowed all the
punishment of your sins to be poured out on him. He received the penalty that you
deserved. Justice was served on him and
as a result, God can show mercy to you and to me.
How does this apply to your need for justice? How can you both ACT JUSTLY and LOVE MERCY? First, you can make sure that when it comes
to others, you always do what is right.
Make sure you are not the one doing harm to others or taking advantage
of them in an unfair or unjust manner.
Make sure that no one can exact their right for justice out on you. This is what it means to “Act Justly.” Second, when others harm you, if it is
possible and not harmful or dangerous to do so, you can take the “hurt” on yourself
like God took the “hurt” of your sins on himself. Instead of exacting your right for justice on
others you can show mercy. I’m not
suggesting that you keep letting someone hurt you, but I am talking about
forgiveness.
Jesus said in Luke 6:27-30, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who
abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from
one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to
everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not
demand them back.” (ESV)
Likewise he said in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive
others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you
do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses.” (ESV)
This is fairly deep stuff, which is why God’s third
expectation is so important.
Third: Walk Humbly With God
When we think about these ideas of JUSTICE and MERCY and how
they work together, it should make us humble before God, not proud before God. To walk humbly before God means to live the
way He would want us to live rather than the way we selfishly desire to
live. ALL of us deserve JUSTICE. We
deserve punishment for the things we have done. None of us should be saying
“Well I go to church…” or “I give to the poor…” or “I do this…” or “I do that…” We are all literally living by the MERCY of
God.
Before Micah gave those three requirements in Micah 6:8, he
raised a question about how we approach God (Micah 6:7-7):
“With what shall I come before the
LORD, and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt
offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with
thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my
transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
The answer is “NO” because every one of us are at the
complete MERCY of God! So instead, we
ACT JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY, and we walk HUMBLY before God. Jesus himself made this
exact same point talking to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23. “Woe to you,
teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your
spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters
of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the
latter, without neglecting the former.”
We place our faith in Jesus for Salvation… we strive to obey
the Law to honor God… but how do we really live our lives? We always do the right thing (JUSTICE)… We
are merciful and kind to others even when they don’t deserve it (MERCY)… and we
remain faithful to God.
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