God is Righteous and Just

Today’s Bible Verse: Read Psalm 97:1-2

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.  Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne (Psalm 97:1-2).

Associated Scriptures:

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep O LORD, You preserve man and beast (Psalm 36:6).

But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness (Isaiah 5:16).

And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity (Psalm 9:8).

Supportive Quotes:

God is righteous in all the divine persons: The Father is righteous, the Son is righteous, and the Holy Spirit is righteous: he is so in his nature.[1] – John Gill

Since our punishment has been absorbed by Christ, we no longer fear that God is just. Rather we depend upon it.[2] – Charles Spurgeon

The fact that God is just and will judge between right and wrong gives ultimate moral significance to our lives and makes us accountable for our actions.[3] – J. I. Packer

Biblical Analysis:

Introduction

The 1970’s worship lyric says, “Our God Reigns” and repeats it three more times in the chorus. 

“By 1973…I had rendered myself very near unemployable in the education world…I saw myself as a highly educated man being forced to do menial, blue-collar work. The total of my circumstances reduced me to an extremely depressed state.

“I came home one day in this grim, dejected state and sat down to read the Bible. I had been reading through the Book of Isaiah, and that particular evening my attention was drawn to Isaiah 52:6 and 7, ‘Therefore, my people shall know my name:…that says unto Zion, Thy God reigns!’

“As I read the passage and came to the words, ‘Thy God reigns!’ It seemed as if the Lord definitely spoke to my heart. His message to me was, ‘I will bring you through this, and you will shine as the sun. Everything is fine![4]’” – Leonard Smith

The incredible word portrait of God reigning, painted by the prophet in Isaiah 52 is echoed in the words of Psalm 97:1, “The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.”   All the earth, from its core to the surface and all living and nonliving things on it should bow before the Lord, their God, their creator (Psalm 95:6).  Not only because He made all things (John 1:3), but also, God gave life to all things (John 1:4).  He reigns and rules all creation with His Righteousness and His Justice (Psalm 97:2b).”  God is Sovereign, “Our God Reigns.”

BECAUSE GOD IS JUST, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ABSOLUTE (PSALM 71:19).

The absolute righteousness of God is probably the most questioned truth among unregenerate man.  Both Christians and non-Christians ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  A better question might be “Why does a just God do good things for people at all?” 

God provided mankind with a perfect world.  The world He created had no suffering and no death.  However, mankind chose sin over righteousness and in doing so lost the ability to be or do “good” (Luke 18:19 and Isaiah 64:6a).

BECAUSE GOD IS RIGHTEOUS, I WILL LIVE BY HIS STANDARDS (EPHESIANS 4:22-24).

If we have made Jesus the Lord of our lives, there will be an expectation of righteousness.  The Spirit of God lives in us and prompts us to righteousness (Galatians 5:25). 

BECAUSE GOD IS RIGHTEOUS, I WILL SPREAD THE GOSPEL MESSAGE (ROMANS 1:16.)

Now that we are born again and have taken on a potential life of righteousness, Jesus expects us to witness to others.  The word gospel means “good news.”  The good news is that Jesus died for all men and we are to be witnesses for him around our neighborhood, at work, and in our community (Acts 1:8).  The street where we live is our “Jerusalem.”  Where we work is our “Judea and Samaria.”  Our community is our “uttermost parts of the world.”

Spiritual Application:

God is righteous and just as are Jesus and God’s Spirit.  It is only through believing and accepting Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection as truth and accepting that truth, by the gift of faith, into our lives that we can have a relationship with Him (Ephesians 2:8-9).  That relationship results in the freedom to choose good or evil.  Choose good.

[1] Gill, John. Commentary on John 17:25. The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible, The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernized and adapted for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rights Reserved, Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.

[2] Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon on the Justice of God, frankgantz.com/spurgeon-just-god/.

[3] J. I. Packer, Knowing God, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press as quoted from allaboutgod.com/god-is-just.html.

[4]Lindsay Terry, The Story Behind the Song, “Our God Reigns”, St. Augustine Record © 2018. All Rights Reserved, staugustine.com/living/religion/2015-09-24/story-behind-song-our-god-reigns.