Fairness?

“If life were fair we would all be hanging on a cross”

J.C. Ryle

Many times through life we look around at others with a bit of envy. Maybe we are sick and see those healthy, or maybe we are in financial trouble and see those with much and think about how unfair life has been to us.

I have been in that very moment many times. In our earthly state we sometimes demand fairness without saying. Fairness can sometimes equal justice. When we look at life past the physical, earthly desires aspect and measure it with scripture we can quickly see that fairness and justice is something we do not truly want for ourselves in all things.

All of mankind fell with Adam in the garden. With that fall came sin. We all have a nature of sin, we are naturally inclined to sin and apart from God all we can do is sin. Even our “righteous” deeds apart from the grace of God are filled with sin. The Prophet Isaiah writes:

“For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” Isaiah 64:6

There is no one exempt from this description. And no one can change this wretched disposition on their own or even have a desire to do so. We sin because we are sinners. And our sin is an attack on God.

Romans 6:23 tells us that “The wages of sin is death”. Does that seem fair to you? Does that seem like justice?

We are not the judge and thankfully so. Many people have different ideas as to what sin is and if each one was made to judge then fairness and justice couldn’t exist because both would be subjective ideas of each person’s wicked heart and mind.

We may desire fairness but God demands justice, and justice is what He will hand down. And with God being the judge of all, fairness would equal punishment.

“Cursed is everyone who hangs upon the trees Galatians 3:13.

With that verse we see the gospel displayed for everyone in the sharpest sense. God’s justice displayed in the death of His Son. The only innocent, the only spotless lamb. Cursed and crucified, made to be sin on behalf of sinners. Fairness vanished like the wind with this act because He took upon Himself the punishment His people deserved.

You do not want fairness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Thankfully God is a God of mercy and grace also. He gives far beyond what we deserve and through the death of Christ we can have punishment removed that was fairly due to us.

I do get it though. Fairness is a human desire. We all want to to be treated equal and to see justice in this life prevail. But we must look beyond our tiny bubble and our wants. We must measure our desires with God’s word and let it be a constant guide. And when we feel that fairness has escaped us, let us remember that Christ hung on the in our place, and God’s wrath was placed