Is God Just?

QUESTION: Is God Just? What have theologians said?

ANSWER:

"The justice of God means that he administers his laws fairly, not showing favoritism or partiality. Only a person's acts, not his or her station in life, are considered in the assignment of consequences or rewards…Not only does God himself act in conformity with his law, but he also administers his kingdom in accordance with it. That is, he requires that others conform to the law...His justice is his official righteousness, his requirement that other moral agents adhere to the standards as well. God is, in other words, like a judge who as a private individual adheres to the law of society, and in his official capacity administers to the law of society, and in his official capacity administers that same law, applying it to others."¹ – Erickson

"The justice of God means that God is entirely correct and just in all His dealings with humanity; moreover, this justice acts in accordance with His law. The justice of God, therefore is related to man's sins. Since God's law reflects God's standard, then God is righteous and just when He judges man for His violation of God's revealed law.² – Enns

"But the character of God is the guarantee that all wrongs will be righted someday; when ‘the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed’ (Romans 2:5) arrives, retribution will be exact, and no problems of cosmic unfairness will remain to haunt us. God is the Judge, so justice will be done... As Judge, he is the law, but as Savior he is the gospel. Run from him now, and you will meet him as the Judge then—and without hope. Seek him now, and you will find him (for “he that seeketh findeth”), and you will then discover that you are looking forward to that future meeting with joy, knowing that there is now “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).³ – Packer

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.⁴ – GotQuestions.org

Footnotes:

¹ Erickson, Millard. Systematic Theology, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books), 314-315.
² Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology, (Chicago: Moody Press), 196.
³ Packer, J.I. Knowing God, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press), 143, 147.
⁴ http://www.gotquestions.org/God-of-justice.html

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