I’ve been reading a book by John Ortberg called Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them. The very first chapter really struck me—it’s called The Porcupine’s Dilemma. Ortberg starts by quoting Dallas Willard:
“To make a start where we are, we must recognize that our world is not normal, but only usual.”
That hit me. What we often call normal—the way people treat each other, the way the world works—is really just what’s common, not what God intended.
And that ties perfectly into what Paul says in Romans.
The Gospel as God’s Justice Story
Romans 1:16–17 says:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… For in it the righteousness(Greek: dikaiosynē, also “justice”) of God is revealed from faith to faith.”
Think about that: the gospel isn’t just about forgiveness, it’s about justice. Not the kind of justice that condemns, but the kind that restores.
Paul takes this further in Romans 3:26:
“So that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
God doesn’t just punish wrongdoing—He steps in with a justice that makes things right. A justice that heals.
Injustice Is Our Default Setting
If we’re honest, injustice is everywhere. People twist truth, hurt others, condemn unfairly. And if we’re really honest, it’s not just “out there”—it’s in us too. The human heart naturally bends toward injustice.
But the gospel flips that script. It reveals a new kind of justice:
- One that restores instead of destroys.
- One that sets people free instead of binding them.
- One that makes us right with God, so we can live rightly in the world.
Living Out God’s Justice
When Paul says, “the just shall live by faith,” he’s not just talking about eternal life. He’s saying that those who have been made just by God live differently here and now.
To live by faith is to:
- Walk with integrity.
- Treat people fairly.
- Stop suppressing the truth and start living it.
In other words, the gospel doesn’t just save us—it reshapes us to embody justice in an unjust world.
The “As-Is” Tag on Humanity
Ortberg makes a brilliant observation. Walk into certain stores and you’ll find an “As-Is” section. Everything there has flaws—scratches, dents, missing pieces. No returns, no refunds.
That’s humanity. We all come with an As-Is tag. Every one of us is flawed.
- Genesis is full of broken families: Cain kills Abel, Noah gets drunk, Abraham plays favorites, Jacob deceives, Joseph’s brothers sell him off. These weren’t “perfect” people—they were messed up. Yet God still worked through them.
- Our friends, our leaders, even our pastors—they’re not flawless. They slip into the flesh, just like we do.
Expecting perfection will only lead to disappointment. Maturity means recognizing that everybody comes with an As-Is tag.
Grace Over Condemnation
Here’s where Christians often get it wrong. Instead of offering grace, we sometimes pile on more condemnation—especially toward unbelievers. But think about it:
- If someone doesn’t have the Spirit of God, of course they’ll live by the flesh. Why should that surprise us?
- Our job isn’t to demonize people—it’s to show them the love of Christ.
- Paul reminds us: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities.” (Eph. 6:12)
Unbelievers don’t need more judgment from us. They already live under enough injustice. What they need is the justice of God revealed through us—grace, compassion, restoration.
Even You Come With Flaws
The hardest truth is this: not only is everyone else flawed, so are you. So am I.
We are all part of the “As-Is” section. And yet, God doesn’t disown us. He knows our flaws better than we do, and still He accepts us in Christ. That’s grace.
If God can love us “as-is,” shouldn’t we learn to love others the same way?
What the World Really Needs
The ultimate justice we can offer isn’t just fighting social wrongs (though that matters). The deepest justice we can bring is the gospel itself—the good news that God makes broken people whole through Jesus.
- Share the gospel: it’s the power of God to transform lives.
- Live the gospel: let God’s justice shape the way you treat others.
- Remember the gospel: everyone comes “as-is,” including you.
Because as Ortberg says:
“Everybody’s normal till you get to know them.”
And once you do, you’ll realize that what they need most—what we all need—is the restoring justice of God revealed in the gospel.
Continue reading
Related reading:
Leave a Reply