We Want Justice!

We Want Justice!

Jeffrey Epstein hung himself while waiting for trial on sex trafficking charges. His victims, young girls who were in their teens when he raped them and forced them to have sex with other rich and powerful men were robbed of justice. It’s not fair! This slime bag pedophile escaped justice and he avoided spending the rest of his life in prison by taking the easy way out. His victims were robbed of justice. Yes, even those of us who had nothing to do with the case feel robbed of justice and we want justice! We want justice! We want justice!

Where does this sense of justice come from? For those of you who tell me everything is relative, where does justice come from? It can’t just come from you and me. Jeffrey Epstein thought it was perfectly alright for grown men to have sex with underage girls. His relativity outlook allowed him to think this and act upon it. But was he right? Of course not! Most of us realize that pedophilia is a horrific crime. It is a great sin. Everything is not relative. There is right and wrong. There is absolute truth and it is absolutely wrong for men to have sex with minors.

Relativity Is Bogus

Just this one example of the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein proves that relativity is bogus. It is not you believe what you believe and I believe what I believe. No, we know that men having sex with children and teenagers is wrong. We know this is wrong because we have a God-given conscience. We have morale standards because the great Creator God who made us in His image gives them to us. You know right from wrong and you know there are absolutes. Jeffrey Epstein was absolutely wrong and we want justice.

Frankly, God will greatly punish unrepentant monsters like Jeffrey Epstein who die in their sins. Jesus talked about degrees of Hell and listen to what He said concerning those who lead children astray: And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin (Luke 17:1-2).

Jeffrey Epstein hung himself to escape justice, but he unknowingly ended up facing his Maker who is just, righteous and good. Because God is a good God, He does punish sin. Jeffrey Epstein is suffering the torments of Hell and he will do so forever. He wanted to escape justice, but he will suffer unimaginable pain and suffering forever and ever. Instead of escaping, he is receiving justice like he never thought was possible.

Jeffrey Epstein Will Beg For Relief But Will Not Find Any

Epstein will receive no rest day or not. He will cry out for relief, for even just a drop of water, but he will not receive any. His time for mercy is over. Epstein’s chance to repent and turn to Christ Jesus is over. Those who die in their sins in their rebellion against God receive no second chances. You must repent and surrender your life to Jesus in this life.

We want justice! We want justice! Yes, we want justice when it comes to serial rapists, pedophiles like Jeffrey Epstein. We want justice when it comes murders, thieves and robbers. Yes, we want justice when we have been wronged. We even want justice when horrendous crimes are committed against people that we don’t even know (like Epstein’s victims, we want justice for them). Yes, we want justice! But do we want justice all the time? Do we still want justice when we are the ones in the wrong?

When you accidentally bang your car door into a friend’s car, do you want justice? Do you want them to unload on you with both barrels? The times that you drive over the speed limit, do you beg a police officer or highway patrolman to give you a ticket? If you told a lie to your boss, would you really want to be fired? If you were caught cheating on an exam, would want justice and the university to kick you out of school?

Do We Want Justice When We’ve Wronged Others?

I’m giving these examples because we have an innate sense of justice. We want a perpetrator to pay when we’ve been done wrong. We want justice. But when it comes to us being the guilty party, we no longer want justice. No, then we want mercy. When we’ve wronged others, we don’t cry out “We want justice!” No, we beg for mercy when we are the one harming or injuring others instead of being the injured party.

I’m here to warn you that it’s not just pedophiles like Jeffrey Epstein who suffer in Hell after they die. No, all unrepentant sinners go there. Murderers, rapists, pedophiles, pornography lovers, sexually immoral people, adulterers, homosexuals, idolaters, drunkards, thieves and liars. Yes, you heard me correctly, even liars.

None of us are perfect, but say you went through your whole life and never committed a single sin except for one time you told a little white lie. That one tiny little lie would be enough to cause you to suffer eternal damnation. You may protest saying that isn’t fair. How could God send someone to Hell for one little white lie? He could do so because He is that Holy! God cannot tolerate sin. Yes, one little lie would be enough to damn you forever.

We’ve Don So Much Worse Than Telling One Lie

But let’s face it, you’ve done so much worse than that. I’ve done so much worse than telling lies. I’d be mortified if you knew all the sins that I’ve committed in my life; through my thoughts, words and actions. But I don’t have to worry about those. I’ve been saved. My sins have been forgiven. God has cast my sins as far as the East is from the West and He no longer holds those against me. That doesn’t give me a license to sin. No, it’s just the opposite. Because God saved me and forgave my sins, I want to honor and obey Him. My desire is to sin less, not sin at will.

God doesn’t cast away my sins for any goodness of my own. No, God has forgiven me because I have repented from my sins and put my faith in Jesus Christ. He is Lord of my life. God now sees me through the righteousness of Jesus. My Lord and Savior took the punishment that I deserve.

Jesus nailed my sins to the cross (Colossians 2:14) when He suffered, bled and died as a propitiation for our sin. Propitiation means the wrath was satisfied. God’s anger over sin was satisfied when He poured His anger over sin out upon Jesus as the sinless Son of God hung on that cruel cross. That is, for those who repent and put their faith in Jesus.

Everlasting Life

Jesus died, was buried and rose again the third day. Students, God offers everlasting life to all who repent and put their trust in Jesus. He is the only Savior; there is no other. It’s either salvation or damnation. Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan when He rose from the grave the third day. Repent from your sins and surrender your life to Jesus Christ the Lord. Do this today and be saved.

We want justice when it comes to the crimes and sins of others. But we want mercy when it comes to ourselves. Do not foolishly go through your life as a rebel against God. Don’t die in your sins and join Jeffrey Epstein in Hell. Do not receive the eternal punishment that you deserve.

No, cry out for God to save you. Recognize that you are a sinner. That you have offended a Holy and righteous God. You may not be anywhere close to being as evil as Jeffrey Epstein, but you have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. God’s standard is perfection and none of us are even close to that lofty standard.

Repent And Put Your Faith In Jesus

Cry out for God to save you. Repent from your sins and believe the Gospel. Stop trusting in yourself. Don’t trust in your good works. You cannot earn God’s favor. You cannot work your way to Heaven. Salvation is of the Lord and you must come to Him His way – through repentance and faith. We are to have repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).

Yes, we want justice in this life, but we sure don’t want justice when it comes to ourselves and we really don’t want God’s justice for all of eternity. I’m pleading with you to see yourself as God sees you. Most people proclaim themselves good in their own eyes. But none of us are good. Your very best is as filthy rags to God.

This doesn’t mean doing good is wrong. It means that God is so Holy that my very best, your very best looks filth in comparison to the perfect Creator. Unlike you and I who are sinful, God is Holy. He never has a wicked thought. He is just and right in all that He does. Unrepentant sinners deserve eternal punishment for their sins, for their rebellion against God. Everyone suffering the flames of Hell deserves to be there for rejecting the great salvation that is found in Christ alone.

Mercy Is What You Need Instead Of Justice

You may want justice here on earth, but you do not want justice from Almighty God when it comes to your own sins. You want mercy. Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14). Oh, don’t be like the Pharisee wanting justice for everyone else but thinking you are better than others. No, humble yourself. Humble yourself today.

Repent From Your Sins And Surrender Your Life To Jesus

Cry out for God to have mercy upon you. Repent from your sins and surrender your life fully and completely to Jesus Christ the Lord. Then go out and tell others what great things the Lord has done for you. Share the glorious Gospel with others. Tell friends, family and strangers alike that they too can be forgiven.

Their sins can be washed white as snow. That is, if they repent and trust Jesus. Tell them of God’s great love, mercy and grace. Warn others to flee from God’s eternal justice by crying out for His mercy. Plead with them to repent and believe the Gospel. Just like you and me; God’s Mercy is what they need, not God’s righteous justice. We may want justice, but mercy, God’ mercy is what we need.

(This message was proclaimed at Missouri State University on August 21, 2019)