Sproul's Error: "God is non-just"

Sproul’s Error: “God is non-just" 

 

Allow me to begin by affirming Sproul and how much I respect him, his God-given wisdom, and his work. I consider him a man of God and by no means am I throwing the baby out with the bathwater. At the same time, I also don’t want to fall into the category of idolizing (or, fanboying) certain anointed Christians and blindly defending someone. One can be a strong believer with flaws, whether that be one’s belief or character. Church history should reveal that to us.  

Think about the high regard people have shown to John Wesley when his marriage was an absolute disaster (and ironically, he talks about Christian perfectionism). I love Moody’s quote: “If a man doesn’t treat his wife right, I don’t want to hear him talk about Christianity.” Well, Wesley wrote to his wife: “you’re better off dead.” (my paraphrase; here’s the link) ) This is why I believe we should regard Calvin higher than Wesley without considering their theology, but their character and marriage.  

Anyhow, while we should strive to be perfect as God is perfect, holy, and righteous (Matt 5:48; 1 Pet 1:15), we cannot be not perfect in the flesh. So, some people need to be reminded that their favorite pastor or preacher are also fallen people, and fallen people have flaws. Furthermore, I think it is one thing to criticize one’s character (in which we should be a bit more careful about) and another to scrutinize one’s beliefs. There’s an objective component to doctrine, and my criticism does not stem from personal vendetta (I have never met Sproul) or an attempt to defame him but a desire to pursue truth. Shouldn’t all believers do that, in the way of the Bereans who examined Scripture regarding Christ (and by implication, theology)? (Acts 17:10-15) 

 

The Context 

Sproul’s error stems from a teaching series on God’s nature. You’ll find the video and transcript via the link below: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/holiness-of-god/holiness-and-justice  

 

I must affirm that I enjoyed 98% of the lecture. Great stuff overall. But an error is an error. The error is found at the end with the following statement:  

“I’ll close with this: a holy God is both just and merciful—never unjust. There is never an occasion in any page of sacred Scripture where God ever punishes an innocent person. God simply doesn’t know how to be unjust. I thank Him every night that He does know how to be non-just; because mercy is non-justice, but it is not injustice. 

  

So I’ll leave you with this. When you say your prayers, don’t ever ask God to give you justice. He might do it. And if God were to deal with us according to justice, we would perish as swiftly as Nadab and Abihu, and Uzzah, and Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament. But we live by grace, by His mercy, and let’s never forget it. 

 

Again, the video and transcript are available online. I’m not trying to blindly attack him.  

God is non-just? 

I truly believe Sproul had a good understanding of God’s nature, but this claim is absurd, and lowkey blasphemous. It’s one of those “throw-your-bible-out statements.” I once mentioned this quote to a few of my friends (without telling them Sproul said so) and their response was “If God is non just, He’s not God. What is justice?” Spot on, my friends.  Anyway, let’s look deeper into the claim. 

 

First, can God be “non-just”? Is that biblical? Does Scripture categorize Him in a such a manner? How come Sproul uses Scripture for most of his work but not this part? I would think that a big claim such as this should beg for scriptural evidence. Yet, doesn’t Scripture write,  

“Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.” (Rev 16:5 cf. Jer 12:1) 

Umm...unless the angels are wrong, it seems like God is eternally just—not non-just. In fact, Scripture writes, “...true and just are Your judgments!” (Rev 16:7) Isn’t it so simple? God is just and the Bible is clear. Don’t fix something that’s not broken. 

 

Worse off, there are people who take him for his word without examining what he says (and whether it aligns with Scripture) and go out into the world proclaiming: “God is non-just!” or “God is not always just.”  Here’s an example. But seriously, if God is non-just, why bother becoming a Christian?  

 

Second, Sproul contradicted himself. He began the statement affirming that God is just and merciful. He should’ve ended right there. But he didn’t and made a category of “non-justice”. If God is just, how can He be non-just? Justice is justice and justice is not injustice. There’s no in-between, especially when we’re talking about God! If God is good—He is Good eternally as He is the same from eternity past to eternity future. He is eternal in nature (Gen 21:33). He is never non-good. That just makes no sense logically and biblically.  

 

Last, justice and righteousness are married on a lexical basis (dikiaosune). Righteousness= justice. Revelation 16:5 is the perfect example. This passage quotes Jeremiah 12:1, “Righteous are you, O LORD..." Why is it translated as “just are you, O Holy One...” in Revelation 16:5? Because the word for righteous/just is the same word (from the LXX)! It’s diakaios.  Here are some examples for your reference.

• “God is a righteous judge” (Ps 7:11)  

• “…righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.” (Ps 97:2)

• “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.” (Ps 119:5)  

• “Righteous are you, O LORD, and right are your rules.” (Ps 119:137) 

• When Scripture describes God as “the Righteous One” (Prov 21:12; Isa 24:16; Acts 3:14; 7:54; 22:13), it’s same as God being the “Just One”.  

• “Your righteousness is righteous forever” (Ps 119:142)

• "The LORD is righteous in all His ways..." (Ps 145:17)

• “for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that He has done...” (Dan 9:14) 

 

If Scripture affirms God’s righteousness, Scripture affirms God’s justice. Hence, if God is non-just, He is non-righteous. Now that’s purely unbiblical. By the way, I don’t think Sproul believes that God is not righteous, but his rash statement actually implies this.  

 

The Locus (focal point) of the problem 

I hate to say this, but I don’t think Sproul demonstrated an accurate understanding of God’s justice and mercy. In fact, the example he used prior to the quote (about him showing mercy as a professor to students who submitted their papers late) was terrible. The problem lies in a presupposition, that is, God’s justice demands instantaneous action. He believes that (1) since God is just and the standard of good and evil, and (2) we are fallen human beings in sin, (therefore) God’s justice demands instant eradication/punishment. But when God shows mercy and does not wipe us out, God is suppressing His justice in favor of mercy and grace—thus “non-just”. And somehow, we should not pray for God’s justice as He might kill us like how He killed Sapphira. 

 

But wait, aren’t our sins atoned for by Jesus on the Cross? I’m not sure if the same applies to Ananias and Sapphira given how Satan filled their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5: 3).  

 

I’m baffled by this because Sproul interprets Scripture brilliantly before the end of his lecture, and somehow, he got to this without any scriptural reference. He conflated justice with “imminent destruction/retribution” but this is how God describes Himself,   

““The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exo 34:6-8) 

 

The fact that God does not clear the guilty means that He is just and righteous. Scripture does not prescribe God as having the obligation to zap anyone immediately in response to His justice. God remains just and righteous while merciful irrespective of instant retribution. (shoutout to Nathan Reyes for pointing this out clearly) 

 

Consider Romans 2:5, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.” Just because God has not fully revealed His wrath does not mean He is non-just. If Paul (and other biblical authors) had an ounce of belief that God is non-just, that would’ve been clear. No, Scripture unanimously presents God as righteous and just.

 

Think of a court. Just because a judge doesn't instantly condemn a mass murderer does not mean he did not administer justice. If God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8), He is righteous/just eternally. He is the Righteous One eternally. He cannot be righteous and act non-righteous. Hence, He cannot be non-just, or He’s not God. As mentioned above, the fact that there is eternal judgment means that God is just, but that He is also “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exo 34:6) Certainly, believers will not taste that because of Christ’s atonement, but that’s precisely an example of God’s justice and mercy being displayed together! Both the Cross and final judgment attests to God’s mercy and justice working together.  

Donald Macleod states:

“The antithesis between mercy and righteousness is a false one. The true opposite of mercy is not righteousness, but cruelty; and the true opposite of righteousness is not mercy, but unrighteousness or injustice.”

 

Verdict:  

While Sproul may have thanked God for being non just, I thank God every day for His justice! Ultimately, I thank God for His justice through Christ’s propitiation—that He took on my sin in my place, so I am not considered as an enemy of God (cf. Rom 5:10) but as His child and friend, that I am righteous in His sight not by my works but by His grace (cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9). Let’s never forget who God is—that He is righteous and just.  

 

 

 

The "Problem" of Evil?

 

Hello friends! Just wanted to share a recent video I made concerning the "problem" of evil, in which I argue that evil isn't a problem for God but a pointer to God. This is the first complete apologetics video I made, so please have a look!

“Ministers, Read the Bible!” (One-Year plan included)

 “Ministers, Read the Bible!” (One-Year plan included)

At the bottom of this article is a link to a 1-year Bible Reading plan that I made (technically speaking, modified). I don't think it is God's mandate for believers to read Scripture once a year, but for those in full-time ministry or aspiring to be in full-time ministry or serving as elders/pastors/deacons (even though all believers are supposedly ministers of God…)—I encourage you to read Scripture once a year. Here's why:

 

1.    Knowing Scripture by Heart

It is written, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” (Ps 119:105) and that God’s word is “…profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17)

 

If we desire to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord” (2 Pet 3:18) and to develop any sort of intimacy with the Holy Spirit, we have to know Scripture. I think there can be a difference between knowing and understanding Scripture. Understanding and interpreting Scripture accurately can sometimes require a careful study of each passage in light of God’s Word as a whole and a careful understanding of how different words are used (especially in the original languages).

 

However, I also firmly believe that one who has the skills to understand Scripture may not necessarily know Scripture well—that he/she has not kept God’s Word as the lamp to one’s feet and as the light to one’s path. Ultimately, one’s engagement with Scripture enables one to engage the Word of God—Jesus Christ—through Scripture. Thus, knowing Scripture is more than understanding the authorial intent of God’s Word, though that is important, but a means to know who God is—as that is revealed in His Word.

 

And the only way (and best way?) to know God’s Word is to spend time in His Word! It takes steady, dedicated time and memory to know Scripture by heart. This is why I propose my plan so that one may read Scripture once a year as it provides a structure and rhythm of steady engagement with Scripture every day.

 

 

2.   Setting an Example

As ministers of God, we are representatives of God (though our eyes should be ultimately set on Christ, the Head of the church). As Paul says in 1 Cor 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ,” or “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us,” (Phil 3:17) we should be living examples demonstrating the character and faithfulness of Christ. By the way, Jesus knew Scripture really well as a man (yes, He’s God…but as a man) through His answers and understanding (cf. Lk 2:47). Though inspired by the Holy Spirit, He engaged with Scripture (LXX) prior to His ministry. We should imitate Christ as our brothers and sisters imitate us.

 

On the flip side, if we don’t regularly and fruitfully engage with Scripture, how then can we instruct others to engage in God’s Word?

 

3.   Revisiting All of Scripture (whole counsel of God?)

I can’t believe I’ve met pastors who’ve said, “the last time I read that book (in the Bible…I think it was Lamentations or Zephaniah) was years ago.” I thought: “I can’t believe you’re a pastor.”

 

When Paul mentions the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), I don’t think that refers to all of Scripture, as in, the entire Bible. But as ministers, (supposedly) being “able to teach” (1 Tim 3:2), I struggle to comprehend how we do not engage with the entire Bible regularly. Yes, the Bible is a tome, but shouldn’t we try our best to know ALL of God’s Word to the best of our abilities—even the likes of Zephaniah or Esther or Onesimus (Philemon) and the “elect lady” in 2 John 1?

 

4.   A Sign of Commitment

Allow me to raise my hands (feel free to picture that) and admit that Scripture  (written by the end of the First Century) has no direct exhortation for Christians to read all of God’s Word once a year—because God’s Word was not available for the believers in the early church! Some of the early church may have only had a few epistles! But what do we have now? We have Scripture in all kinds of forms (such as journals, online versions and so on?), just listening to it for half an hour a day gets will get us through the whole of Scripture in a year. 

I think devoting ourselves to Scripture, whether once a year or something, can serve a sign of our commitment and treasuring of God’s Word! And honestly, how can one commit to anything if one can’t commit to the simple task (physically simple…though spiritually challenging at times) of reading Scripture regularly and engaging with Him—the One whom we claim to love?

Let me present a passage that is not contextually connected with this article's topic: Hebrews 12:4, "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." The author of Hebrews (Barnabas maybe? jk, it's probably Apollos) is stating that their quest of sanctification hasn't been that bad—it's not like they're dying in their struggle against sin. With a similar logic, I'd like to say: "your daily reading of Scripture and engagement with God has not come to the point of shedding blood as well" so why not engage with Him more?

 

From my experience with believers in countries where Scripture is illegal, I can testify to how they have truly dedicated themselves to God’s Word! Some read Scripture a few times a year because that is truly the most important thing in their lives! God’s word is truly more precious than gold to them (cf. Ps 19:10). One of my favorite Bible scholars, Craig Keener, was noted to have read 40 chapters a day when he first encountered God.

 

 

Ministers, may we truly pursue God and His Word to the best of our abilities. And if this is reading His Word once a year, so be it. I do not want to sound legalistic, or perhaps this is my own bias, but I think reading Scripture once a year only produces fruit without harm. I know churches that mandate their pastors and staff to read Scripture once a year, and I think that's great. 

 

Click HERE for the link to my 1-year Bible Reading plan:

 

WHEN FAITH MEETS THEOLOGY (and Vice-Versa)

 

When Faith meets Theology and Vice-Versa

 I oftentimes run into (more or less) two groups of Christians: 1) believers emphasizing faith & 2) believers emphasizing theology. By faith, oftentimes this refers to one’s relationship with God—how one engages, experiences, and encounters God on a daily basis.[1] Theology, on the other hand, defined as the study and understanding of God (theos + logos) that is ultimately based on Scripture, deals more (not entirely) with the conceptual and perhaps, even intellectual in some cases. In short, faith = how God works and moves in the believer’s life and theology = who God is and what He does.[2]

Even when it comes to preaching and preachers, some tend to stress on stories and experiences, capturing what the Lord has been practically doing in one’s life, while others can be more theological, emphasizing on concepts, terms, and Scripture that is more “up in the air”.

 

Allow me to use another example. Some Bible studies are “inductive”, where a group of believers gather together and simply share anything upon coming to a certain passage—oftentimes more experiential and related to their life. At the same time, there are some “deductive” bible studies are crafted with actual questions and answers geared towards unpacking every little detail of a certain passage.

 

 While “faith” and “theology” could at times be juxtaposed at different ends of a spectrum, my goal in this article is to present that there is an intertwined relationship between the two, and there is massive importance for every believer to understand how faith shapes one’s theology and vice-versa.

 

Faith impacts Theology

Just as Paul came to have faith in God through encountering the risen Christ (Acts 9), I believe the reason why most Christians are Christians—one people who pledges allegiance to King Jesus—is ultimately because of an experience and encounter with the living God. This is oftentimes called a testimony.

 

At the same time, Paul had a theology before he had faith in Christ (e.g.: Acts 8, Gal 1-2), and his theology ended up being completely changed by his encounter with Jesus (e.g.: Gal 2; 1 Tim 1:13-16). In the same way, one’s experiences in life with Christ can impact one’s understanding of God.

 

For example, one who sees a “believer” who was once extremely passionate for God—only to fall away into sin and ultimately denounce Him—may believe a “theology” that one can lose one’s salvation. Or one who comes to find unconditional love and acceptance in the church may eventually understand the biblical and theological notion of God being love (1 Jn 4:8). Or, on a contrary note, a believer who has been continuously struggling with sin in his/her walk with God, may struggle with the theological notion of how we can have complete victory over sin (e.g.: 1 Cor 10:13; 1 Jn 1-2).

 

My goal here is to illustrate that, when a Christian speaks of his/her faith (whether personal or communal), even if one does not intend to make a theological claim (who God is objectively and ontologically; or “what I believe about God to be true”), there is a “theology” presented beneath one’s faith. It is impossible for one to detach one’s “personal” faith with theology, one’s understanding of God. (even if one says: "I love Jesus", this presents a theological idea that "God is loveable", that He is personal and can be loved—denying agnosticism and pantheism.)

 

Thus, if there are some particular theology (maybe...Christology—study/understanding pertaining to Christ; Pneumatology—understanding of the Holy Spirit etc.) that you do not quite understand or reason with, maybe that's because there are some conflicts or incongruences with the outlook of your relationship with God. In other words, maybe you're not living out your faith right. (If I haven't prayed for forgiveness, I might lean towards believing that God doesn't really forgive me.)

Theology impacts Faith

Vice-versa, one’s understanding of God—or who I think God is (“theology”)—affects one’s (alleged) daily walk with God. Even if one fully professes to be Christian and has committed oneself to live for Jesus and not for oneself, one’s understanding of Him impacts how one’s faith is played out on a day-to-day basis.

 

For example, if one believes that “to love one’s neighbor” is ultimately accepting them and all their behavior (good and bad), and that, when Jesus tells us “do not judge” (Matt 7; Lk 6), it means that we are not to criticize people—then 1) this belief may misread, ignore, or downplay certain aspects of Scripture that present otherwise. 2) More importantly, this believer would likely live out his/her “faith” applying such theological beliefs.

 

Thus, given that theology impacts faith—our experience, engagement, and encounter with Christ—the quantity and quality of one’s everyday faith is oftentimes reflected by what they believe. With the example above, if “love” only means “acceptance”, that “God accepts me and whatever I do”, then this person may not actually experience God well, as love isn’t merely acceptance; this person may not really experience God’s love in any meaningful way.

Here are more examples: 

If a believer believes in a theology that God doesn't heal, he/she may not engage as much in praying for them. 

If a believer believes that God doesn't really care who one dates and marries, one may live out one's faith as more casual relationally, with lower standards—perhaps not actively seeking God's will in one's love life.

If a believer believes that one is still a sinner after coming to know Jesus—and not a saint—this one may be more tolerable to sin in one's life, since "I'm just a sinner anyway."

All to say, if you are struggling with your faith and having difficulties in your experiential side of God, maybe that’s a theological issue—maybe there are obstacles in your understanding of Jesus.

 

Conclusion: 2 Peter 1:2 + 3:18

 

A famous passage (sometimes overlooked) is 2 Peter 3:18, which writes:” But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” Literally, Peter is commanding (αὐξάνετε—in the imperative, functioning as a command) the believers to increase in grace and also knowledge of Jesus! As believers, we ought to grow in knowledge of God, to know more about Him as that impacts our relational “knowing” of Him on a day to day basis.

 

What’s interesting, however, is how this passage connects with 2 Peter 1:2: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” Both “grace” (or “favor) and “peace” have an experiential component. We experience the grace and peace of God (e.g.: Phil 4:7) in our faith—our walk with God. Yet, according to 2 Peter 1:2, this experience is multiplied in our knowledge and understanding of God, once again reflecting the intertwined relationship between faith and theology.

 

Therefore, when Peter exhorts us in 2 Peter 3:18 to grow in grace and knowledge, I don’t think he’s presenting the two as separate identities. I think he is treating the two closely—that, as we grow in the grace/favor of God (faith), we grow in knowledge (theology); and when we grow in the knowledge of God (theology), we grow in His grace and peace (faith).

 

 

The relationship between faith and theology is oftentimes a spiral. Both influence each other. When one's faith meets theology, both one's faith and theology are impacted.  

 

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[1] The basis for this definition mainly arises from how “faith” is used in: Rom 1:8; 1:12; Phil 1:27; 2:17; Col 1:4; 1:23; 2:5-7; 1 Thess 1:8; 3:1-10; 2 Thess 3:2 etc.

[2] I fully acknowledge that this is a super simplified definition of faith (πιστις) and theology (θεος λογος).