Dialed In: Reaching Your Full Capacity as a Man of GodSýnishorn

The Just Man

Life isn’t fair. People win, and people lose. People live long and happy lives, and people live horribly and die too soon. I can go on and on.

Life isn’t just or fair.

But the dialed-in man is fair, just, and righteous. He does the right thing even when it’s not popular.

In Titus 1:7-8, when Paul says that Christian overseers must be “just,” the word he uses is dikaios, meaning “without prejudice or partiality.” Horizontally, dikaios describes the man who is just and upright in his dealings with all. Vertically, this quality includes giving God His due as Lord of all.

The man with this characteristic has found salvation through Jesus Christ and has given God his full capacity—he trusts God completely. Not only does he surrender everything to the Savior, but he also makes a public stand to bear witness to what he believes and why.

To stay silent about our faith is not only cowardly but denies God what is due Him, as Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).

Where is the just man? Where is the champion for the weak and powerless? Who will stand for them? Who will be the voice for those who have none? When the just man stands up to defend God’s Word, he may be canceled, he may be ridiculed, and he may be persecuted. But the just man stands, nonetheless.

A passage every man should commit to memory is 1 Peter 3:14-15: “Even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.”

Dialed-in men valiantly represent God and other people. Refusing to shrink back, they openly defend the truths of God (Hebrews 10:39).

What provokes you to take an active role in curing an injustice in the world—racism, abortion, sex trafficking, lost souls, pornography, drug or alcohol addiction, or domestic abuse? Start there.

What are some insights about vertical justice you see in Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 1:16, and Hebrews 10:39? What do 1 Samuel 16:7 and Matthew 7:12, 16-20 teach us about how to treat people fairly?