Many actions depend on the individual case for their morality – there is a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace, a time for every purpose under heaven.

There are some things which refer to an action not done in its time: there is a time to kill, and a time not to kill, never a time to murder, which is killing not in its time. One such thing is lack of self-control – in fact one could say this refers to any and every action not done in its time. There is never a time to relinquish self-control.

Punishment, as an example, must be deliberate and with judgement and discernment, otherwise it is injustice. If not administered in self-control, it is not the punishment God places such a high significance on.

One must be careful not to judge the justice of a judge by how often he condemns or acquits – a judge could accomplish that kind of “justice” by flipping a coin: heads for “guilty”, tails for “not guilty”. He would then be completely balanced, his verdicts equally likely to be positive as negative – but he would be completely unjust. If only guilty people were brought before a judge, his just verdict must always be “guilty”, and if only innocent people were brought before a judge, his just verdict must always be “not guilty”.

We should try to be just, not to fill up a “quota” of punishing or of not punishing. If we are blessed with a charge who never does what would merit punishment, we should rejoice. If we have to punish our God-given charge every day, we must not be slack in our duty to punish, which would be just as much encouraging sin and being a bad example as punishing the innocent.

“He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to Yahweh.” Pr 17

There is no erring on the safe side in morality. The law of God is written on every heart, leaving no excuse.

“Enter in at the strait gate: for it is the wide gate, and broad way that leadeth to destruction: and many there be which go in thereat. Because the gate is strait, and the way narrow that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Mt 7

2023/02/11 #SabbathPosts