Just
God is...
The message of Good News is truly a story of love and perfect justice.
Justice is often not done in our legal systems. Often the sentence does not fit the crime or there may even be total miscarriages of justice. In conflict resolution the offending parties are never brought to justice - crimes are simply brushed under the carpet and everyone tries to pretend they didn't happen.
God will not do this. To overlook sin would be to conflict with His just character; He is righteous. He would no longer be righteous if He simply overlooked sin. Justice must be done and the price paid for. Yes, He sent His Son to be the Saviour out of love, but He also sent His Son because His Son, Jesus Christ, could alone provide a salvation that would meet all the requirements for justice.
He alone could do this because of WHO he was: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Mathew 1:23) The Word of God is telling us that the One who was born into time was indeed the eternal Son of God. God was manifest in flesh (1 Timothy 3 v16). As God, He was absolutely perfect. Remember He is Holy, He never sinned nor could he ever sin. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. (1John 3:5).
How then did He take away sin and still meet the requirements of God's justice and righteousness? The answer lies in the perfect redemptive sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ, who offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sin, and God is satisfied with His work on the cross. The price paid to save sinners and meet the righteous and just standards of God was the suffering and death of The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The Word of God says that those who have their sins taken away, were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1Peter 1v 18 & 19). In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1 v14). To be redeemed is to have someone purchase your freedom. In this context, that means freedom from sin and all its consequences.
His suffering and sacrifice was because of my sin and yours. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53 v 5&6). Christ died for our sins (Corinthians 15 v 3)
His suffering and sacrifice was because of my sin and yours. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53 v 5&6). Christ died for our sins (Corinthians 15 v 3).
As the sinless, pure and Holy Son of God He could fully endure the judgment and wrath of God against sin. He did this and was able to cry out, It is finished (John 19 v30) and then He did what none other had ever done before; He dismissed His Spirit. He was not overcome by death, but rather He laid hold of death that he might conquer it, and He did.
Death had no claim to Him. Death is only the experience of sinners, but as the Lord Jesus became the one who was subjected to death for our sins, He had to die to pay the price in full. Having paid that price in full, (death) and because of His holy character, unpolluted by sin, death had no claim on Him. He rose from the dead in accordance with the word of God. God hath raised him from the dead (Romans 10 v9) He, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins (Acts 13 v 38)
God's justice and love met at the cross. They saw the answer to mankind's need in the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ and so to all mankind there is a gracious and merciful offer of the forgiveness of sin through faith in Him.
God is just and this is exactly what we need to ensure a salvation that cannot fail. Can God be trusted? God is TRUE