God is Just

“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.” (Deut. 32:4)

Lady Justice cements into our mind a modern conception of justice. Blindfolded and no respecter of persons, she holds both sword and scales to judge based on an objective standard of evidence. Much good can be said of this imagery, especially in a day and age where “justice” has been stripped of all deep significance. Justice cries aloud in the streets, in the markets she raises her voice, yet she is drowned out by the mockers and scoffers. In a day focused on “justice,” we far too often hear of an unjust court system, an unjust judge, an unjust society. In this climate, I praise God that He is just, yet not blindfolded.

God is just – what does that mean? God judges rightly. He cannot be referred to as a “crooked judge,” for His perfections demand that He always acts in accordance with His righteousness. The moral law, the Ten Commandments, are called “perfect,” “holy,” and “good,” and these reflect His righteousness character. He does not pull punches, nor does He do favors for friends. He cannot be bought, bribed, or bullied into any unjust decision. There is no evidence lacking in God’s courtroom, for He is perfectly wise. There is no inability to execute judgment, for He is perfectly capable. There is no blemish in His record, for He is perfectly holy. In every way, God “is just to His creatures, by governing them in a way agreeable to them, according to a law which He has given them.” (Robert Shaw)

Now, do you see the problem for us? God must of necessity punish sin. “No sin will go unpunished” (Proverbs 11:21). If God did not punish a single sin, if God committed one act of injustice, God would no longer be perfect. God would no longer be God. As Adam, functioning as our representative before God, plunged himself and all of his descendants into guilt and corruption, so all of us are born in a state of sin (Rom. 5:12-17). We are constituted as sinners before a just Judge. Excuses we may make, but excuses God will not take. “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God” (Rom. 3:19).

Hence, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as the representative of His people, to bear the just judgment of God for us. By His perfect obedience, Christ fulfilled God’s legislative justice; by His perfect suffering, Christ fulfilled God’s punitive justice. Now given the authority to judge, all men will either be judged by Christ or in Christ (John 5:27). Do you not see the comfort this brings? The just Judge is our just God. We need not tremble under the thunder of Mount Sinai, or fear the Great White Throne in the end. Our Friend dwells upon the Mountain, our God sits upon the throne.

While God continues to show longsuffering to an unjust world, we can trust Him to hold the whole accountable, to execute justice. We need not revile when reviled, nor do we need to threaten when we suffer. We can continue to entrust ourselves to Him who judges justly (1 Peter 2:21-23). Justice is not blindfolded. Our just God sees all things, knows all things, and judges all things accordingly. As John Calvin says, “We do not always see justice in this life, but as long as we cling by faith to God’s justice, we can pour into His bosom the difficulties which torment us, in order that He may loosen the knots that we cannot untie.”