The Doctrine of No Fair

How many times have you heard the phrase, “that’s not fair!”? How many times have you said it? Most of the time I hear it from kids who don’t want to do something or want something they can’t have. “That’s not fair!” they complain. “It doesn’t matter!” exasperated parents (and siblings!) shout- “Life’s not fair, so you better get used to it!” Somehow though, no matter how many people seem to know that life’s not fair, I don’t think many grasp just how ‘unfair’ it really is.

Rain falls, sun shines

Every last person on earth has experienced God’s grace. It’s called Common Grace. The Bible says that God sends rain and sunshine to the evil and the good both, the just and the unjust alike. (Matt. 5:45) Seriously, we are created beings who are in constant rebellion against their Creator who is Mighty, Just, and Holy; I’d say that it is very gracious of God to give life (everyone alive is alive, right?), liberty (a will to make decisions), and (at least the potential for a little) happiness to us. That’s not fair. We don’t deserve it. We deserve at least a lifetime of drought and darkness- and an eternity of torment. But He doesn’t do that- just wait, it gets better.

Totally not fair

Ever think about all the people who will spend eternity in torment and isolation from God? Most Christians don’t really like to think of it: it’s too uncomfortable. But hell is an uncomfortable reality so we have to treat it like one. “But a good God wouldn’t send good people to hell, right?” Right? Wrong! Firstly, there are no good people for all have sinned. (Rom. 3:23) Secondly, a truly good and holy God can’t leave sin unpunished. It wouldn’t be right; it also would be against His Divine Nature. So hell and punishment are fair. Chores are fair because for one, you ought to be grateful to your parents for birthing you and raising you, providing a roof for you, and all the million and ten other things they do. You really ought to be driven to do more for them out of gratitude. All analogies are flawed, so I'll point out this one's problems- Parents do owe their children some if not most of these things. But Children owe their parents obedience and respect. God doesn't owe us anything, he gives us gifts, salvation included, because He wants to. It shows us His glory. We don't owe God anything for it in the sense that He paid it all and we cannot earn our salvation. But we do owe Him love, honor, praise, and obedience because He paid such a great price for us we want to show Him our gratitude.

So do you want to know what really isn’t fair? Jesus dying on the cross and paying the penalty for our sins. That’s what’s not fair.

More abundant life

However much we don’t deserve it, God didn’t stop at common grace. He made it possible for us to not only have a ‘decent’ life, but to have life ‘more abundantly’, forever and ever. (John 10:10) People in heaven one day (and now even) won’t look back and think, “Wow, I wonder why God punished all those people instead of bringing them all here to heaven, how totally not fair!”, they’ll think, “Wow, I wonder why God punished all those people, but saved me. I’m so glad He did!” If life was fair, I don’t think we’d like it half as well as we think we would. Wasn't it a special thing when your mom took you with her to town and got you ice-cream, but none of the other kids get it? That wasn’t fair (as in equal to the others and, admit it, you probably didn't deserve it anyway), but it was nice (and presumably fun, right?)

A form of non-justice

In closing, I’d like to mention something I really liked in R. C. Sproul’s book ‘Chosen by God’. It’s a diagram of Justice and Non-justice. The first circle contains Justice, which would be punishment, vengeance, and recompensation. The second circle, the non-justice circle, is divided into halves. One half contains Injustice, but the other side is Mercy. Mercy isn’t justice, but it is good and wonderful and brings God glory. We will always praise Him for it, I guess the real question isn’t “Why isn’t life fair”, or “why doesn’t God save everyone”, but rather, “Why does God save any?”

Matthew 5:45b – for He (the Father) maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

John 10:10b – I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Standing in awe of God's saving Grace- a doctrine that is certainly 'not fair'-