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Thursday: Hold Fast to Love and Justice — 6 Comments

  1. “Hold fast to love and justice” (Hosea 12:6), was a clarion call (a call to action) by the Prophet to Israel at a time of spiritual decay and moral corruption. Israel as a nation had sunk so low and God had to raise his voice calling for change of course. The people were fully immersed in idolatry, dishonesty, and injustice. This was a call for repentance. God was appealing to the nation of Israel to cherish love and embrace justice. God is making the same appeal to us today. Yes, God is appealing to us to cling to love and justice and never let them go.

    The situation was never any better during Jesus’s time. He rebuked the Pharisees who prided themselves on their superiority. He referred to them as “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27-28). Strong words indeed coming from the Saviour. On the same subject of “love and justice”, He addressed them with another reproach in Luke 11:42.
    “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[ but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things” - Luke 11:42 (NLT).

    If Jesus were to address us today on the same subject of “love and justice” what kind of words would He use? Would He tell us “What sorrow awaits you”? Would He warn us of our “self-righteousness”, “religious appearances”, and “lovers of traditions more than God’s laws”? From a casual survey of the world today, it is highly probable the situation is worse. The words of Prophet Hosea become more critical and urgent – “hold fast to love and justice”. This is not a national call, but a personal one. In all our personal endeavours, let us treat each other fairly (Proverbs 21:3), uphold the truth (Isaiah 1:17). and reflect the nature of God in our lives (Psalm 89:14).

    We need to encourage one another to practice love. May we desire to have love in our hearts and the Holy Spirit will bring this wish to fruition as it is the will of God in Christ Jesus. May we also desire to pursue justice. Let us stand against all forms of oppression corruption and dishonesty. As we desire godliness in our lives, the Holy Spirit will partner with us and our prayers will be answered (Philippians 4:13).

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  2. Last Sabbath I went to church for a rattling good service. Our minister preached a service that was enthusiastic and kept me awake for the whole 40 minutes. And at the end we walked out of the service thanking God that we had just had a great experience.

    Then we entered the real world of interaction with others; family members who want to talk politics, other church members who have a bee in their bonnet about music or doctrinal purity, people who let their cats out at night, kids who put fire-crackers in letterboxes, committees who expect the IT officer to do all the work, and so on. Far away from singing beautiful songs and hearing great sermons about how the Holy Spirit guides us along the way, our Christianity hits the earth with a solid thud!

    This is the arena where the battle is fought with love and justice on one side, and deception and indifference on the other. It is where you have to make on-the-spot decisions that are both fair and just. And it is in this arena where others will see God through the lens that our lives provide.

    We can create great essays on the justice and love of God but the real test is not our eloquence but our actions. Usually at this point someone suggests that we have to rely on the Holy Spirit, and while that is true we often forget that the Holy Spirit typically works through us and not instead of us. Water cannot flow through the pipe if we have turned off the tap.

    Isaiah has this to say about religious observance without a sense of love and justice:

    “Quit your worship charades.
    I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
    Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
    meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
    Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
    You’ve worn me out!
    I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
    while you go right on sinning.
    When you put on your next prayer-performance,
    I’ll be looking the other way.
    No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
    I’ll not be listening.
    And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
    people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
    Go home and wash up.
    Clean up your act.
    Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
    so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
    Say no to wrong.
    Learn to do good.
    Work for justice.
    Help the down-and-out.
    Stand up for the homeless.
    Go to bat for the defenseless. Isaiah 1:13-17 MSG

    ... and in today's secular self-seeking, self-satisfying world, God-fearing, Holy-Spirit-led Christians are needed to get up from their pews and "go to bat for the defenceless"!

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  3. Isaiah 25:1 reminds us to praise God not for circumstances, but for His faithfulness and truth. Even in tough times, we can:
    1. Trust His Plan – He is in control.
    2. Remember His Goodness – Reflect on past victories.
    3. Encourage Others – Share testimonies of His faithfulness.
    Our lives become an offering of praise when we stand for justice, show mercy, and live with integrity (Micah 6:8). Even in trials, faithfulness to God’s ways glorifies Him.

    How has God’s faithfulness helped you keep praising Him even on trials ?

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  4. Although "pain is the cry of life," no one likes to suffer. Pain can lead to excessive self-centering, but God longs to relieve us from that spot. Being thankful amidst tragedy can be the most important step to overcoming traumas. God suffers more than us with our suffering; He's not alienated; he's not simply watching us from above. He feels more than what we feel. He cares. May we learn with our struggles and grow in the knowledge of our most excellent Father.

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  5. This side of Jesus "Second Coming," we can "Never equal His Pattern," at being loving and rigtheous and merciful etc. But if we are "Willing to be made willing" The Holy Spirit will empower us inspite of our weaknesses and faults and mistakes and give us success to live and work for Him and bless others. And when things turn against us as we do this, then we need to trust what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:28 that even this will work for our good.

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  6. In a previous comment, I suggested to see God's character as singularly focused and defined by Love and Righteousness — Love and Justice. I believe this is the most effective way to define His ‘character or nature’ as working/manifesting in our daily lives.

    ‘All that is good, loving, kind, and just’ – all good things - are values expressed by God wholly dedicated to establishing and sustaining His Creation - Gen. 1:31; James 1:17-19. This is why we must ‘hold fast to Love and Justice’ — because they are a mark/evidence of Him in us. Their merit is not our own; it is God’s Goodness and Righteousness working within us and through us.

    Therefor, if we seek to define Him, we can only do so by considering Him to manifest/represent Love, Justice, and Righteousness - all that He is is rooted in them, but the use of these qualities is not ours to judge. His Love and Justice are most powerfully revealed in His Gift of His Son to us. Through Him we can know the Father as He gave us His Holy Spirit to guide us into all Truth.

    Do we still doubt God's unwavering, unchanging care toward us? I consider His Love and Justice as the River of Life nurishing the Tree of Life growing along its banks to bear twelve kinds of fruit — "and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations";
    12 fruit which we know about growing in us as the gift of the Holy Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, long-suffering, gentleness, Faith, Modesty, Self-control, Chastity – all born of His Love - Gal.5:22-23. Rev. 22:1-2; Gen. 3:22, 24; Rev. 2:7; Ezek. 47:12.

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