God is righteous and just
“The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” ( Psalm 145:17 ) When Abraham was interceding with God to spare Sodom if even ten “righteous” people were there, he asked: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” ( Genesis 18:25 ). The Hebrew word (mishpat) refers to a formal judgment about right and wrong and is more commonly translated “judgment.” Indeed, the divine Judge will do right and give right judgments in all things, for He “is righteous in all his ways” and “canst not look on iniquity” ( Habakkuk 1:13 ). Ever since Adam disobeyed the Word of God, however, all his descendants have been unrighteous in their ways. God’s righteous judgment has been that “there is none righteous, no, not one” ( Romans3:10 ). Thus, a truly righteous Judge would not only have to consign Sodom to destructive “brimstone and fire from the LORD” ( Genesis 19:24 ) but every one of us as well “into the lake of fire” ( Revelation 20:15 ) forever. But God, being not onl...