The Justice and Righteousness of God
Day 22
by Gini Crawford, MSW
God's justice and righteousness explained
What does it mean that God is righteous and just? It means God does exactly what is right. There is no lawlessness in Him. God is the final standard of what is right so His justice is always righteous. God is just, so He is perfectly fair and without bias. God is always perfectly consistent with His character, so He cannot be unjust or unrighteous. (Deuteronomy 32:4; John 17:25).
The primary reason God punishes sin is that His righteousness demands it. If God didn't punish sin, He would not be righteous, and there would be no ultimate justice in the universe. But when sin is punished, God is showing Himself to be a righteous judge.
If you have studied sociology, you will notice that societies have their own versions of justice and righteousness. They will structure their laws on what they perceive as right and wrong, and execute justice accordingly. However, justice in societies can be very unfair, full of prejudice and certainly not righteous. An example that comes to my mind is the Communist Party in China, which is imprisoning the Uyghurs because the Communists fear their religion. Sadly, I would guess some of you have experienced your society's unfair justice. Yet God's righteousness and justice are always right and fair, never unloving like humans can be.
God's love goes before His justice and righteousness
God's righteousness and justice demanded sinlessness or punishment for sins. Yet, God's love goes before His righteousness and justice. Psalm 89:14 says, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you." God's love led God's Son to take the punishment for our sins upon Himself, so God's righteous demands would be satisfied in Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." I would call this action unconditional love. You too? (Jeremiah 9:24).
To be frank, God would have been just and righteous if He chose to leave us in sin awaiting eternal punishment. God is sovereign so He can do what He wants (Daniel 4:35). Remember, God didn't spare the angels when they sinned but cast them into hell (Matthew 25:41). Yet, God didn't create us for hell but for eternal life with Him. There is no way God would have let the people He created and loved, to be punished eternally in hell. All who go to hell have sadly chosen their own justice and righteousness, instead of God's righteousness and justice through believing in Jesus. (Acts 3:14-15).
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:16-18 ESV®
Whose righteousness and justice do you choose? Your own, or God's through Jesus?
Jesus earned our righteousness
Three reasons we inherit Jesus' righteousness: First, since Jesus is God and a sinless man, He could pay the penalty due for our unrighteous acts, enabling Him to give us His righteousness. Second, Jesus as man did something we could never do, which is to be righteous all the time. He was born a Jew, which meant He lived under the Old Testament laws (good works) His entire life and never broke even one of them. He perfectly obeyed the will of God the Father as our representative, to earn righteousness for us. Third, righteousness had to come through faith in Jesus. Human attempts can never live up to God’s perfect standard of doing what is right. (Romans 3:9-23; Galatians 2:16). It makes loving sense that righteousness had to come through Jesus, doesn’t it?
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. / For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. / ... the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe ... / ... and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith ... 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:19, 3:22; Philippians 3:9 ESV®
As Christians, we have Jesus' righteousness living within, because His Spirit lives within us (Romans 8:9-10). When our loving God sees us, He doesn't see our unrighteousness but Jesus' perfect righteousness. Yet, to be a growing mature Christian, and we all want that, we need to be growing in righteousness and not sin. (1 Peter 2:24-25). Are you growing in righteousness, or are you letting sin lead your life?
Life Application
How to grow in righteousness
Two things must be present in your life to grow in righteousness - God's Word and faith.
If you want to grow in righteousness you must be doing what God's Word says. God's Word lights our way. At times we think we are doing what is right but we are not. God's Word teaches you what is right to do, and what isn't. I was shopping in a large department store some years back. Suddenly the lights went out. I couldn't see so I started bumping into the displays. A man with a flashlight, asked if he could lead me. His light easily led us the right way. God's Word lights our way like a flashlight does, showing us how to live righteously. Read Psalm 19:7-14, 119:105, 159-160. Do you know God's Word so it can lead you?
If God's Word is a part of your life, you will discern what is right, but then you must follow the godly advice. God's commandments were written for your wellbeing, so if you don't follow them, it will affect you negatively – not just with your relationship with God but in all of life. Read Psalm 4:1, 4-5, 23:1-3; Matthew 6:33; Romans 6:17-19; Ephesians 4:22-5:2; 2 Timothy 2:22-24, 3:16-17. Describe how to live righteously from these passages.
We are told that the righteous person will live by faith in God. As you know, to inherit Jesus' righteousness you must put your faith in Him, and then to grow in righteousness you must live by faith in Him. I have macular degeneration which can lead to blindness. If I let fear control me instead of faith in God, I am a worried wreck and not living rightly with God (Matthew 6:25-34). Yet, the Spirit is always with me reminding me God loves me and that Romans 8:28 is true even if I go blind. So I prayerfully listen to His voice through His Word and ask God to help me trust Him with my sight and not the what ifs. Read Isaiah 41:10; Romans 3:22; Galatians 2:20-21; Hebrews 11:1-6. What are some situations that cause you to struggle with having faith in God?
What is evident is that even though God's holiness and righteousness hates sin, God nevertheless loves us. God's love story with us started before our creation and has compassionately been acting throughout history. His love allowed us to gain something we needed desperately - His righteousness. How do you feel about this?
Reflect on 2 Corinthians 5:21.