Because it’s the right thing to do, and the God of heaven and earth always does what is right. The apostle Paul, in Romans 9, deals with the admittedly understandable objection to the intersection of God’s sovereignty and His judgment that if He has ordained all things, how is it just to judge us for doing what He ordained us to do? While the question is understandable, it ought to be asked from a position of humility. Too often what we pretend are questions are actually accusations. Either way, however, the answer is a simple reminder that God is God and we are not, that we are clay and He is the potter.
Given the fact that we are twisted and He is pure, we should not be surprised that sometimes our visions of justice are at odds. Given that we are twisted and He is pure, we ought to always confess that He is right and we are wrong. I disagree with God regularly, every time I fail to believe Him, every time I disobey Him. And every time He has been right and I have been wrong. My moral clarity is so utterly cluttered that I can safely conclude that my conclusions are not to be trusted.
While Romans 9 is the locus classicus for this discussion, it is not the first time it comes up. Paul, in fact addresses the same theme just six chapters earlier:
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? (3: 5, 6).
We are unrighteous, in part, for the purpose of God manifesting His just judgment. If it were not just for Him to judge us, He would instead be manifesting His injustice. He has none. The purpose of our unrighteousness, however, isn’t the answer to the question of how we came to be that way. Such is a great mystery. Given what we are, the deepest question of all isn’t why He would judge us, but why He would rescue any of us. Our sin natures are real, and are the reason for the judgment we receive, not an excuse against judgment.
As one well known theologian was quoted as saying in Hollywood’s vampire movie, The Addiction, “We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners.” We cannot excuse our evil with, “Of course I did evil. It’s what I am.” When a man is charged with bank robbery he doesn’t escape judgment by suggesting, “Of course I robbed the bank. I’m a bank robber. It’s what I do. Why would you judge me for being what I am?” (Though this may be coming, as this is precisely how the sexually confused argue.)
Thankfully, precious few actually argue that they are not guilty because they are what they are. Sadly, too many argue that they could argue that way if God were absolutely sovereign. The Bible, however, argues both- we are guilty and God is sovereign, and reminds us not to talk back to the Sovereign Just Judge.