Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. —Isaiah 10:1-2.
God wants us to be generous, compassionate, holy, and righteous. Why? Because that is who he is: holy and full of righteous character (1 Peter 1:13-16; 2 Peter 1:5-11) as well as full of gracious compassion (Exodus 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 10:18). This kind of well-rounded kind of godly character must show up in how we live our daily lives. We must be both holy and righteous as well as compassionate and gracious. Righteousness and holiness must not be compromised. Neither should compassion and grace be set aside. Many of us find this a difficult balance. Still, it is a balance we are called to keep as we seek to honor our God by reflecting his character in our lives and as the Holy Spirit increasingly transforms us into the character of Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:22-23). After all, Jesus was the living demonstration of God’s righteous character and gracious compassion in human flesh (John 1:1-3, 14-18).
