Day 16: The Justice of God

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” – Psalm 89:14

“God’s compassion flows out of His goodness, and goodness without justice is not goodness. God spares us because He is good, but He could not be good if He were not just.” – A.W. Tozer

“How could a loving God send anyone to hell?” Questioning God’s justice by appealing to God’s love is a common form of protest made by many who struggle to reconcile His love for sinners and His wrath against sin. But for God to be love, He must also be just, and for God to be just, He must punish the guilty. Love and justice go hand-in-hand, so to compromise one is to compromise the other. Love requires justice because injustice is not love. So if we are going to contemplate how a loving God could ever send anyone to hell, we must also be willing to contemplate how a just God could allow anyone into heaven. 

If all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and if the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23), then how is it just for God to allow guilty sinners to escape the consequences of their sin and receive eternal life? How does God demonstrate His love for sinners while simultaneously upholding justice against sin? We find the answer at the cross of Jesus Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 5:21, the Apostle Paul tells us that God “made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” At the cross, God demonstrated His love without compromising His justice. In His justice, God required perfection. And in His love, God provided that perfection in His Son, Jesus Christ. God gave His one and only Son to rescue and redeem us from our sins (love), and the punishment guilty sinners deserved for sin was poured out on Christ in our place (justice). At the cross, He loved sinners without overlooking sin. So because God is just, He is perfectly fair and no less loving for sending guilty sinners to hell. But because of Jesus Christ, forgiven sinners can be allowed into heaven without compromising His justice.

Prayer:

Our Father, we love Thee for Thy justice. We acknowledge that Thy judgments are true and righteous altogether. Thy justice upholds the order of the universe and guarantees the safety of all who put their trust in Thee. We live because Thou art just – and merciful. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, righteous in all Thy ways and holy in all Thy works. Amen.   – A.W. Tozer

Response:

What is the danger in appealing to God’s love, mercy, and grace at the expense of God’s holiness, righteousness, and justice?

Does God’s justice fill you with confidence or does it cause you concern? If His justice causes you concern, ask yourself: Am I living by faith that the demands of God’s justice have been perfectly satisfied on my behalf by Jesus Christ?