“But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He judges the world with justice; He governs the people with equity.” — Psalm 9:7–8 (BSB)
“God ‘will repay each one according to his deeds.’” — Romans 2:6 (BSB)
“And they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: ‘Great and wonderful are Your works, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!’” — Revelation 15:3 (BSB)
“Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.” — Isaiah 30:18 (BSB)
God’s justice means that He rewards righteousness and punishes evil. Romans 2:6 affirms that God will “repay each one according to his deeds.” But God’s justice is not cold or mechanical—it is perfectly united with His mercy. Isaiah 30:18 reminds us that “the LORD longs to be gracious” even while He is just. His justice is not about vengeance but about restoring what is right. The Cross of Christ is the greatest expression of this truth: God’s justice is satisfied, and His mercy is poured out.
In Anglican theology, God’s justice is foundational to our understanding of sin, salvation, and final judgment. The Thirty-Nine Articles affirm that we are saved not by our merits, which cannot satisfy divine justice, but by the satisfaction made by Christ alone (Article XI). The Book of Common Prayer teaches us to pray for God’s “righteous judgment” and confess our sins before “the Judge of all.” God’s justice is thus both a warning and a comfort—He is not indifferent to evil, and He will make all things right.
Bishop J.C. Ryle wrote, “Justice without mercy is terrifying, and mercy without justice is meaningless. But in God they meet perfectly.” This balanced understanding keeps us from presuming on God’s grace or despairing under guilt. We are held accountable, yet we are not without hope. Because God is just, every wrong will be answered—either at the Cross or at the final judgment. And because He is just, He cannot overlook sin, but neither will He break His promise to the repentant.
To believe in a just God is to live with deep moral seriousness and profound hope. Justice is not merely an abstract principle—it is the character of our Creator and Judge. When we see injustice in the world, we look to God who “judges the world with justice” (Psalm 9:8). And when we repent and believe in Christ, we find a just God who justifies the ungodly (Romans 3:26), not by ignoring our sin, but by bearing it Himself.
Irenaeus affirmed both the certainty and mercy within God’s justice.
St. Clement of Rome (1st century AD) taught: “He is a righteous Judge who shows no partiality. Let us reverence His justice and walk in holiness before His face.” — 1 Clement 27
Clement exhorted the Church to live righteously because of God’s impartial and holy justice.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) said: “God’s justice is not cruel, but holy. He punishes not out of passion, but from truth; and in the end, He alone will vindicate the righteous and humble the proud.” — City of God, 21.24
Augustine saw God’s justice as flowing from His divine truth and love.
St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407 AD) preached: “Justice belongs to God in perfection. If He delays judgment, it is to allow for repentance. If He acts, it is in wisdom and equity.” — Homily on Romans 2
Chrysostom balanced God’s swift judgment with His long-suffering and wisdom.
St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604 AD) wrote: “The Lord is just in all His works, even when we do not understand. To trust in His justice is to walk by faith.” — Moral Reflections on Job, 9.23
Gregory encouraged humble trust in God’s justice, even when His ways seem hidden.
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
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