Setting the Record Straight on Fairness
"God, that's not fair!"
Who first said those words?
Cain.
Genesis 4:11–14 (ESV) And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
You know what's interesting about Cain's complaint?
First: God's punishment wasn't more than he could bear... he went on to build an entire city and have many descendants. Second: God's punishment did not fit the crime. Cain KILLED Abel. In the Old Testament, the law will be spoken from Sinai and even before through Noah; an eye for an eye, life for life. Cain should have been killed. But God did not do it. He gave him less punishment than he deserved and Cain still cried "foul!" in response.
This is part of the fallen nature. "God, you're not being fair!" That is the favorite line of an unrepentant sinner. For if God was ever fair with you, He'd revisit every sin you've ever committed in thought, feeling or deed against someone else. And then He'd have to include the things you should have done and did not do! In that case He'd have to ignore your prayer life for all eternity. That's what would happen if God was to be "fair."
We cannot cry "unfair" to God because we could never bear it if God was fair.
Thankfully, God is MERCIFUL.
The Psalmist said,
Psalm 130:3–4 (ESV) If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
He is the gracious and compassionate God.
Cain was the first to receive mercy, but he received it in vain and lived radically opposed to God for the rest of his life. There would be very little peace for his generations... Only an few sons after Cain, Lamech is seeking 70 times 7 in vengeance for anything done to him. The unrepentant are typically far from merciful.
On the opposite side of Cain is the thief on the cross. He first cursed Christ and later came to the most important revelation of himself:
Luke 23:40–43 (NLT) the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
And the gracious word of God to him was simple and complete forgiveness.
Luke 23:43 (NLT) And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Who first said those words?
Cain.
Genesis 4:11–14 (ESV) And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
You know what's interesting about Cain's complaint?
First: God's punishment wasn't more than he could bear... he went on to build an entire city and have many descendants. Second: God's punishment did not fit the crime. Cain KILLED Abel. In the Old Testament, the law will be spoken from Sinai and even before through Noah; an eye for an eye, life for life. Cain should have been killed. But God did not do it. He gave him less punishment than he deserved and Cain still cried "foul!" in response.
This is part of the fallen nature. "God, you're not being fair!" That is the favorite line of an unrepentant sinner. For if God was ever fair with you, He'd revisit every sin you've ever committed in thought, feeling or deed against someone else. And then He'd have to include the things you should have done and did not do! In that case He'd have to ignore your prayer life for all eternity. That's what would happen if God was to be "fair."
We cannot cry "unfair" to God because we could never bear it if God was fair.
Thankfully, God is MERCIFUL.
The Psalmist said,
Psalm 130:3–4 (ESV) If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
He is the gracious and compassionate God.
Cain was the first to receive mercy, but he received it in vain and lived radically opposed to God for the rest of his life. There would be very little peace for his generations... Only an few sons after Cain, Lamech is seeking 70 times 7 in vengeance for anything done to him. The unrepentant are typically far from merciful.
On the opposite side of Cain is the thief on the cross. He first cursed Christ and later came to the most important revelation of himself:
Luke 23:40–43 (NLT) the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
And the gracious word of God to him was simple and complete forgiveness.
Luke 23:43 (NLT) And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
God has never been fair to any of us. He's been merciful to all of us.
Let's set the record straight, repent and receive His gracious provision in Christ!
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