One of God’s greatest attributes is love. Anyone who knows anything about God knows that He loves us. But God is not flat; He’s three dimensional. He’s not one-sided. He has many qualities and characteristics, just like we do. Or should I say that we are three-dimensional and have many characteristics like God, because we were made in His image; not the other way around. Because God is holy, His attributes are in perfect balance.
Love is only one of God’s attributes. He is also just. Most people don’t like that one. To be just means that He will enact a fair penalty for wrong-doing.
Fair according to who? And who determines what is wrong or right, especially in today’s age when everything is relative? Everyone has their own standards.
Unfortunately, our standards are flawed; tainted by sin. They change from day to day. But God never changes, and His standards reflect His holiness. They are perfect as He is perfect, and they don’t change, either. But in our self-righteous attitudes, we are prone to compare our goodness with that of another person. “I’m not as bad as he is.”
Yet, we resent it when God compares His righteousness to our sinfulness, which He does in Romans 3:23. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
God is holy, and He is our standard. In Romans 3:23, He declares that none of us measure up. Then in Isaiah 64:6, God says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…”
Because of our sinfulness, there’s a judgment coming that no one shall escape. In that day, every man, woman, and child shall stand before God.
Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
Jesus said in John 5:22, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”
Jesus is the Great Judge of the universe. And there will come a time when we all stand before Him in judgment and give account for our works. (Revelation 20:11) Are you ready?