George God of Justice

1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8308-9865-7
Verlag: InterVarsity Press
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 125 Seiten

Readers' Choice Award Winner The level of injustice in the world is staggering. The church can respond. International Justice Mission (IJM) has rescued thousands of people from oppression and violence. IJM also partners with thousands of churches to help them live out the mandate of Isaiah 1:17: to seek justice, rescue the oppressed and care for orphans and widows. Christians need to be equipped and mobilized to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are vulnerable and oppressed. The God of Justice is a twelve-session, discussion-based curriculum from IJM that explores the biblical narrative of justice throughout the whole of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. Through the participatory study of Scripture, Christians will explore God's call to engage in bringing about justice on earth. While coming to a deeper knowledge and understanding of biblical justice, participants will draw personal application for the pursuit of justice ministry in their individual lives and the wider church. Prepare to have your heart and mind engaged, to be instructed by Scripture, and to be challenged by real-life stories of people freed by the God of justice. This curriculum will help you and your church bring freedom, restoration and reconciliation to those in need. Discover how God reveals himself to those who join him on his justice journey!

Abraham George is director of international church mobilization at International Justice Mission. He travels internationally to support IJM's field offices in leading conferences, facilitating pastoral trainings and connecting church leaders in the biblical work of justice.

Autoren/Hrsg.

George, Abraham

Leseproben

1

God the Creator

“That is not fair!” toddlers scream. Each time I hear it, it amazes me that kids so young seem to have been born with an innate sense of fairness or justice. Usually it’s defined as, “Am I getting what I want? Are you getting more than me?” And there is something about this passion that strikes me as something that must reflect God.

Yet our world dissolves absolutes and the definition of justice can become cloudy and confusing. One person’s striving for justice tramples on another’s freedom. We celebrate inclusivity of ideas, honor and respect different religions and cultures, and avoid judgment, hoping that makes everything good.

However, even as we become a society of many ideas and shy away from absolute truths, there are some things that we can and should agree on as a whole: it’s not okay for someone to own another human being; the exploitation of children for their labor or their bodies is not permissible; violence is not acceptable. But where does this sense of the inherent worth of people come from?

This session will take us to a deeper look at some of God’s original intentions and hopes for humanity.

As you begin this session, take a moment to think about what you hope to gain or understand through your learning about God and justice. Record some of your thoughts below.

What I know about justice:

What I would like to know or understand through this study:

What questions I’m hoping to have answered:

Read

Genesis 1:1-2, 11-12, 26-31; 2:1-3

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

11Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation; seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

2Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

2By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Psalm 139:13-16

13For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

15My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

16Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

Reflect

Question #1: What characteristics of God do we see emerge from these two passages?

God’s creation reveals his CHARACTER. These two passages introduce us to God the Creator. In Genesis, we see the power of God; he can create simply by speaking. In the psalm, we see the love and tenderness of God as he carefully crafts each individual. But more than anything, these passages teach us to view creation through God’s eyes and to look for the goodness that he has poured into his creation. This session focuses on how the creation story reveals the dignity and value of each person. This will be explored through four key messages that come out of the scriptural story of creation.

Question #2: In Genesis, God says that his creation is “good.” In what ways is this true when you look at the world around you?

God’s creation reflects his GOODNESS. These two passages of Scripture reveal the act of creation as God’s outpouring of his character in material form. We see God’s goodness inhabiting all creation. In these verses, we see the unimaginable beauty and goodness of God: it takes a whole universe to reflect the many ways in which he is good.

It is important to notice that in the biblical account the creation of humanity is not a reaction to sin, nor is it the byproduct of war and violence as there was no violence or evil in God. In the Bible, we see that the true creation is the establishment of what is good by a God who is only good. This is seen in the continual refrain of Genesis 1: “And God saw that it was good.” He did not create something that was both good and bad, but something that was altogether good. The creation story—as depicted in Genesis and the Psalms—teaches us about the character of God, that he is powerful and caring, mighty and tender.

Question #3: Look again at the Genesis passage. How does God respond to his creation in verse 31? What does this indicate about God’s value of humanity?

Creation reveals the DIGNITY and VALUE of humanity. Both the passage from Genesis and from Psalms teach us about the dignity of humanity. As Psalm 139 teaches us, each of us is intricately woven by God. He creates each one of us carefully in his own image (Genesis 1:27). These truths give incredible value to each individual. When we look around us, we should be able to see each other as a reflection of God’s goodness, as people individually and carefully crafted by our Maker. We are all deeply loved by God.

God’s creation teaches us that humans have inherent value that is not dependent on what we can do, say or achieve. We do not have to do anything for God to consider us good. Instead we are good because we are created by God.

God’s creation teaches us that humans have inherent value that is not dependent on what we can do, say or achieve. In fact, in verse 31 God says that the creation of humans was “very good”—the very best of his creation. This means that as humans made in God’s image, our value comes not from what we achieve, what family we are from or what other people think about us, but our value is woven into the fabric of our being. We do not have to do anything for God to consider us good. Instead, we are good because we are created by God. Creation teaches us that no person, no circumstance and no harsh word can diminish the value and dignity that God has woven into us.

Question #4: What do these passages teach us about people? When you look at the world around you, what are some ways that you see people treating each other that seem to contradict this truth?

God’s mandate to humankind to procreate shows us that each new creation is a new source of goodness and is a good thing by itself. This should encourage us, when we look at ourselves and when we look at our neighbors, to see beings of the utmost beauty and value to God. These truths give us a remarkable foundation for treating others with immense dignity and respect. The knowledge that we are made in God’s image and that God takes great care and delight over each detail of his creation will become vital later on when we look at why God hates injustice.

A church in London called Holy Trinity Brompton was putting on a huge worship event in the city to be held in the Royal Albert Hall, a huge and very beautiful concert hall. However, many more people signed up for the event than they were expecting. The organizers were left wondering how to seat these extra guests. Eventually, they decided to ask Buckingham Palace for permission to use the royal boxes. These are special, private balconies reserved for use by royals, heads of state and highly honored guests like Nelson Mandela and the president of the United States, so they were not sure what the answer would be. Buckingham Palace responded that yes, they may...