Righteousness and Justice of God, from “the Great Doctrines of the Bible” by Evans

Notes: (1) “The Great Doctrines of the Bible” by Rev. William Evans, Ph.D., D.D. is a well-respected reference material for Bible students, pastors, missionaries and laymen. You can read the entire book from Google (click the picture of the book cover), or download the complete zipped e-book. (2) Surf to the index of lessons and online quizzes from Evans. (3) The most important ideas and statements from this part of Evans’ book are listed in the “Basic truths” section below.

The Righteousness and Justice of God.

In a certain sense these attributes are but the manifestation of God’s holiness. It is holiness as manifested in dealing with the sons of men. Holiness has to do more particularly with the character of God in itself, while in Righteousness and Justice that character is expressed in the dealings of God with men. Three things may be said in the consideration of the Righteousness and Justice of God: first, there is the imposing of righteousness laws and demands, which may be called legislative holiness, and may be known as the Righteousness of God; second, there is the executing of the penalties attached to those laws, which may be called judicial holiness; third, there is the sense in which the attributes of the Righteousness and Justice of God may be regarded as the actual carrying out of the holy nature of God in the government of the world. So that in the Righteousness of God we have His love of holiness, and in the Justice of God, His hatred of sin.

Again Righteousness, as here used, has reference to the very nature of God as He is in Himself--that attribute which leads God always to do right. Justice, as an attribute of God, is devoid of all passion or caprice; it is vindicative not vindictive. And so the Righteousness and Justice of the God of Israel was made to stand out prominently as contrasted with the caprice of the heathen gods.

(1) Scriptural statement of the fact.

Psalm 116:5--“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.” The context here shows that it is because of this fact that God listens to men, and because having promised to hear He is bound to keep His promises. Ezra 9:15--“O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous.” Here the Righteousness of Jehovah is acknowledged in the punishment of Israel’s sins. Thou art just, and thou hast brought us into the state in which we are today. Psa. 145:17--“The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” This is evident in the rewards He gives to the upright, in lifting up the lowly, and in abundantly blessing the good, pure, and true. Jer. 12:1--“Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee.” That is to say, “If I were to bring a charge against Thee I should not be able to convict Thee of injustice, even though I be painfully exercised over the mysteries of Thy providence.”

These scriptures clearly set forth not only the fact that God is righteous and just, but also define these attributes. Here we are told that God, in His government of the world, does always that which is suitable, straight, and right.

(2) How the Righteousness and Justice of God is revealed.

In two ways: first, in punishing the wicked: retributive justice, second, in rewarding the righteous: remunerative justice.

aa) In the punishment of the wicked.

Psa. 11:4-7--“The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous; but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest. This shall be the portion of their cup.” This is David’s reply to his timid advisers. Saul may reign upon the earth and do wickedly, but God reigns from heaven and will do right. He sees who does right and who does wrong. And there is that in His nature which recoils from the evil that He sees, and will lead Him ultimately to punish it. There is such a thing as the wrath of God. It is here described. Whatever awful thing the description in this verse may mean for the wicked, God grant that we may never know. In Exod. 9:23-27 we have the account of the plague of hail, following which are these words: “And Pharaoh sent...for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.” Pharaoh here acknowledges the perfect justice of God in punishing him for his sin and rebellion. He knew that he had deserved it all, even though cavillers today say there was injustice with God in His treatment of Pharaoh. Pharaoh himself certainly did not think so. Dan. 9:12-14 and Rev. 16:5, 6 bring out the same thought. How careful sinners ought to be not to fall into the hands of the righteous Judge! No sinner at last will be able to say, “I did not deserve this punishment.”

bb) In forgiving the sins of the penitent.

1 John 1:9 (R. V.)--“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Ordinarily, the forgiveness of sin is associated with the mercy, love, and compassion of God, and not with His righteousness and justice. This verse assures us that if we confess our sins, the righteousness and justice of God is our guarantee for forgiveness--God cannot but forgive and cleanse us from all sin.

cc) In keeping His word and promise to His children.

Neh. 9:7, 8--“Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram...and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites...to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous.” We need to recall the tremendous obstacles which stood in the way of the fulfillment of this promise, and yet we should remember the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. When God gives His word, and makes a promise, naught in heaven, on earth, or in hell can make that promise void. His righteousness is the guarantee of its fulfillment.

dd) In showing Himself to be the vindicator of His people from all their enemies.

Psa. 129:1-4--“Many a time have they afflicted me...yet they have not prevailed against me. The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.” Sooner or later, God’s people will triumph gloriously as David triumphed over Saul. Even in this life God will give us rest from our enemies; and there shall assuredly come a day when we shall be “where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest.”

ee) In the rewarding of the righteous.

Heb. 6:10--“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed towards his name, in that ye have ministered unto the saints, and do minister.” Those who had shown their faith by their works would not now be allowed to lose that faith. The very idea of divine justice implies that the use of this grace, thus evidenced, will be rewarded, not only by continuance in grace, but their final perseverance and reward. 2 Tim. 4:8--“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that love hiss appearing.” The righteous Judge will not allow the faithful believer to go unrewarded. He is not like the unrighteous judges of Rome and the Athenian games. Here we are not always rewarded, but some time we shall receive full reward for all the good that we have done. The righteousness of God is the guarantee of all this.(From “The Great Doctrines of the Bible” by Rev. William Evans, Ph.D., D.D.)

Basic truths

[1] “Holiness has to do more particularly with the character of God in itself, while in Righteousness and Justice that character is expressed in the dealings of God with men.”

[2] “Legislative holiness: the imposing of righteousness laws and demands and may be known as the Righteousness of God.”

[3] “Judicial holiness: the executing of the penalties attached to those laws.”

[4] “The attributes of the Righteousness and Justice of God may be regarded as the actual carrying out of the holy nature of God in the government of the world. So that in the Righteousness of God we have His love of holiness, and in the Justice of God, His hatred of sin.”

[5] “Justice, as an attribute of God, is devoid of all passion or caprice; it is vindicative not vindictive.”

[6] “Scriptural statement of the Righteousness and Justice of God: Psalm 116:5; Ezra 9:15; Psa. 145:17; Jer. 12:1. These scriptures clearly set forth not only the fact that God is righteous and just, but also define these attributes. Here we are told that God, in His government of the world, does always that which is suitable, straight, and right.”

[7] “God’s retributive justice: punishing the wicked.”

[8] “God’s remunerative justice: rewarding the righteous.”

[9] How the Righteousness and Justice of God is revealed:

In the punishment of the wicked: Psa. 11:4-7; Exod. 9:23-27; Dan. 9:12-14 and Rev. 16:5, 6.

In forgiving the sins of the penitent: 1 John 1:9

In keeping His word and promise to His children: Neh. 9:7, 8

In showing Himself to be the vindicator of His people from all their enemies: Psa. 129:1-4

In the rewarding of the righteous: Heb. 6:10; 2 Tim. 4:8

Further study (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] The Revelation of Righteousness, by Allen Ross, Th.D., Ph.D.

[2] No Excuse for the Heathen (Romans 1:18-32), by Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M.

[3] “The Attributes of God” part 1 and part 2, by A. W. Tozer (Infinitude, Immensity, Goodness, Justice, Mercy, Grace, Omnipresence, Immanence, Holiness, Perfection); read also Knowledge Of The Holy, The Pursuit of God and other works by Tozer.

“If a sermon can be compared to light, then A. W. Tozer released a laser beam from the pulpit, a beam that penetrated your heart. If you have never read Tozer - what are you waiting for? Thirty minutes spent in a Tozer essay is often better than a week at a Bible conference.” (Warren Wiersbe, Bible teacher; General Director, Back to the Bible Broadcast; Former Pastor, Moody Church in Chicago)

[4] Knowing God, by J.I. Packer

“We are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and who runs it. The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know about God. Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfold, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.”

Knowing God study guides: Section 1 Introduction and Chapters 1-6; Section 2 Chapters 7-17; Section 3 Chapters 18-22.

[65 Evidence from Nature, from Institute for Creation Research (God’s Invisible Things, The Earth Is Unique, The Heavens Declare )

ICR’s popular Acts & Facts free monthly news magazine contains articles and information of current interest dealing with creation, evolution, and related topics. Current and past issues can also be read, and you can sign up to receive future issues in the mail, all for free. Full versions of previous editions can be viewed online in PDF format.

[6] Does God Exist? by Jimmy Williams (also available in Spanish)

[7] Does God Exist? by Hampton Keathley IV

[8] Evidence For God's Existence by J. Hampton Keathley, III

[9] The Rationality of the Christian Worldview

[10] Materials by Ken Boa

• The Evolution Revolution: Naturalism and the Question of Origins
• No God at All: Western Humanism and the New Atheism

[11] Evidentialist Apologetics: Faith Founded on Fact

[12] Presenting Evidence That Demands a Verdict

[13] Classical Apologetics: It Stands to Reason

[14] Taking Every Thought Captive

[15] How I Know Christianity is True by Patrick Zukerian

[16] Survey of Bible Doctrine: God by Sid Litke

Sermons on the attributes of God (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] Sermons by Philip G. Layton, Gold Country Baptist Church

• Living in Light of God’s Attributes, Introduction
• Living in Light of God’s Sovereignty
• Living in Light of God’s Sovereignty, Part 2
• Living in Light of God’s Providence
• Living in Light of God’s Omniscience
• Living in Light of God’s Omnipotence
• Living in Light of God’s Omnipresence
• Living in Light of God’s Justice and Mercy at the Cross
• Living in Light of God’s Faithfulness and Goodness
• Living in Light of God’s Holiness
• Living in Light of God’s Grace
• Living in Light of God’s Glory
• God is Love .. but that's not all - Living in Light of His Wrath and Love
• God is God and I Am Not - Living in Light of God’s Supremacy
• Living in Light of our Infinite and Intimate Creator

[2] Sermons by Pastor Jeremy Stephens, Southview Baptist Church

• Knowing an Unknowable God - Part 1 - Self Existence
• Knowing An Unknowable God - Part 2 - Immutability
• Knowing an Unknowable God - Part 3 – God’s Love

[3] God is, by David Palmer, East Side Baptist Church

[4] The Doctrine of God - Part A: The Nature and Attributes of God, by Randy D. Starkey, East Bend Baptist Church

[5] SF523 - WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT GOD (Hebrews 11:6), by Timothy McGhee, First Baptist Church – Powell

[6] Materials by Kurt Andree

• The Communicable Attributes of God I
• The Incommunicable Attributes of God I
  

[7] Praise to the God of Unlimited Power, by Dr. Kelly Randolph, Country Acres Baptist Church

[8] Is It Possible To See God, by Thomas

[9] God The Holy Spirit, by George Toews

[10] Three Forgotten Perfections of God, by Kenneth P. McCaulley

[11] Attributes of God, by Shaun LePage

[12] Attributes Of God: Faithfulness, by Timothy D. Hall

[13] Doctrinal Statement: Theology Proper, by Jason Button

[14] 100 Names of Jesus, by Ralph Andrus, Calvary Baptist Church

[15] What We Believe and Why We Believe It Concerning God 4, by Richard E. Rutherford Jr

[16] The Immensity of God, by Wayne Gropp

[17] Some Things God Cannot Do, by Kenneth W. Burton

[1] God Has Spoken, by Kenneth W. Burton

[19] Are You Ashamed? by Harry Swayne

[20] God’s Wrath Against Unrighteousness by Daniel P. Johnson

Note: This ministry does not necessarily endorse or share all the views and opinions expressed in the materials, resources or links mentioned in these posts. Please always refer to the Articles of Faith and Biblical distinctives of Baptists when you study these materials.