Why this Sense of Justice?

Question:

First, this site is useful!

Second, I have a few (philosophical/Biblical) questions:

1) Why did God create us with a sense of justice (not happy when others steal [our] own items)? Doesn’t that mean God’s laws are arbitrary?

2) Since only God existed for eternity, does that mean that God’s laws are arbitrary (as he can create universes based on his laws)?

Answer:

Part of the problem here is that the sense of justice the world has adopted is false. In God’s system, every wrong action has a negative consequence. That is why it is wrong. That is not arbitrary law; it is natural or consequential. God did not one day sit back and say:

“I am God; I can make whatever laws I want. Let’s see – I’ll make two lists what is right and what is wrong. What is right will be right because I said so and what is wrong will be wrong because I said so.”

No, He designed His universe in a certain way based on the fundamental law of love which is His own character (God is love 1 John 4:8). He did all of this for the happiness of His creation. Anytime, His children do something wrong it hurts them – they and or someone else suffers. And, it hurts God just as we hurt when our children do something wrong and are hurt. We do the best we can to heal that hurt and God does the same. Really, that is His justice – see the definitions for justice and law in the Character of God and Gospel Glossary on my site.

That man’s justice is not God’s can be seen verses such as:

“And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.” (Matt 5:40)

God would not have created us with one sense of justice and then counsel us to use another system. Of course, this raises questions because of what the Bible sometimes says. For example:

“Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” (Gen 9:6)

That sounds more like the system of justice we are familiar with. But that must be seen for what it is – one of many examples of God’s accommodation of our wayward ways – see more examples at: https://characterofgod.org/gods-accommodation-for-man/ and more discussion of the topic at: https://characterofgod.org/love-allows-for-growth/

We need to be careful of the sense of justice we use:

“For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Matt 7:2)

I think your second question is answered above as well. Just one additional comment on it: the word “universe” can be seen as “uni-verse” or “one voice.”  There are not multiple universes (in my understanding – we get that sort of idea from science fiction). There is one voice that spoke everything into existence:

“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” (Psa 33:6)

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Heb 11:3)