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 declared
God the Father
Psalm 92:15; 1 Peter 1:17 See also Genesis 18:25; Job 36:3; Psalm 11:7, Psalm 25:8, Psalm 33:5, Psalm 51:4; Isaiah 61:8; Jeremiah 9:24; Zephaniah 3:5; Revelation 15:3
to proclaim, “The LORD is upright; He is my Rock, and in Him there is no unrighteousness.”
Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners.
God the Son
1 John 2:1 See also Psalm 45:6; Hebrews 1:8–9; Psalm 72:1–4ISA Psalm 9:7, Isaiah 11:3–5, Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 42:3; Malachi 3:1–3 Acts 3:14; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Revelation 19:11
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
God the Spirit
John 16:8–11 See also Acts 5:3, Acts 5:9; Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 4:28, Ephesians 4:30
And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned.
God's justice described
As impartial
1 Peter 1:17 See also Deuteronomy 10:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Job 34:19; Daniel 5:27; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:5, Romans 2:11; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25
Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners.
As inescapable
Romans 2:3 See also Psalm 68:21–23; Jeremiah 11:11, Jeremiah 16:16–18, Jeremiah 51:53; Lamentations 2:22; Amos 9:1–4; Obadiah 1:4; Hebrews 2:2–3
So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?
As infallible
Hebrews 4:13 See also 1 Samuel 2:3; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Proverbs 16:2, Proverbs 21:2, Proverbs 24:12; Luke 16:15; Romans 2:2, Romans 2:16
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
God's justice desired
By the oppressed
Psalm 9:19 See also Judges 3:9; Psalm 7:6, Psalm 10:12–14
Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence.
By those who are misrepresented
Psalm 26:1 See also 1 Samuel 24:15; Psalm 35:23–24
Of David. Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
God's justice doubted
Malachi 2:17 See also Job 6:29, Job 27:2, Job 34:5; Psalm 73:2–14; Ecclesiastes 8:11, Ecclesiastes 8:14; Isaiah 40:27; Romans 9:14, Romans 9:19–20
You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”
God's justice demonstrated
In his demands for social justice
Micah 6:8 See also Deuteronomy 16:18, Deuteronomy 16:20; Isaiah 1:16–17; Amos 5:21–24; Malachi 3:5; Matthew 23:23; Luke 20:46–47
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
In his defence of the oppressed
Psalm 103:6 See also Psalm 72:2, Psalm 140:12; Proverbs 22:22–23; Isaiah 11:4; Ezekiel 34:16; Luke 18:7–8
The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
In his vindication of the righteous
Romans 8:33 See also Psalm 17:1–2, Psalm 24:5; Isaiah 50:8–9, Isaiah 54:17, Isaiah 61:8
Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
In the cross
Romans 3:25–26 See also 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13
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.
In the resurrection
For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
On the day of judgment
Romans 2:5 See also Psalm 9:8; Acts 17:31; Revelation 16:5, Revelation 16:7, Revelation 19:2
But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
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.