by A. W. Pink
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
It is scarcely surprising that far less has been written upon the justice of God—than upon some of the other Divine perfections. We are accustomed to turn our thoughts unto those objects and subjects which afford us the most pleasure, and to avoid those which render us uneasy. But no servant of the Lord should be guilty of pandering to this tendency. Rather must he endeavor with all his might to declare "all the counsel of God" and to portray the Divine character just as it is set forth in Holy Writ. He must not conceal a single feature thereof, no matter how awe-inspiring it is, or how repellent to the fallen creature. It is impossible for us to entertain right conceptions of God, unless we have before us a full-orbed sight of His varied excellencies. To view Him only as "Love"; to refuse to contemplate Him as "Light"—will necessarily result in our manufacturing a false god in our imaginations, a caricature of the true and living God.
God is a Being possessed of every excellence. Not one of them could be lacking without changing His character, and therefore if any one of them is either unintentionally or deliberately omitted, then the object of contemplation is not the true God—but a figment which is the outcome of our misconception. Yet while we are required to acknowledge all the Divine attributes, nevertheless they do not all produce the same effect in our heart and mind. Some are objects of pleasure—but others fill us with awe and fear. Divine wisdom delights us with the wonders of its production and the marvels of its contrivance. Divine goodness charms us with the richness and variety of its gifts. As we contemplate God as a gracious Benefactor, joy is awakened within us, and as we perceive Him ministering to our numerous needs we are filled with gratitude. But when we turn our thoughts unto the immaculate holiness of the Divine nature, and the inflexible justice of His moral government, a different order of sentiments is evoked.
When the human mind is focused upon the ineffable purity of God and His unchanging righteousness, it appears to fallen creatures that He no longer smiles—but frowns upon his works. That easy, peaceable disposition—so pleasing to our hearts, so soothing when we feel the stirrings of conscience—in which we contemplate God while considering His goodness alone, gives place to far sterner aspects, and we are made to tremble when He is also seen as an offended Ruler and Judge. Guilty sinners have no desire to cultivate a closer acquaintance with One who is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13), and whose wrath is "revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (Romans 1:18). Such a view is terrifying, and they would readily flee to the most distant place, if they could escape His solemn presence. In the sight of holy angels, JUSTICE gives a firmness and consistency to the Divine character—but the criminal dreads justice, and the Divine justice most of all, since it is far more formidable and inexorable than man's.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
The Nature of God's Justice
The Rule of God's Justice
The Manifestation of God's Justice
Application