Sabbath School Lesson for February 1-7, 2025
Overview of Lesson 6, God’s Love of Justice
Memory Text: ” ‘But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight’ says the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:24 NKJV
The “other gods” described in the Bible were always unpredictable and immoral–commanding atrocious religious rituals that included sexual improprieties and child/human sacrifice. It’s easy to understand why God forbade His people to engage in such pagan worship practices. Both the Old and New Testaments agree that demonic forces were behind the worship of idols (Deuteronomy 32:17 and 1 Corinthians 10:20, 21).
When we get to know the God of heaven, however, we discover that His constant goodness and sense of justice made Him attractive and easy to worship. God was consistently moved by the suffering and evil oppression of His creatures on earth and made considerable effort to correct injustices that hurt vulnerable people.
At some point, God has promised to totally eradicate evil from the universe. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection reassure us of His commitment to end all the pain and suffering sin has caused mankind. Through His Son, God not only loves us, but He loves justice enough to guarantee our final victory over evil.
- Sunday: Love and Justice–they go together
- Monday: God Is Entirely Good and Righteous–there is no unrighteousness in God
- Tuesday: God’s Changeless Character–His character of love and justice never changes
- Wednesday: A Repenting God?–God always keeps His promises
- Thursday: Hold Fast to Love and Justice–we must be like Him
Sunday: Love and Justice
Mankind, aided by Satan, has totally perverted love and justice. Unrighteousness is rampant across the planet, requiring that God overrule and bring order to the chaotic state we have made for ourselves. It is only when we look to Him for guidance that we can we enjoy peace and comfort, despite our imperfect tendencies.
Love requires justice, and justice requires love. God’s holy character demonstrates both of these qualities fully and perfectly. Therefore, we can rest assured that the divine judgment that comes from His throne will be meted out with mercy for all parties involved. It will bring punishment for sin, but also deliverance for its victims.
If there is anything worth doing, it is for us to reflect God’s character of love and justice, so others can feel its blessing as well.
Verses to discuss:
Psalm 33:5, 85:10, 89:14, and Isaiah 61:8
- Why is it important for there to be both love and justice in the world?
- What causes God to love justice, and how does He demonstrate it to you personally?
Monday: God Is Entirely Good and Righteous
Power is something we tend to admire, but God’s power is exceptional, because it is manifested in ways that benefit all involved. He never fails to deliver justice in the most merciful and timely way (Zephaniah 3:5).
When Moses asked God to show him His glory (or power), God complied by letting His “goodness pass before” him (Exodus 33:18-19). We can trust that God’s goodness will not fail us.
Referring to God as a Rock testifies to the unchanging goodness and righteousness that we know God to have (Deuteronomy 32:4 and Psalm 92:15). His loving nature not only draws us to Him, but encourages and empowers us to remain steadfast in our commitment to be righteous followers of God.
Verses to discuss:
Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 92:15, and 46:1
- Although we are told not to harden our hearts, why is God’s goodness and truth referred to as a hard rock?
Zephaniah 3:5 and Exodus 33:18-19
- Why is it important for God’s goodness to be reliable?
- How does God show us His goodness and what do we learn from it?
Tuesday: God’s Changeless Character
God’s response to our relationship may change, depending on our response to Him. But His holy nature, God’s character of love and justice, never changes. This is why the Bible can confidently claim that God does not change, even though in the same passage we are told that when we return to Him, He will return to us, which is a change in our relationship with Him (Malachi 3:6, 7).
The fact that only our relationship changes, but not God Himself is plain throughout the Bible. We are told there is no variation in our gift-giving Father (James 1:17). We can trust His goodness will be there to bless us at the time we need it most.
God doesn’t turn His back on His promises. He remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13) and never lies to us (Titus 1:2). Therefore, there is hope for our future, because Jesus is an anchor for our soul and is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 6:18, 19 and 13:8). Looking to Him as the One who died for us on the cross, and remembering His promise to be with us to the end and that He would someday return for us, is a precious hope that doesn’t change. His forever-loving character shines through it all.
Verses to discuss:
Malachi 3:6, 7
- Why does it look like God changes at times?
- How can we find assurance in God’s character never changing, and how does that assurance make it easier to trust Him?
Titus 1:2, 2 Timothy 2:13, and Ephesians 4:15
- Why doesn’t God lie to us, even when the truth hurts?
- How does God speak His truth to us though, even when it hurts?
Wednesday: A Repenting God?
When we humans repent, it is in response to some wrong we have committed. It causes us to change our course of behavior and act more in line with God’s will for us. The Bible refers to God’s repentance though, only in the sense that He can change His course of action too, according to our choices and the positive changes we make in our lives.
In other words, when we turn away from evil, God is free to turn away from the judgment that would have resulted if we had continued our unwise and unlovely behavior. Relenting emphasizes a softening of our response, which is similar to repenting, which causes us to soften as well (Exodus 32:14 and Jeremiah 18:8).
God always shows Himself to be good, loving, merciful, and faithful in keeping His promises to us (1 Samuel 15:29). He does not “relent” or “repent” in the same way we do, even though these are the words the Bible uses to describe His response to us. The point here is: God does not lie (Numbers 23:19).
Verses to discuss:
Exodus 32:14 and Jeremiah 18:4-10
- What causes God to “relent” and how is it in line with His character?
Numbers 23:19 and 1 Samuel 15:29
- How is God’s repentance different from ours?
Thursday: Hold Fast to Love and Justice
Our imperfect love can be deceptive. It looks like the “real deal” on the outside, but it is only partial and superficial in its application. For example, it’s easy to love those who love us (our close family and friends who are like us in some way). We might even have found a way to show compassion for strangers. But the real test is how we love those who hate us. That’s when we need to be filled with God’s perfect love. See Matthew 5:43-48.
Jesus did His best to show and tell us about this perfect, mature love that only He and the Father can provide (Romans 5:8). Jesus dealt lovingly with the multitudes, while knowing that many of them came only for the blessings He could give and His healing miracles. He also showed His love by sacrificing His life, even asking God to forgive those who nailed Him to the cross (Luke 23:34).
Only when we cling to His mercy and justice will we be able to reveal “righteous judgment”, the one that includes mercy, that characterizes God’s holy nature (Romans 2:5). It was demonstrated by His Son, who came in human flesh to reveal it to us (John 1:14).
Verses to discuss:
Matthew 5:43-48
- Why is it important for us to recognize God’s love as we show love to others?
- What are some ways the Father shows love to you personally?
James 1:17, Luke 11:11-13, and Psalm 100:5
- What does God’s character look like?
Revelation 15:3-4 and 19:1-2
- What will we be saying about God’s love and justice when we get to heaven?
Friday: Final Thoughts
Being aware of the great controversy between Christ and Satan helps us understand the kind of unwavering love of justice we know our God to have. Because of love, someday God’s justice will overcome and end all the turmoil and chaos Satan has caused in heaven and on earth.
“God has bound our hearts to Him by unnumbered tokens in heaven and in earth. Through the things of nature, and the deepest and tenderest earthly ties that human hearts can know, He has sought to reveal Himself to us. Yet these but imperfectly represent His love…Satan led men to conceive of God as a being whose chief attribute is stern justice,–one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor…It was to remove this dark shadow, by revealing the infinite love of God, that Jesus came to live among men.” ~Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, pp. 1o, 11.
Next Week: The Problem of Evil
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