In righteousness God reveals His love of holiness.
In justice God reveals His hatred of sin.
The two are inseparable - so much so that the same word is frequently used for righteousness and justice in the Old Testament, and always in the New Testament.
“A bribe . . . subverts the cause of the righteous (tsadîqim).
Justice (tsedeq) you shall follow that you may live” (Deut 16:19-20).
The cause of maintaining righteousness (protecting those who keep the laws and who do what is legal and right) requires the practice of justice.
In the New Testament, díkaios means “just” and “righteous.”
“Great and marvelous are Your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty;
Just (díkaiai) and true are Your ways,
King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For all the nations will come and worship before You,
For Your righteous acts (dikaiômata) have been revealed” (Rev 15:2-4).
a. the Righteous One
God's holiness establishes Him as the Source, Determiner, and Provider of righteousness in His creation. He is the original and final standard of what is right. In His righteousness He imposes His Law in Scripture, but also in every man’s conscience.’
“The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony if the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true;
They are righteous altogether” (Ps 19:7-9).
“For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” (Rom 2:14-15).
“The Lord is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds” (Ps 145:17).
b. the Just One
God’s holiness ensures that He always rules and acts in accordance with what is right.
“All His ways are justice” (Deut 2:4).
“He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord” (Ps 33:5).
“For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.
My shield is with God,
Who saves the upright of heart.
For God is a righteous Judge
And a God Who has indignation every day” (Psalm 7:9-11).
Against You, You only, I have sinned,
And done the evil thing in Thy sight,
So that You are righteous in your sentencing
And pure in Your judging (Ps 51:4).
“I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me” (Ps 119:75).
“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!” (Rom 9:14).
His unrevealed will in matters of justice and fairness requires a response that bows down before Him and confesses His uncompromising, faithful, just, and wise dealings.
And Yahweh said to Job,
Will you even put Me in the wrong?
Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?” (Job 40:2, 8)
(Spotlight 2, Lesson 10 in Doctrine 101: Learning about God)