The moral righteousness of God is revealed in his laws and expressed in his judicial acts. God's commands and judgments meet perfect standards of justice, and his apportioning of punishments and rewards is also perfectly just. God's justice is impartial. Special praise is his for vindicating the penitent and the needy who have no human champions. Ultimately, all God's ways will be seen as just and equitable.
God's justice displays his righteousness
It conforms to his moral law
Job 34:12 See also Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 9:16, Psalm 11:7; Zephaniah 3:5; Romans 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:13; Revelation 15:3
Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
It is seen in his perfect will
Psalm 99:4 See also Psalm 40:8; Isaiah 53:10; Matthew 6:10, Matthew 26:39 parallels Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42; Hebrews 10:9–10
The mighty King loves justice. You have established equity; You have exercised justice and righteousness in Jacob.
God acts with justice
Psalm 33:5–15 See also Nehemiah 9:33
God's justice is exercised fairly and equitably
Psalm 9:7–8 See also Psalm 96:13, Psalm 98:9, Psalm 99:4
But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He judges the world with justice; He governs the people with equity.
He judges people according to their deeds
Revelation 20:12–13 See also Exodus 34:6–7; Psalm 62:12; Jeremiah 17:10; Ezekiel 18:20; Matthew 16:27; Revelation 22:12
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And books were opened, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.
He punishes wickedness
Ezekiel 18:20 See also Exodus 34:7; Deuteronomy 32:35; Isaiah 59:18, Isaiah 66:24; Matthew 25:41–46; Colossians 3:25; 2 Thessalonians 1:8–9
The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.
He rewards righteousness
Psalm 58:11 See also Isaiah 62:11; Matthew 5:12 parallel Luke 6:23; Matthew 25:34–40, Matthew 25:46; Romans 2:7, Romans 8:1–2; 2 Timothy 4:8
Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”
God establishes justice
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
Psalm 103:6 See also Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalm 140:12, Psalm 146:7–9; Isaiah 61:8; Luke 1:52–53
The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
He vindicates those who have been wronged
1 Samuel 25:39 See also 1 Samuel 24:15; Psalm 135:14; Romans 12:19; Deuteronomy 32:35; 1 Peter 2:23
On hearing that Nabal was dead, David said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has upheld my cause against the reproach of Nabal and has restrained His servant from evil. For the LORD has brought the wickedness of Nabal down upon his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.
He is completely impartial
Job 34:18–19 See also Deuteronomy 10:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Acts 10:34–35; Ephesians 6:9
who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’ who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
God's ways in exercising justice
God's justice is not always immediately apparent
Jeremiah 12:1 See also Job 21:7; Psalm 73:3–14; Ecclesiastes 7:15; Habakkuk 1:2–4; Malachi 2:17, Malachi 3:14–15; Matthew 20:10–12
Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?
God warns before punishing
2 Chronicles 36:15 See also 2 Kings 17:23; Nehemiah 9:29–30; Jeremiah 7:13; Jonah 3:4; Hebrews 12:25
Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place.
God gives opportunity for people to change their ways
Jeremiah 18:8–10 See also Jeremiah 7:5–7; Ezekiel 18:25–32; Matthew 21:28–32; 1 John 1:9
But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring. And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom, and if it does evil in My sight and does not listen to My voice, then I will relent of the good I had intended for it.
God's justice is truly equitable
Galatians 6:7–8 See also Genesis 18:25; Numbers 32:23; Psalm 73:17; Luke 16:25, Luke 18:7–8; Colossians 3:24–25
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
God's justice is satisfied by the work of Jesus Christ
Romans 3:25–26 See also Isaiah 53:10–11; Hebrews 9:22; 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:1–2
God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
God's justice will be established in the reign of Jesus Christ
Matthew 25:31–33 See also Isaiah 9:6–7; Acts 17:31; Revelation 19:11–16
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
Heaven and earth will rejoice when God's justice is established
Psalm 96:10–13 parallel 1 Chronicles 16:30–33; Psalm 98:4–9; Revelation 15:3–4, Revelation 16:5–7, Revelation 19:1–2
God requires people to reflect his justice
Proverbs 21:3 See also Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 16:20, Deuteronomy 24:17; 1 Kings 10:9 parallel 2 Chronicles 9:8; Psalm 82:3–4; Isaiah 56:1; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 7:9–10; Colossians 4:1; 1 Timothy 5:21
To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.