HOW CAN GOD BE JUST AND THE JUSTIFIER?

"[24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

[25] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

[26] To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of
him which believeth in Jesus." - Romans 3:24-26

GOD IS JUST

God must punish evil or He would not be just.

God will punish the murderers, rapists, pedophiles, genocidal dictators, and serial killers.

"[11] And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause
the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible." - Isaiah
13:11

Most people have no problem with that(if they are honest)

BUT...

God will also punish the liars, thieves, fornicators, drunkards, and blasphemers.

"[8] But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers,
and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone: which is the second death." - Revelation 21:8

Most people do have a problem with that.

All men deserve to be punished because all men are sinners.

"[23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" - Romans 3:23

"[20] For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." - Ecclesiastes
7:20

The reason most people think they are good is because their standard for being good is not
being a murderer, rapist, pedophile, bank robber, drug dealer, etc.

"[12] For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that
commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing
themselves among themselves, are not wise." - II Corinthians 10:12

Their standard is other people and not God's law which is God's standard for righteousness.

"[12] Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." - Romans 7:12

"[4] Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the
law." - I John 3:4

Compared to the murderer they are pretty good, compared to God's law they fall short and are
shown to be a wicked sinner.

"[19] Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the
law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

[20] ...for by the law is the knowledge of sin." - Romans 3:19,20

Sin is not just a mistake, it is willful rebellion against God and His law. Sin is wicked and evil.

"...this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

[10] Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things,
speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:" - Isaiah 30:9,10

Most people do not want God to be just, they only want Him to be loving.

God is love. God loves everybody. God doesn't hate. God doesn't judge.

These are things we hear all the time.

Yet if we think for a second about what they are really saying, we get a better understanding of
what kind of God they are talking about.

This next analogy will show what it would mean if God was all love and not just.

Picture in your mind the people you love most. This could be parents, children, a spouse, close
friends, etc.

Then imagine someone kidnapped, tortured, and murdered them.

Would you want that murderer to be punished?

Those who would say "No" here are liars. I have had people say no to me on the street and the
reason they said no is because the implications of what it would mean if they said yes.

What if they were found guilty, but the judge said, "Since I'm so loving and forgiving, I'm going to
let this murderer off the hook."
Would you be mad? Would the judge be corrupt? Why would he be corrupt?

Because he would not be just.

If the judge really was loving, he would have compassion for the families and friends of those
that were murdered by punishing the murderer. The murderer caused those families and friends
great pain by murdering their loved one, so if the judge let the murderer off the hook, he would
be showing that he does not care how those people feel and he does not care about justice.

He would be a corrupt unjust judge.

A god that would not punish murderers, rapists, and pedophiles and just let them into heaven
would be a corrupt, unjust, and evil god.

That is NOT the God of the Bible.

"[3] The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: " -
Nahum 1:3

ACQUIT - To set free; to release or discharge from an obligation, accusation, guilt, censure,
suspicion, or whatever lies upon a person as a charge or duty; as, the jury acquitted the prisoner;

"The LORD God...will by no means clear the guilty" - Exodus 34:6,7

In addition to that, according to God's standard, which is His holy law, if God did not punish the
liars, fornicators, adulterers, thieves, drunkards, idolaters, and blasphemers, He would be a
corrupt, unjust, and evil god.

In order to mentally escape God's justice, man either minimizes the wickedness of his sin by
using a false standard of righteousness to determine in his mind that he will escape punishment
because he is "not that bad" or he changes who God is by only speaking of God as loving, but
never just.

If God were only just, and not loving and merciful, then everyone would just go to hell.

The good news is that God IS loving and merciful.

"[34] O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever." - I Chronicles
16:34

GOD IS THE JUSTIFIER

God is love.

"[8] He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." - I John 4:8
He is merciful.

"[36] Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." - Luke 6:36

"(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;)" - Deteronomy 4:31

If God was not loving and merciful, everyone would be in hell right now being punished for their
sin.

"[44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

[45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." - Matthew 5:44,45

Every day of life and breath on earth is more than we deserve.

"[13] And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that
thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such
deliverance as this;" - Ezra 9:13

He wants to forgive the sinner.

"[5] For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive..." - Psalms 86:5

He wants to have fellowship with man.

"[20] Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will
come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:20

He wants to be a Father to us.

"[17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not
the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

[18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty." - II Corinthians 6:17,18

He doesn't want us to go to hell to everlasting punishment.

"[9] The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish..." - II Peter 3:9

"As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked..." - Ezekiel 33:11
THE PROBLEM

How can God be merciful and forgive man who is a wicked sinner deserving of hell and still
remain just?

How can God be just and satisfy the demands of His holy law by punishing evil and still remain
loving and merciful?

"[15] He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are
abomination to the LORD." - Proverbs 17:15

The solution of false religions

Polytheist

Hindu

Buddhist

Taoist

Witch

Monotheist

Jew

Muslim
Catholic

Mormon

Jehovah's Witness

Seventh Day Adventist

THEY ALL CLAIM SOME TYPE OF GOOD WORKS, COMMANDMENT KEEPING, HUMAN EFFORT,
RITUALS, KNOWLEDGE SEEKING, ETC. IS REQUIRED TO EARN THE FAVOR OF GOD, COVER UP SIN,
ENTER INTO PARADISE, OR ASCEND TO GODHOOD

THE PROBLEM THEY DIDN'T SOLVE

None of these religions solve the problem of justice. Their gods are unjust.

They all try to cover up sin or earn the favor of their god with their own works.

"... for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." - Galatians 2:16

"...Not by works of righteousness which we have done..." - Titus 3:5

Let's use an analogy to show how foolish it is to say that doing good works covers up sin.

Let's go back to the murderer who tortured and murdered your loved ones.

Imagine he stands before the judge and says, "But your honor, I have done so many wonderful
things. I have donated millions to charity, I helped to build schools and hospitals, I've contributed
great works to the fields of science and medicine, I am an otherwise upstanding citizen. Doesn't
that mean anything?"

If the judge let him off the hook, he would be corrupt because justice was not served and
someone was able to take the lives of others with no consequence. The law would not have
been upheld which means there is no point to having any law if it is not enforced.

If the judge was corrupt, he could also be paid off to let the murderer of the hook(which does
happen with earthly judges).

When someone says that God should overlook their sin and not punish them because of the
good works they have done, they are trying to pay off God to pervert His justice. It is impossible
for anyone's good works to satisfy the demands of God's justice against a guilty sinner.

"[10] For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

[11] For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no
adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." - James 2:10,11

THE REAL BIBLICAL SOLUTION

JESUS CHRIST

Jesus satisfied the demands of the law by keeping it spotless and without sin His whole life.

"[17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but
to fulfil.

[18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass
from the law, till all be fulfilled." - Matthew 5:17,18

"[15] For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." - Hebrews 4:15

Jesus took all sin from all men of all time upon Himself becoming a curse for us

"...the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

...for he shall bear their iniquities.

... he bare the sin of many" - Isaiah 53:6,11,12

"[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

[28] So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many..." - Hebrews 9:27,28

"[21] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin..." - II Corinthians 5:21

"[13] Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is
written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" - Galatians 3:13

Jesus took the punishment for sin we deserve.

" But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities..." - Isaiah 53:5

"[18] For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to
God..." - I Peter 3:18
God poured out the wrath we deserve on Jesus thereby satisfying His justice.

"Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him...

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied..." - Isaiah 53:10,11

Because the justice of God was satisfied on the cross, God is able to offer His love and mercy to
mankind through the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

"[6] For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

[7] For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would
even dare to die.

[8] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us.

[9] Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
him.

[10] For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much
more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

[11] And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have
now received the atonement." - Romans 5:6-11

The gift of salvation cannot be earned by doing good works.

"[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast." - Ephesians 2:8,9

"[6] And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of
works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." - Romans 11:6

Salvation is only received through repentance toward God and faith towards the Lord Jesus
Christ.

"[21] Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ." - Acts 20:21

"[14] Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the
kingdom of God,

[15] And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe
the gospel." - Mark 1:14,15

Repentance is sorrow for sin, hatred for sin, and turning from a life of sin unto Jesus.
"[10] For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of
the world worketh death." - II Corinthians 7:10

"26] Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away
every one of you from his iniquities." - Acts 3:26

Faith is believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sin, taking the punishment you
deserve.

Believing he rose again from the dead 3 days later and is now reigning in heaven.

Faith is not only believing these truths from the heart, but also trusting in Jesus Himself to save
you and not your own good works. If you believe with your heart these things, you will confess
with your mouth.

"[9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

[10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation.

[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." - Romans 9:9,10,13

"[12] That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

[13] In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

[14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession,
unto the praise of his glory." - Ephesians 1:12-14

When you get saved, you are justified in the sight of God meaning legally declared righteous by
God, even though you are guilty and deserve to be punished for your sin, because of the
righteousness of Christ which is imputed unto you.

The grounds for your justification is based on the substitutionary atonement of Christ's death
through which the justice of God is satisfied and you receive the imputed righteousness of Christ
by faith.

This is the intersection of God's justice and mercy.

This is how God can be both just and the justifier.