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Answer
When we affirm that God is just, we are stating that He is completely righteous in His dealings with His creations. God demonstrates no favoritism «Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: », (Acts 10:34). He prohibits the mistreatment of others «and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. », (Zechariah 7:10), and He justly administers retribution against the oppressors (2 Thessalonians 1:6;Romans 12:19). God is fair in bestowing rewards: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” «For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. », (Hebrews 6:10). He is equally fair in administering punishments: “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism” «But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.», (Colossians 3:25). Justice and righteousness, which always go hand in hand, are the pillars of God’s throne «Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: Mercy and truth shall go before thy face. », (Psalm 89:14).
JuJustice is significant to us. Imagine if Adolf Hitler had been discovered alive, hiding in Germany, and brought before a judge. His crimes took nine hours to read, but in the end, the judge stated, “I see what you’ve done. Millions murdered. But I believe you’ve learned your lesson, so I’m going to let you go.” He struck the gavel and exclaimed, “Not guilty!” What stirs in our hearts when we contemplate such a scenario? That feeling is outrage at injustice. We recognize the verdict as unjust, and it seems unbearable to us. Evil demands a corresponding punishment. We have inherited that sense of justice from our Creator because He is just.
Every truth in the universe is God’s truth. Every mathematical formula and every scientific law can trace its origins to the character of God. Human knowledge is simply an uncovering of the truth that already exists. God has concealed nuggets of wisdom in our universe for us to discover, much like a child finding eggs on Easter. Justice is one such truth that lacks a beginning or an explanation. If we were merely evolved bits of pond scum, justice would be incomprehensible. Humans would possess no rights, no internal moral compass, no longing for the eternal. However, because we are created in the image of God «So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. », (Genesis 1:27), we reflect His heart in matters of morality, courage, love, and justice. He is the complete embodiment of qualities we only partially possess. He is complete love «And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. », (1 John 4:16). He is complete goodness «Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever. », (Psalm 106:1).Psalm 106:1). He embodies complete kindness «All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth Unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. », (Psalm 25:10). And He represents complete justice «For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. », (Isaiah 61:8).
When Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3), justice could not overlook it. Their crime may not seem significant to us who bear Adam’s skin. But consider it from heaven’s perspective. The great Lord God Almighty, uncontested Ruler of everything, Lord of angel armies, deserving of all adoration and worship, had been defied by the dust He had shaped into people. He had created these beings for His own purpose and pleasure. He showered love and abundance on them. However, He also granted them free will. Thus, He presented them with their choices and informed them of the consequences.
“Please don’t,” He implored, and the urgency in His voice forewarned them of the inevitable outcome if they disobeyed. “We will do as we please,” they replied, and in that instant, the creature committed high treason against the Creator. Justice required action. For God to disregard or pardon the treason would not be just. Because God is just, He cannot establish a rule, set the penalty, and then fail to enforce it when the rule is violated. Yet, because God is also love, He devised a way to satisfy justice without annihilating human beings. Justice mandated the death penalty for high treason, so something or someone had to perish. A substitute was provided to meet the demands of justice. A beautiful, flawless animal was sacrificed instead «Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. », (Genesis 3:21).
ThousandCenturies later, justice was finally satisfied as God sent His own Son into the world to be our substitute “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”, (2 Corinthians 5:21). “Please don’t,” He has cried throughout the ages. “We will do as we please,” we have responded. God cannot simply overlook our high treason against Him, or He would not be perfectly just. He cannot withdraw His love, despite our rebellion, or He would not be perfect love. So Jesus became the Lamb “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”, (John 1:29) that God sacrificed on the altar of justice. Christ “died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”, (1 Peter 3:18).
Because justice has been satisfied, God pronounces “not guilty” upon all those who are in Christ “being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”, (Romans 3:24), those who call on His name “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”, (John 1:12). Justice now insists that, once a sin has been paid for, it cannot be brought up again. When our sins are under the blood of His sacrifice, God holds them against us no more (Romans 8:1; Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 43:25). God remains just; He is not violating His own code of justice by pardoning those who deserve its consequences. Salvation is a just consequence because God has pronounced Jesus’ death and resurrection sufficient to satisfy His wrath. The curse of the Law that we justly deserved has been taken by Jesus on the cross «Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: », (Galatians 3:13).
God is just, and His justice is an indispensable part of His character in the same way that His love and mercy are indispensable. Without His justice, sin would run unchecked. Evil would win. There would be no reward for obedience. We could not respect a God who was not just. Micah 6:8 summarizes the top three qualities God wants to see reflected in us: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
