From Newsgroup: alt.bible

The Justice Of God In The Condemnation Of Sinners

1. Divine Justice and the Law

(1) Galatians 3:10rCo"For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.'" (Galatians 3:10 ESV)

The Law of God is a perfect standard. Every person who fails to keep every single part of that Law perfectly and constantly is, by the Law's own declaration, "cursed." Because God is just, He must uphold the sentence that His own Law demands.

(2) Ezekiel 18:20rCo"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." (Ezekiel 18:20 ESV)

GodrCOs justice is individual and absolute. It is right for God to punish sin because the "wickedness of the wicked" belongs to the sinner himself. Justice does not stand in the way of the sinnerrCOs destruction; rather, it calls for it.

Proposition: The Justice of God and the rule of righteousness require the punishment of the sinner.

2. The Present Condition of the Unbeliever

(1) John 3:18rCo"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:18 ESV)

The sinner is not merely in danger of future condemnation; he is "condemned already." The sentence has been passed by the Supreme Judge. God is just in executing a sentence that has already been legally established by the sinner's own unbelief.

(2) Psalm 7:11rCo"God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day." (Psalm 7:11 ESV)

God does not look upon sin with indifference. As a "righteous judge," His holy anger is directed toward the wicked constantly. His justice is not a dormant feeling but an active attribute that is ready to be exercised at any moment.

Proposition: The sinner is already under a legal sentence of death, and GodrCOs righteous indignation is already directed toward him.

3. The Lack of Divine Obligation

(1) Romans 9:15-16rCo"For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy." (Romans 9:15-16 ESV)

God is under no debt to any person to keep them out of the lake of fire. Mercy is a free gift, not a right that a rebel can demand. If God chooses to withhold mercy from those who have broken His law, He is doing them no wrong; He is simply being just.

(2) Romans 3:19rCo"Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God." (Romans 3:19 ESV)

Every sinner is "accountable to God." This means the sinner has nothing to say in his own defense. When God condemns the sinner, every mouth is "stopped" because the justice of the condemnation is self-evident.

Proposition: God is under no obligation, by any promise or debt, to preserve the unregenerate from the consequences of their sin.

4. The Destructive Nature of Sin

(1) Romans 6:23rCo"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23 ESV)

Death is not an arbitrary punishment; it is the "wages" of sin. It is what sin has earned. Just as a worker is justly paid his wages, the sinner is justly paid with death.

(2) Isaiah 1:31rCo"And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them." (Isaiah 1:31 ESV)

Sin itself is like a "spark" and the sinner like "tinder." Sin is inherently ruinous and destructive to the soul. In condemning the sinner, God is allowing the nature of sin to reach its logical and just conclusion.

Proposition: Sin is a destructive power that earns the wage of death, and God is just in allowing that wage to be paid.

Summary: By the demands of the Law, the present state of condemnation, the absence of any divine debt to the rebel, and the inherently ruinous nature of sin, the Bible teaches that God is perfectly just in the condemnation of sinners.
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Good News rCa

Christ's death on a cross paid the debt we owe God for our sins (Colossians 2:14). The proof is God raised Him from the dead (Romans 1:4).

This means God can now remain right, while forgiving our sins (Romans 3:26) and delivering us from His coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10). It's a free gift for those who believe in Christ (Romans 6:23).

If you believe, call on the Lord to save you (Romans 10:9-13).

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