Notes compiled by Marty Zide and Steve McAtee
This means that God always acts in accordance with what is right and just and is Himself the final and authoritative standard for both.
Insights Into God’s Righteousness and Justice
Because God is righteous and just it is necessary for Him to treat people according to His standards. He doesn’t lower His standards to accommodate our sins.
Technically we as His creatures do not have the right to question God’s actions. To do so is to question whether God is right and just in His ways.
The only way for a sinful human being can be acceptable before God is for His righteousness to be imputed to the believing sinner. This takes place at salvation.
Ps. 11:7 - For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.
Ps. 89:14 - Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.
Deut. 32:4 - The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.
Gen. 18:25 - Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?
Rom. 3:21 - But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.
Rom. 3:25-26 - whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Rom. 9:20-21 - On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, Why did you make me like this, will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?
Rev. 16:4-7 - Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy
One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it. And I heard the altar saying, Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.
1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Practical Applications Of God’s Righteousness and Justice
If we recognize that God is righteous and just in His dealings with us, it will help us accept what comes our way.
Realize that what people seem to be getting away within this life, will one day be accounted for when God pours out His wrath.
Coming Next – God Is Good