How will your understanding of God’s justice affect the challenges you face today?
Justice of God—that perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his rational creatures conformity in all respects to the moral law.
M. G. Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893).
Justice of God, The
1. Is a part of his character. De 32:4; Isa 45:21.
2. Declared to be
a. Plenteous. Job 37:23.
b. Incomparable. Job 4:1.
c. Incorruptible. De 10:17; 2 Ch 19:7.
d. Impartial. 2 Ch 19:7; Jer 32:19.
e. Unfailing. Zep 3:5.
f. Undeviating. Job 8:3; 34:12.
g. Without respect of persons. Ro 2:11; Col 3:25; 1 Pe 1:17.
h. The habitation of his throne. Ps 89:14.
3. Not to be sinned against. Jer 50:7.
4. Denied by the ungodly. Eze 33:17, 20.
5. Exhibited in
a. Forgiving sins. 1 Jo 1:9.
b. Redemption. Ro 3:26.
c. His government. Ps 9:4; Jer 9:24.
d. His judgments. Ge 18:25; Re 19:2.
e. All his ways. Eze 18:25, 29.
f. The final judgment. Ac 17:31.
6. Acknowledge. Ps 51:4; Ro 3:4.
7. Magnify. Ps 98:9; 99:3, 4.
R.A. Torrey, The New Topical Text Book: A Scriptural Text Book for the Use of Ministers, Teachers, and All Christian Workers (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
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God, justice of
The moral righteousness of God is revealed in his laws and expressed in his judicial acts. God’s commands and judgments meet perfect standards of justice, and his apportioning of punishments and rewards is also perfectly just. God’s justice is impartial. Special praise is his for vindicating the penitent and the needy who have no human champions. Ultimately, all God’s ways will be seen as just and equitable.
God’s justice displays his righteousness
It conforms to his moral law Job 34:12 See also Dt 32:4; Ps 9:16; 11:7; Zep 3:5; Ro 2:2; 2Ti 2:13; Rev 15:3
It is seen in his perfect will Ps 99:4 See also Ps 40:8; Isa 53:10; Mt 6:10; 26:39 pp Mk 14:36 pp Lk 22:42; Heb 10:9-10
God acts with justice
Ps 33:5-15 See also Ne 9:33
God’s justice is exercised fairly and equitably Ps 9:7-8 See also Ps 96:13; 98:9; 99:4
He judges people according to their deeds Rev 20:12-13 See also Ex 34:6-7; Ps 62:12; Jer 17:10; Eze 18:20; Mt 16:27; Rev 22:12
He punishes wickedness Eze 18:20 See also Ex 34:7; Dt 32:35; Isa 59:18; 66:24; Mt 25:41-46; Col 3:25; 2Th 1:8-9
He rewards righteousness Ps 58:11 See also Isa 62:11; Mt 5:12 pp Lk 6:23; Mt 25:34-40,46; Ro 2:7; 8:1-2; 2Ti 4:8
God establishes justice
He upholds the cause of the oppressed Ps 103:6 See also Dt 10:18; Ps 140:12; 146:7-9; Isa 61:8; Lk 1:52-53
He vindicates those who have been wronged 1Sa 25:39 See also 1Sa 24:15; Ps 135:14; Ro 12:19; Dt 32:35; 1Pe 2:23
He is completely impartial Job 34:18-19 See also Dt 10:17; 2Ch 19:7; Ac 10:34-35; Eph 6:9
God’s ways in exercising justice
God’s justice is not always immediately apparent Jer 12:1 See also Job 21:7; Ps 73:3-14; Ecc 7:15; Hab 1:2-4; Mal 2:17; 3:14-15; Mt 20:10-12
God warns before punishing 2Ch 36:15 See also 2Ki 17:23; Ne 9:29-30; Jer 7:13; Jnh 3:4; Heb 12:25
God gives opportunity for people to change their ways Jer 18:8-10 See also Jer 7:5-7; Eze 18:25-32; Mt 21:28-32; 1Jn 1:9
God’s justice is truly equitable
Gal 6:7-8 See also Ge 18:25; Nu 32:23; Ps 73:17; Lk 16:25; 18:7-8; Col 3:24-25
God’s justice is satisfied by the work of Jesus Christ
Ro 3:25-26 See also Isa 53:10-11; Heb 9:22; 1Jn 1:9; 2:1-2
God’s justice will be established in the reign of Jesus Christ
Mt 25:31-33 See also Isa 9:6-7; Ac 17:31; Rev 19:11-16
Heaven and earth will rejoice when God’s justice is established Ps 96:10-13 pp 1Ch 16:30-33; Ps 98:4-9; Rev 15:3-4; 16:5-7; 19:1-2
God requires people to reflect his justice
Pr 21:3 See also Lev 19:15; Dt 16:20; 24:17; 1Ki 10:9 pp 2Ch 9:8; Ps 82:3-4; Isa 56:1; Mic 6:8; Zec 7:9-10; Col 4:1; 1Ti 5:21
Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009).
Question: “What does it mean that God is a God of justice?”
Answer: Justice is a term used for what is right or “as it should be.” Justice is one of God’s attributes and flows out of His holiness. Justice and righteousness are often used synonymously in the Bible. Since righteousness is the quality or character of being right or just, it is another attribute of God and incorporates both His justice and holiness.
We cannot begin to understand God’s justice unless we first understand sin. Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4) and iniquity (Daniel 9:4-5; Micah 2:1; James 3:6). It embodies everything contrary to God’s holy nature and is offensive to Him. Thus, sin is a crime against God, and justice demands a penalty of death and separation from Him for it (Romans 1:18-32; 2:5; 3:23). But God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to pay that penalty for us (Romans 5:8-11; 6:23) and made salvation available to all who believe in His name (John 1:12; 3:15-17; 20:31).
God’s own righteousness is provided as a gift to sinners who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and is based upon His grace and mercy in response to our faith (Romans 3:23-26; 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; 5:9).
Having been made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), we humans long for moral justice to prevail upon the earth and are outraged when we see injustice happening around us. Why do we seek justice for crimes? It’s in our DNA. King David’s outrage when the poor man’s lamb was taken away by the rich man resonates within us (2 Samuel 12:1-14). That is why Nathan told the story to David in the first place because it revealed David’s own injustice in taking Uriah’s wife from him. David’s immediate repentant prayer was effective because by admitting his sin against God, he acknowledged the righteousness of God. The Lord told David through the prophet Nathan that even though his sin was forgiven, the child resulting from the adulterous affair would die, demonstrating the fact that his sin still had to be judged.
As for the future, the book of Revelation reveals the justice of God in all its glory during the end times. When the saints watch the destruction of the earth, their song will be of God’s righteous judgment upon 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 says, we are promised that someday, when Christ physically reigns on earth, God’s righteous justice will finally be on full display.
Question: “How do God’s mercy and justice work together in salvation?”
Answer: God’s justice and mercy are seemingly incompatible. After all, justice involves the dispensing of deserved punishment for wrongdoing, and mercy is all about pardon and compassion for an offender. However, these two attributes of God do in fact form a unity within His character.
The Bible contains many references to God’s mercy. Over 290 verses in the Old Testament and 70 in the New Testament contain direct statements of the mercy of God toward His people.
God was merciful to the Ninevites who repented at the preaching of Jonah, who described God as “a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2). David said God is “gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in loving-kindness. The LORD is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:8–9, NASB).
But the Bible also speaks of God’s justice and His wrath over sin. In fact, God’s perfect justice is a defining characteristic: “There is no God apart from me, a righteous [just] God and a Savior; there is none but me” (Isaiah 45:21). “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
In the New Testament, Paul details why God’s judgment is coming: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5–6).
So the Bible showcases the fact that God is merciful, but it also reveals that He is just and will one day dispense justice on the sin of the world.
In every other religion in the world that holds to the idea of a supreme deity, that deity’s mercy is always exercised at the expense of justice. For example, in Islam, Allah may grant mercy to an individual, but it’s done by dismissing the penalties of whatever law has been broken. In other words, the offender’s punishment that was properly due him is brushed aside so that mercy can be extended. Islam’s Allah and every other deity in the non-Christian religions set aside the requirements of moral law in order to be merciful. Mercy is seen as at odds with justice. In a sense, in those religions, crime can indeed pay.
If any human judge acted in such a fashion, most people would lodge a major complaint. It is a judge’s responsibility to see that the law is followed and that justice is provided. A judge who ignores the law is betraying his office.
Christianity is unique in that God’s mercy is shown through His justice. There is no setting aside of justice to make room for mercy. The Christian doctrine of penal substitution states that sin and injustice were punished at the cross of Christ and it’s only because the penalty of sin was satisfied through Christ’s sacrifice that God extends His mercy to undeserving sinners who look to Him for salvation.
As Christ died for sinners, He also demonstrated God’s righteousness; His death on the cross showcased God’s justice. This is exactly what the apostle Paul says: “All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:24–26, emphasis added).
In other words, all the sin from Adam to the time of Christ was under the forbearance and mercy of God. God in His mercy chose not to punish sin, which would require an eternity in hell for all sinners, although He would have been perfectly just in doing so. Adam and Eve were not immediately destroyed when they ate the forbidden fruit. Instead, God planned a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15). In His love God sent His own Son (John 3:16). Christ paid for every single sin ever committed; thus, God was just in punishing sin, and He can also justify sinners who receive Christ by faith (Romans 3:26). God’s justice and His mercy were demonstrated by Christ’s death on the cross. At the cross, God’s justice was meted out in full (upon Christ), and God’s mercy was extended in full (to all who believe). So God’s perfect mercy was exercised through His perfect justice.
The end result is that everyone who trusts in the Lord Jesus is saved from God’s wrath and instead experiences His grace and mercy (Romans 8:1). As Paul says, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans 5:9).
Question: “What does it mean that God is just?”
Answer: When we say that God is just, we mean that He is perfectly righteous in His treatment of His creatures. God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34), He commands against the mistreatment of others (Zechariah 7:10), and He perfectly executes vengeance against the oppressors (2 Thessalonians 1:6; Romans 12:19). God is just in meting out 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” (Hebrews 6:10). He is equally just in meting out punishments: “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism” (Colossians 3:25). Justice and righteousness, which always work hand in hand, are the foundation of God’s throne (Psalm 89:14).
Justice is important to us. Imagine that Adolph Hitler had been found alive, hiding in Germany, and was brought before a judge. His crimes took nine hours to read, but, at the end, the judge said, “I see what you’ve done. Millions murdered. But I think you’ve learned your lesson so I’m gonna let you go.” He banged the gavel and cried, “Not guilty!” What rises in our hearts when we consider such a scenario? That emotion is outrage at injustice. We know the verdict is not just, and it feels intolerable to us. Evil requires an equivalent punishment. We 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 roots to the character of God. Human knowledge is only a discovery of the truth that already exists. God has hidden nuggets of wisdom in our universe for us to find the way a child finds eggs on Easter. Justice is one such truth that doesn’t have a beginning or an explanation. If we were merely evolved bits of pond scum, justice wouldn’t make sense. Humans would have no rights, no inner moral code, no desire for the eternal. But, because we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), we have His heart in matters of morality, courage, love, and justice. He is the complete embodiment of traits we only possess in part. He is complete love (1 John 4:16). He is complete goodness (Psalm 106:1). He is complete kindness (Psalm 25:10). And He is complete justice (Isaiah 61:8).
When Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3), justice could not overlook it. Their crime does not seem so great to us who wear Adam’s skin. But consider it from heaven’s viewpoint. The great Lord God Almighty, unchallenged Ruler of everything, Lord of angel armies, worthy of all adoration and worship had been defied by the dust He had formed into people. He had made these creatures for His own purpose and pleasure. He showered love and bounty on them. But He also gave them free will. So He showed them their options and told them the consequences.
“Please don’t,” He said, and the pleading in His voice warned them of what He knew would result if they did not obey. “We will do as we please,” they responded, and at that moment the creature committed high treason against the Creator. Justice demanded action. For God to overlook or excuse the treason would not be just. Because God is just, He cannot make a rule, establish the penalty, and then not follow through when the rule is broken. Because God is also love, He had a way to satisfy justice without destroying human beings. Justice required the death penalty for high treason, so something or someone had to die. A substitute was brought in to satisfy the demands of justice. A beautiful, flawless animal was killed instead (Genesis 3:21).
Thousands of years later, justice was satisfied once and for all as God sent His own Son into the world to be our substitute (2 Corinthians 5:21). “Please don’t,” He has cried throughout the ages. “We will do as we please,” we have responded. God cannot merely overlook our high treason against Him, or He would not be perfectly just. He cannot retract His love, despite our rebellion, or He would not be perfect love. So Jesus became the Lamb (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” (1 Peter 3:18).
Because justice has been satisfied, God pronounces “not guilty” upon all those who are in Christ (Romans 3:24), those who call 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 (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.”