Think of a time when you were treated unfairly. What happened?

Now think of a time when you were given exactly what you deserved. What happened then?

For a lot of us, we probably find it much easier to remember a time when it was "Just not fair!" than to think of a time when we got exactly what we deserved. Why do you think that is?

When we say, "That's just not fair!" we often mean, "That's just not Just." Justice is all about being treated fairly. In order for justice to be real, it must be totally fair. The only way justice can be totally fair is if a clear set of rules or laws exists.

Justice upholds the law.

Throughout the world, countries have systems of justice: legal systems consisting of police, judges, lawyers, and kings that are all supposed to uphold justice and make sure that everyone is being treated fairly. When you break a rule or a law, it is totally fair for you to pay the consequences.

But nobody is perfect (except God!), and laws can be changed (except God's Law). So no earthly system of justice can be perfect either...

Maybe that's why so many people struggle with the fact that God is Just. We all remember those times that we were treated unfairly, or when we worked hard for something and were not given our just reward, so we might think that God is going to be unfair towards us. Or we might think of God as Someone who is watching us all the time, just waiting to catch us being bad.

But remember, God is not like that. All of God's attributes (His Love, Power, Perfection, etc.) are intertwined. So His Justice is always perfect and good, because God is always perfect and good. Even His laws are perfect!

The Bible says:

What we easily forget, though, is that God sees people differently than we see ourselves. We usually think we're more important than we really are, or that we can be good enough to gain God's attention. The truth is, we are all sinners. We have all broken God's laws.

The Bible says:

What is God's glorious standard? (Holiness. He is perfect.)

Because God is Holy, Perfect, and Pure, His laws are totally true. His justice is absolutely fair all the time. He must uphold His laws; otherwise He would not be a perfect judge.

That's good news for someone who has been wronged! But that's not such good news for those who are guilty. And we are all guilty, because we are all sinners.

The Bible says:

That means the just consequence for our sin is death. A Perfect God who is totally fair must judge our sin. It would "just not be fair!" if He didn't.

What just happened?

We are all found guilty before a Perfect, Holy God. But because God, the Perfect Judge, is Merciful, He saved us from the death penalty our sin deserves by sending His Perfect Son, Jesus, to pay that penalty Himself. God's perfect justice is served in the death of Jesus, and we receive the fullness of God's love and mercy through God's Son.

If you were in that situation in a courtroom for real, and Someone offered to take your punishment in your place, would you let Him?

Why does it matter?

Because God is Just, He must judge my sin. But Jesus took my punishment Himself, and that makes me "Not guilty" before the Perfect Judge!

Talk with God!

If you have accepted the fact that Jesus took your punishment for your sin when He came to earth and died on the cross, your sin is paid for! He saved you! Thank God for sending Jesus to take away your sin penalty!