What does “Just” mean?

Merriam-Webster;

1.  
   1. having a basis in or conforming to fact or reason
   2. conforming to a standard of correctness
2.  
   1.  acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good
   2. being what is merited
   3. legally correct : LAWFUL

Strong’s Hebrew;

1. tsaddiq (tsad-deek’)
   1. just, righteous

“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4)

1. tsedeq (tseh’-dek)
   1. rightness, righteousness

But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. (Jeremiah 11:20)

Strong’s Greek;

1. dikaiokrisia (dik-ah-yok-ris-ee’-ah)
   1. righteous judgment

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. (Romans 2:5)

How does God execute His justice?

God punishes disobedience. This is also known as God’s retributive justice. Some examples include Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), the people in the time of Noah and the Flood (Genesis 6-8), Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10), and Herod (Acts 12:21-23).

God rewards obedience. This is also known as God’s remunerative justice. An example from scripture would be when God blessed Abraham for his obedience to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22). Additionally, scripture promises over and over again that there will be an eternal reward for all who put their faith in Christ.

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)

Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)

Why is God just? What gives Him the right to judge?

In addition to being just, God is also perfect (Psalm 18:30, Matthew 5:48), He is holy (1 Samuel 2:2, Isaiah 6:3, 1 Peter 1:16), and He is good (Psalm 34:8, Psalm 107:1, Luke 18:19). Because God is perfectly holy and good, He sets the standard for all that is holy and good. He sets the standard for righteousness. In this, He is also perfectly just. Because God is the standard for righteousness, He is the only one qualified to judge righteousness.

What does all this mean for us?

Paul tells us that “none is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). He goes on to say that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This means that we all are deserving of God’s retributive justice. That is, we are all deserving of God’s punishment for sin. However, God is also merciful and gracious.

In the same breath, Paul says that we are “justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins” (Romans 3:24-25).

It would be unjust for God not to punish sin. Someone must pay the price. So God, in his great mercy, put on flesh and came to earth as Christ for the sole purpose of bearing the weight of the punishment that we all deserve. And not just for us, but for everyone, across all time, who trusts in Him.

We can see a tremendous amount of grace here as well, and this is a bit of a side note but, not just in the sacrifice we see on the cross. 

Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44). Paul says that we are justified by God’s grace on the cross if we believe. But Jesus says that we won’t even believe if God doesn’t draw us first. Let that sink in…

To conclude, Paul also tells us that God is just because our sin’s penalty has been paid. And He is also the justifier, the one who paid the price, for those who trust in Christ (Romans 3:26). And you might ask, Why? Because in addition to being just, perfect, holy, good, merciful, and gracious, God is also Love (1 John 4:8).

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Last modified on: December 10, 2020 - Original date of publication: December 10, 2020