Day 20 – For Those Of Us Who Think God Isn’t Fair

Read

Romans 3:23-28

Reflect

Ever wish the Christian faith was more ‘fair’? Or that God was?

How many times have you heard (or thought):

It’s not fair that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Can’t there be multiple paths?
It’s not fair that people have to be ‘forgiven’ for their sins.
It’s not fair that Christianity claims to be ‘the’ path to God.

Read today’s passage. While it’s a text you’ve been getting familiar with this week, look at what it says about fairness.

Could anything be more fair than Jesus offering himself as a sacrifice for your sin (maybe not fair to God, but fair to you)?

Consider this:

You didn’t earn your salvation.
God paid a price you couldn’t pay.
He paid the price not just for you, but for everybody.
Everybody’s sin is covered by Jesus’s sacrifice.
The only response we need to offer is to believe that Jesus shed his blood for us, trusting him as our Saviour.
Anyone who believes in Christ is saved.
I just have to ask this: could anything be fairer?

Could anything be more open, more inclusive or more fair than what God did for us on the cross? It doesn’t matter where you were born, what you believed before or what you did. He loves you. He includes you. He cares about you. He died for you.

Could anything be better news for everyone?

I think God is more than fair.

Far more fair than I would have been.

Respond

Belong – Because you can belong before you believe.
Do you see God as unfair? How does the passage and reflection today reshape that view? Does his love for you help you change your mind about him?

Believe – Because those who belong often start to believe.
If believing that God is unfair is holding you back from drawing closer to him, how does today’s devotion change that? What’s keeping you from running deeper into the arms of a God who loves you?

Become – Because those who believe can become someone new.
Do you ever feel like you can’t share your faith with friends because they perceive Christianity to be ‘exclusive’ or ‘unfair’? How does today’s passage change your thinking? What will you say next time that objection comes up?

Loving God, thank you for including me and everyone else in your plan of salvation. Help me to see how loving, inclusive and fair you really are. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

– by Carey Nieuwhof