Righteous...Loving... Wise...Good...Jealous...
All of God's attributes are together the perfect, unfathomless essence of the Lord our God.
"If there is no justice, then the embracing love of God does not come to us either; however with the enforcement of justice, which gives to all children the promise, God is grace. God cannot be cut into pieces: so many percent grace, so many percent justice. God is always one hundred percent grace and one hundred percent justice. Woe to the poor person who calculates the attributes of God in percentages! Everything He is, He is one hundred percent: He encompasses the framework of justice, but also the framework of the grace of the covenant." Dr. K. Schilder
If I only speak of God's Love, I am not speaking of God. If I only speak of God's righteousness, I am not speaking of God. God is Love... Yes. But as Dr. Schilder points out without His justice there is no love. Christ's prayer in the garden: "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26: 39) What was in this cup?
The full wrath of God the Father for all sin of mankind. And in response to suffering God's wrath, Christ called out in agony, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46).
We cannot separate this justice from any of the other attributes of God.
"We perceive justice to be something awful, daunting, dark; and so it is. Yet God's justice also speaks of comfort and gives hope to the penitent, for God said by the mouth of His prophet Isaiah, "Zion will be redeemed with justice ..." (Isaiah 1:27). God links His justice to the redemption of the sinner; His justice is also the way of salvation."
What an amazing gospel! We are nothing apart from Him who set us free. All of our hope, our confidence, our endeavors, desires... begin and end with Jesus Christ our Lord.
Thanksgiving and Praise.
