God is...Righteousness and Love

God is Righteous

God’s Righteousness is always true - Psalm 119:142

Psalm 119:142 NIV

Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.

God’s Righteousness is always what is just or fair - Psalm 50:6

Psalm 50:6 NIV

And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice.,

God’s righteousness is always morally right - Deuteronomy 32:4

Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

Someday everyone will be judged by God’s righteous standard - Acts 17:31

Acts 17:31 NIV

For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Everyone falls short of God’s righteous standard - Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 NIV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

God is Love

God is Love - 1 John 4:7-8

1 John 4:7–8 NIV

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Love comes from God

Loving others is evidence of knowing (or not knowing) God

God’s essence is love

God demonstrated His love by sending His Son to die for us - 1 John 4:9-10

1 John 4:9–10 NIV

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

God’s love and righteousness come together in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ - Romans 3:25-26

Romans 3:25–26 NIV

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

God’s righteousness required Justice

God’s love required that Jesus atone for our sins

Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we have the righteousness of Christ - Philippians 3:8-9

Philippians 3:8–9 NIV

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can look forward to a crown of righteousness - 2 Timothy 4:8

2 Timothy 4:8 NIV

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.