What does it mean that God is a God of justice?

Answer

Justice is a concept used to describe what is right or “as it should be.” Justice is considered one of God’s characteristics and stems from His holiness. Justice and righteousness are frequently used interchangeably in the Bible. As righteousness pertains to the quality or state of being right or just, it is another attribute of God that encompasses both His justice and holiness.

Understanding God’s justice necessitates a prior comprehension of sin. Sin is defined as lawlessness “Whoever commits sin is guilty of breaking the law; for sin is the breaking of the law.”, (1 John 3:4) and iniquity (Daniel 9:4-5;Micah 2:1;James 3:6). It encompasses everything that goes against God’s holy nature and is displeasing to Him. Therefore, sin is viewed as an offense against God, and justice requires a penalty of death and separation from Him due to it (Romans 1:18-32;2:5;3:23). However, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to bear that penalty on our behalf (Romans 5:8-11;6:23) and provided salvation to all who have faith in His name (John 1:12;John 3:15-17;20:31).

God’s righteousness is bestowed as a gift to sinners who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and is grounded in His grace and mercy in response to our faith (Romans 3:23-26;Ephesians 2:3-7).;Ephesians 2:3-7). His mercy and grace are not in spite of His justice, but because of it. He loved us so much that, despite the fact that our sin demands our death, He sent His Son to be our substitute upon the cross, thus demonstrating that His justice was not violated, but instead satisfied (1 Thessalonians 1:10;1 Thessalonians 5:9).

Having been made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), we humans long for moral justice to prevail on the earth and are outraged when we witness injustice. Why do we seek justice for crimes? It’s inherent in our DNA. King David’s indignation when the rich man took the poor man’s lamb resonates with us (2 Samuel 12:1-14). Nathan told David the story to reveal David’s own injustice in taking Uriah’s wife. David’s immediate repentant prayer was effective because by admitting his sin against God, he acknowledged God’s righteousness. The Lord informed David through the prophet Nathan that although his sin was forgiven, the child from the affair would die, illustrating that his sin still required judgment.

Regarding the future, the book of Revelation unveils God’s justice in all its splendor during the end times. As the saints witness the earth’s destruction, their song will celebrate God’s righteous judgment on the inhabitants for their ultimate sin of rejecting Him (Revelation 11:16-18;15:3-4;16:7;19:1-4). And as 2 Peter 3:13 states, we are assured that one day, when Christ physically rules on earth, God’s righteous justice will be fully displayed.