What Does the Bible Say about the Justice of God?

The Attributes of God: The Justice of God

I’d just like to pause again and say good morning to those of you who may have slipped in late. This summer we’ve been going through a sermon series unpacking the attributes of God. As Christians in history have studied the Bible to know God’s essential qualities, of who he is and how he works, one place where God’s attributes have been helpfully summarized is in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question and Answer 4. It’s printed on the back of your bulletin, above the Sermon Notes section. And today, in particular, we’ll be giving our attention to the justice of God.

If you have a Bible nearby, I’d invite you to turn to Deuteronomy 32 with me. First, though, it’s helpful to have a bit of context of what’s going on here. See, originally, when God gave this part of the Bible, he was revealing himself in a special way to the ancient Jews. And God defined that the special relationship between him and the Jews should look a certain way. And he defined that by giving them moral standards, laws, and ceremonial instructions. God had already done this a bit in Exodus, but in Deuteronomy, here, God explained his laws for a second time, in a somewhat more expanded way. In fact, the name of this book, Deuteronomy, it literally means, “The second law.” God explained his law here for a second time.

And so already, simply in the nature of this book, God has shown himself to be the great definer of justice, the law-giver, the king, the judge. But we’ll see even more about God’s justice as we consider our text this morning. And so we’ll look at Deuteronomy, Chapter 32. And I’ll be reading verses 1 through 4.

But before I do, it’s important for you and I to be careful as God’s word is read. We want to make sure that distractions are put aside, and that we’re humbly depending on God to feed us from his Word this morning. We need the Word to be shaping our hearts and minds. And so let’s ask for God’s help before we get into the text. Please pray with me:

[Pray and Read Text]

Real Justice and the Existence of God

Most of you probably know the name C. S. Lewis. Of course, he’s most famous as the author of the Chronicles of Narnia. But he was also a respected academic, both at Oxford and Cambridge. And as a committed follower of Jesus, he also wrote several other essays and books that explained and defended the Christian faith. But what many people don’t realize is that for much of C. S. Lewis’s early life, he was a convinced atheist.

And part of this was deeply personal. Because in his formative years, C. S. Lewis had encountered some terrible things. His mother died from cancer when he was just nine years old. And at the age of 18, he fought in World War I. The casualties were horrendous. And remember, this was before antibiotics were invented. And so even if men survived the battlefield, many of them ended up dying slow, painful deaths from diseases and infected wounds. And so as C. S. Lewis witnessed all these things, he couldn’t understand – how can there be a God of justice, if the world is filled with so much evil – so much injustice?

But one day, he realized that there was a flaw in his thinking. He realized – the seeming injustice of life actually isn’t a good reason to reject God’s existence. But instead, C.S. Lewis realized that his longing for justice was actually evidence that God is real.

This is how C.S. Lewis explained his thought process – he said, “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?”

You see, C.S. Lewis came to realize that injustice can only be a real thing if justice is a real thing. You can only break a law if there’s a law to be broken. And in order for there to be a law, there has to be a law-giver – someone above mankind who has impressed his moral standard upon our hearts. In other words, there must be a God. That’s what C.S. Lewis realized. There must be a God of justice. And when we open the Bible, we see who this God of justice is, and how his justice operates.

As we work through our text this morning, there are five main points we’ll give attention to, concerning God’s justice. Five points: First, I’ll start to clarify the content of God’s justice – and how that standard of justice is defined. That’ll be our first point. Then second, we’ll look at the consistency of God’s justice. Third, we’ll give attention to the completeness of God’s justice. Our fourth point will be the cleanness of God’s justice. And then fifth and finally, we’ll reflect on some considerations from God’s justice. So five points about God’s justice – we’ll consider it’s content, it’s consistency, it’s completeness, it’s cleanness, and then we’ll end with some closing considerations.

The Content of God’s Justice

So we’ll start with point number 1 – the content of God’s justice. It’s important to start with this. Because we live in a culture where justice is a bit of a trendy word – a lot of people would say that they’re passionate about social justice issues. But if you asked them, many people wouldn’t be able to explain where justice even comes from – how that standard is defined – and who ultimately gets to define it.

But when we come to this part of the Bible, it’s clearly understood that God is the one who determines what justice is and isn’t. So far in Deuteronomy, the whole thing has been God laying down his law – revealing from heaven what trust justice looks like. And you’ll notice, human opinion isn’t a part of this at all. The Jews aren’t voting to see whether or not stealing should be considered sinful. The Jews aren’t voting to decide if universal health care should be a fundamental human right. But the Jews are simply receiving God’s standard.

And God gives us a basic summary of his ultimate moral standard in the Ten Commandments: 1) “You shall have no other gods before me, 2) You shall not make for yourselves a carved image, 3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, 4) Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, 5) Honor your father and mother, 6) You shall not murder, 7) You shall not commit adultery, 8) You shall not steal, 9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, and 10) You shall not covet.” These commands give us the basic moral categories that God will use when he judges the world.

And it’s important to recognize the standard God uses to define justice. Because given the world we live in, our ideas of justice can easily get muddled. There are a number of political movements and social justice trends today that aren’t actually required by God’s justice, or even compatible with it. So how will we be able to tell the difference? Well, it comes from knowing God and his ways.

Because look at verse 4. We’re told that, “The Rock (that’s referring to God) – the Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice.” The more familiar we are with God’s ways, revealed in His Word – the more confident we’ll be in discerning between false, worldly categories of justice, and real justice.

The Consistency of God’s Justice

But our text this morning also has something to say about the consistency of God’s justice. So look again with me at Deuteronomy 32, verse 4. Because it’s important to appreciate why our text says what it says. It says, “The Rock, his work is perfect.”

As I’ve already said – “the Rock” here is clearly a reference to God. And of course, this verse isn’t speaking in a literal way. The point here isn’t that God is made out of stone. But this is a figure of speech. There’s some sense in which God is like the ultimate rock – as though he’s a massive, unmovable cliff-face. But this raises the question – why is God described like this here in our verse? How is it that God being like a Rock, helps us to appreciate what this verse says about his justice?

Well here’s the answer. You might know of some big rock that someone has out in their yard as an ornamental piece. Or maybe you’ve traveled recently to see some rock ledges or mountains. And in the same way that great rocks and mountains are so consistent and unchanging year after year, God is consistent. God is unchanging. And in particular, he’s unchanging in the way he defines and enforces his justice. The reason why the moral principles of the Ten Commandments are enduring in their significance, is because God’s standard of rightness and justice – it doesn’t change.

And the stability of this is a rather good thing. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live in a society where the rules were constantly in flux? – where laws were suddenly changed without you knowing? Just imagine what that would be like. You’re driving down 127 at 75 miles an hour. No problem, right? But then, suddenly, a police officer pulls you over. And as you roll down the window, he lets you know that ten minutes earlier the speed limit was dropped to 35 miles per hour. And so now he’s going to ticket you for going 40 over. But in addition to that, he informs you that vehicles of your car’s make and model are now forbidden on the roadways, as of yesterday night. And you’ve committed a federal misdemeanor, because your driver’s license is missing a piece of information that’s newly required as of three hours ago. And so as a result, your vehicle needs to be impounded, and you’ll be taken into custody immediately. Can you imagine living in a world like that? The confusion, the fear, the dysfunction – it’d be paralyzing. And so it’s a really good thing that God’s moral framework and his justice – it doesn’t change.

And God isn’t just consistent in defining justice. He’s consistent in enforcing it. There is no evil thought or deed that will go unpunished. From the beginning of eternity, God has never rolled back or relaxed his justice, even for a moment, and he never will. Because he doesn’t take bribes. He doesn’t look the other way and let sin get swept under the rug. But he’s consistent in making sure that justice is done.

Now you and I, we need to feel the gravity of this. Because every single one of us in this room – we’ve all done twisted, unjust things. We’ve committed crimes against God and his law. And because the Bible indicates that God is an immovable rock – that he’s unchangeably consistent in enforcing justice – it might sound like we’re doomed. The justice of God might sound like terrible news for us.

But that’s actually not the case at all. Because the good news of Christianity, is that all the demands of God’s justice were satisfied when Jesus Christ went to the cross for us. When Jesus died for our sins – that wasn’t God tossing his justice to the side. But all the obedience that God’s law demanded from us, Jesus fulfilled. And all the death and suffering that we deserved as the punishment for our evils – Jesus was penalized with it instead. And because of what Jesus did, God has declared his judicial decision: if you belong to Christ, your sins are paid for. And the reward Christ deserves – the reward of eternal life – it’s counted as yours. Because when you turn to Jesus, you are his, and he is yours. That’s what God has determined in his justice.

And so for every Christian in this room, God’s consistency is wonderful news. The unchanging certainty of God’s justice means that Christ’s work on our behalf will never be rejected – that court ruling will never be overturned. God’s judicial declaration – that we’ve been made righteous – it will never be stripped away. Before the judgment seat of God, he will not fail to give reward and blessing to Jesus Christ, and to all those belong to him. And of all places, this confidence is rooted in the fact that God’s justice is consistent.

The Completeness of God’s Justice

But our text also shows us the completeness of God’s justice. This is my third point. The completeness of God’s justice. Again, notice in verse 4. The rock his work is perfect; for all his ways are justice. The word perfect there – it not only conveys the idea that something is without fault. But it also communicates the idea that God’s justice is full. It doesn’t have gaps. It extends over all things, and it takes everything into account. His work is perfect.

Now, for Christians, I think many of us would affirm that we believe this is true about God. Yes, his work is perfect. It’s easy to say. We know it’s the right thing to say. And yet because the world is filled with so much corruption and suffering and unmet expectations, it’s hard to actually believe it. God’s work may seem perfect when work and family life seem to be prospering. But what about when life isn’t turning out the way you expected? In faith, are you still able to say, that God’s work is perfect, and that all his ways are justice?

It’s a lot harder, isn’t it? Because sometimes, from our limited vantage point, it can appear like God is being unjust. And we’ll be tempted to grumble: God, this isn’t fair. God, what kind of decision was that? Why are lazy, corrupt people around me prospering, and I’m suffering? Right?

It’s a common temptation, to assume that we know rightness and justice better than God does. But our text is clear that ultimately, his actions are always right. His work is perfect – he’s completely right in the way he’s working things out. And we simply don’t see the full picture like God does. We’re not complete in our knowledge, not complete in our wisdom, not complete in our justice. There’s nothing wrong with God’s perfection. The problem is with our perception.

It can be helpful to think about this at a human level. Every so often, when I’m driving someplace with my family, I’ll have children from the backseat who have strong opinions that I need to be driving differently. Now, sometimes, honestly, I need to be more careful. Other times, the problem is just that my kids have no clue what they’re talking about. But then much of the time, the issue is simply that they can’t see what I can see from my perspective as the driver. Or they might start critiquing me, that I’m not slowing down, without realizing that I already have my foot on the brake.

And this is often what’s happening when we’re tempted to grumble against God’s justice – or when even we’re tempted to grumble against his moral standard. We think that we see the world better than we actually do. But what we need to remember is that we’re like kids in the backseat. God is driving just fine. He’s the master driver. And all his ways are justice – even when we can’t see how.

And so if we see reality rightly, we won’t be questioning or criticizing God’s decisions. We won’t be trying to teach him how to operate the steering wheel. But we’ll make it our goal to learn from his justice, and to trust in his justice. Because: “The Rock, His work is perfect!” This is a reality that we need to be grounded in.

The Cleanness of God’s Justice

But here’s point number four. In our text, we also see the cleanness of God’s justice here. The cleanness of God’s justice. Look down at the second half of verse 4. We’re told that the Lord is “A God of faithfulness and without iniquity; just and upright is he.”

And so we see additional clarity in our text, here – God is just and upright, not only in his works and his actions. But he’s also just in his essence. His faithfulness is pointed out here – he emphasizes that he’s trustworthy and reliable in this. And the text also says that he’s without iniquity – which is to say – he’s 100% free of any corruption, any darkness. There’s no contamination that distorts what God says or does. And this is incredible.

When farmers purchase seeds to plant in their fields, usually the seeds have gone through a rigorous process of screening, to try to filter out all the weed seeds, and the dirt, and the dead bugs and things like that. But even with that process, when you buy crop seeds, normally you’ll see on the tag – maybe 98% or 99% of the bag is true crop seed. But there’s still a recognition – there are some contaminants that couldn’t be filtered out.

This is the same thing we deal with, when it comes to drinking water. The water we get from the tap – it’s not 100% H2O – but there are trace amounts of substances in the water. Even when it’s gone through a water treatment facility. You often have trace amounts of iron, copper – even miniscule amounts of lead or arsenic. You might have small amounts of agricultural chemicals, or pharmaceutical wastes that end of up in the water – microplastics, and all kinds of other things. If our hope and our life depended on the absolute purity of our water, well, we wouldn’t be in a good spot.

But Scripture confirms that the God of heaven has no corruption or contamination whatsoever. No iniquity. No twistedness, no sin. But from top to bottom, from front to back, from everlasting to everlasting, the fabric of God’s character is pristine justice and straightness.

In fact – it’s important to make sure we all realize this – the ultimate standard that defines what justice is, is actually God’s own flawless character. There’s nothing cleaner. There’s no standard of justice higher than God, or outside of him. He never had to learn what justice is from some other source. There was never a point where God was lacking a moral framework, and so he had to create one. But no – God’s own personal character has forever been the ultimate standard of justice.

And so when you consider the clean commands of Scripture – make sure you realize, the rules aren’t just rules. But they’re a reflection of God’s own character – a reflection of who God himself is. They’re windows that allow us to see things about the inner heart of God.

Have you thought about God’s commands like that before? They aren’t given to be prison bars, or crushing burdens. But these commands show us how God himself operates, according to his divine freeness and fairness. They reflect his noblest passions and priorities.

And when we realize how personal these commands are to God’s own character, it makes more sense why it’s so serious to break his commands. Because it means that sin isn’t just a rejection of laws. Sin isn’t just a rejection of abstract moral principles. But every disobedience against God’s Word a rejection of God himself – a rejection of his personal being, as the fountain of all virtue and fairness. In fact, the dirtiest form of injustice is to reject the perfectly clean justice of God.

Getting back to the cleanness of God’s justice though – God isn’t just clean in the way that he defines a moral standard for right and wrong. But there’s also a cleanness in the way that he administers justice.  This is reflected in a helpful way earlier in Deuteronomy. Because God takes a section in Chapter 16, and he explains to human judges how they need to be carrying out their work. He explains to them, “You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe…”

In other words, everyone needs to stand accountable under the law equally. You shouldn’t show partiality to people who are well-liked or powerful. Rich people shouldn’t be able to buy their way out of a prison sentence. But justice needs to be administered justly.

I think we’re all aware, in human courts, this doesn’t always happen. And it can be upsetting to see in the United States, whenever it comes out that the system has been manipulated. And yet I can assure you, having spent some time overseas, in many other countries the problem is far bigger. Even if you have good rules put down on paper, it doesn’t help much unless justice is enforced for everyone.

The hard reality is that human courts sometimes fail to do this. But for the courtroom of God, justice never stumbles. You’ll never see God accepting a bribe from the rich. You’ll never see the Divine Judge allowing crooks to manipulate the court schedule, or procedural technicalities. But instead, God sees to it that all people are equally subject to his standard. Every person will receive the right verdict. And for everyone who receives a sentencing, their punishment will exactly match the severity of their crime. God’s justice is a clean justice.

Considerations from the Justice of God

But as we get close to the end of the sermon, here, I want to give some closing considerations for us, concerning God’s justice. This is fifth and final point: considerations from God’s judgment. There are a number of practical implications of God’s justice that are worth mentioning.

For one thing, the reality of God’s justice should drive us to be really humble and honest about our moral failings. Sometimes we can come up with coping mechanisms – like we can blame our decisions on other people, or we can make excuses for why we sinned the way did as though it’s not really so bad. But God sees right through all that. Ultimately, we’re still responsible for the sinful decisions we made. We can’t deny it – we just need to be honest about it. So that’s one thing.

But as a second consideration, the fact of God’s justice should make us earnest to make sure we’re right with Him. If you’re here this morning, and you’re not confident that your sins are forgiven – if you’re not sure what’s going to happen to you on Judgment Day, when God hands over human souls to their eternal destinies – you can’t just ignore this issue. What you need, is you need the great Savior Jesus, to carry all of the penalty for all of your sins. Otherwise you will. You need his perfect rightness and obedience to be credited to your account. And God has given Jesus to us, so that anyone who turns from their sin and trusts in him will be saved – so they’ll be on the right side of God’s justice forever. Are you secure in Christ this morning? If you’re not sure, then come to talk to Pastor Josh or myself, as soon as you can, and let’s figure it out. Getting settled about the final judgment of God is critical.

Here’s a third consideration, though. Because of God’s justice, we shouldn’t take vengeance or vigilante justice into our own hands – to pay people back who have hurt us. Sometimes we want to get back at people – especially if it doesn’t seem like there’s any consequence for the way hurt us, or especially when it seems like God isn’t doing anything. But Scripture calls us to entrust those things to the Lord. In Romans 12, in particular, Christians are urged, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves. But leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” So honoring God as judge – entrusting ultimate justice to him – is also an important way that we respond to this attribute of his.

But finally, the justice of God should also cause us to do what the prophet Moses does, as he’s writing here in Deuteronomy 32. God’s justice should lead us to worship, to song. In Chapter 32, here, Moses is singing. And it’s interesting – at the beginning of his song, here, the attribute of God that arouses Moses’s reverence and awe (and that the Spirit of God intends for us to be impressed by) is God’s justice.

How meaningful this would be – for Jews under Moses, many of whom had been raised as children under the harsh slavery of Egypt. How many of these Jews had experienced cruelty, oppression, and humiliation under the whips of their taskmasters? So often, those who set their hope on earthly governments end up sorely disappointed. And yet here, Moses declares that there’s a special King for the people now – a King of perfect justice, who’s consistent and clean to the core of his being. He not only gives himself in a special way, to be our ruler – but he’s the Emperor who rules over all things. And of course, the perfection of his justice should prompt us to admire him, to be loyal to him, to be grateful for him – and ultimately to worship him.

So as we close, let’s worship God in his perfect justice in prayer. Please pray with me: