God is Just

On almost every episode of the TV show, Law & Order, there is a different judge, often with a version of justice that doesn’t always seem right, especially to the offenders!

In contrast to TV judges and real judges, God is always right.  A.W. Tozer wrote that God is both just and justice. People follow a standard of justice outside themselves, but God is the standard for justice, he is the “author of all laws.” In the Old Testament, the same Hebrew word is translated both “justice” and “righteousness” and sometimes used interchangeably.

It is so very hard for us to grasp that God is also both just and merciful. His Word tells us that we can never become righteous by living according to his law. Our justification, our righteousness, can only come because we believe in Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection as payment for our sin. We are justified by our faith in Christ alone, not by what we do or don’t do. Let us rejoice that God in his mercy has provided a way for us to be forgiven and to have life eternal with him.

I am reminded of this verse from 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Thanks be to God!

This is the fifth post in a series by NCF Director Jane Hall on God's attributes. She is inspired by the writings of A.W. Tozer in "The Attributes of God Volume 1 with Study Guide: A Journey Into the Father's Heart."