March 23, 2025 - How to Understand the Relationship Between Love & Justice - Pastor Paul Vallee

Jeremiah 48

One of the most difficult aspects for some people to accept within God’s character is that he will judge sin. Judgment is a part of justice, an expression of Divine love. Wait, are you saying that judgment is an expression of love? Absolutely; how can a loving God ultimately leave wickedness and injustice to continue without retribution or punishment? How can God allow people to continue to be exploited? For others, what amazes them is God’s patience and longsuffering in not quickly judging those who commit terrible atrocities. What we discover is that all of God’s characteristics are tied together. God is patient.

In writing about God’s character, Stephen Charnock states, " The reason God is patient is to show his power.” In what way? He is Lord over Himself and reveals his tremendous degree of self-restraint. It is through this amazing self-restraint that God reveals to us His goodness. Charnock continues: “He waits that he may be gracious. Goodness sets God upon the exercise of patience, and patience sets many a sinner on running into the arms of mercy. That mercy, which makes God ready to embrace returning sinners, makes him willing to bear with them in their sins and wait for their return. ...The object of patience is, primarily man...” “...for patience is properly a temporary sparing a person, with a waiting of his relenting, and a change of his injurious demeanor.” Charnock is saying that God doesn’t act rashly or harshly with us; he allows time for us to realize that we are wrong and need God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

Having expressed this concept of God’s kindness to us, we also need to understand that God will “not acquit the wicked,” i.e. he will not acquit obstinate sinners. He has patience for the wicked and mercifully for the penitent. The wicked are the subjects of his long-suffering, but not of his acquitting grace; he does not presently punish their sins because he is slow to anger; but without their repentance, he will not blot out their sins because he is righteous in judgment: if God should acquit them without repentance for their crimes, he must himself repent of his own law and righteous sanction of it.”

Charnock is simply arguing that God, after showing great patience, will address all evil in a just manner because of his nature. In these final chapters of Jeremiah, we have the prophecies that God gave to the prophet regarding the nations affecting Israel and the outcomes of their lifestyles.