Justifying the Wicked, Condemning the Just Prov 17:15 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

The wicked are to be condemned in God’s law – examples – Deut 21:20-21 where parents of a child turn him over to be stoned because he is an incorrigible glutton and drunkard [this would be terribly hard but it had to be done] – Num 15:32-36 a man was killed for gathering sticks on the sabbath – Num 16:31-35 the death of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram for rebellion against the Lord and Moses – Gen 18:20-21 the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah.

The just are to be justified in God’s law – examples – Pilate said about Jesus, “I find no fault in this man” – Festus said about Paul that he had committed nothing worthy of death – Ex 23:7 “Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and the righteous slay thou not; for I will not justify the wicked” – Deut 19:4-10 cities of refuge were designated to keep from shedding the innocent blood.

In society, laws sometimes condemn the just and justify the wicked – Pharisees [Lk 16:15], and lawyers [Lk 10:25-29] condemned Jesus [Jn 19:7] – Jezebel and Naboth [1 Ki 21:7-10] – example of justifying the wicked [Acts 12:20-22] – what does that say about the society – it is abomination to the Lord – calling evil good and good evil [Is 5:20] – what happens to the country – it gets destroyed.

In the United States of America – homosexuality is an alternative lifestyle – the wicked are justified – preachers have been arrested in Pennsylvania for simply reading scripture in a permitted area with a license – the just are condemned – there is more of a tendency toward this sort of thing – we’re not there yet, though, consider – In Bulgaria, Harlan Popov was arrested (the just was condemned) – In Romania, Richard Wurmbrand (the just was condemned) – both of these were condemned by the communist government – Jeremiah was jailed by the government (the just was condemned).

Justifying a wicked man is just as bad – that’s letting a wicked man off the hook when you know he’s guilty – Jesus would not justify the Pharisees (how can you escape hell) – Paul would not justify the fornicator in 1 Cor 5 even though he was saved – we justify the wicked when we condone the wickedness that they do (friendship with the world) – courts allow gambling, strip joints, pornography (the wicked are justified) – these give reason to be concerned about our old country – this is a bad trend that we need to be praying about.

But in salvation, thank God, the condemned are justified after receiving Jesus Christ – 1 Pet 3:18 the just died for the unjust – Rom 5:8-9 Christ justified sinners.

Yet those without Jesus Christ are condemned already – Jn 3:18, 36 – and God will not justify them apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ.