Blake Long

Do you ever think about the justice of God? Does the thought of God executing justice cause you to disbelieve His goodness? Or do you believe His justice is intertwined with His goodness?

Questions like these and more are why Thomas Schreiner wrote his newest book The Justice and Goodness of God: A Biblical Case for the Final Judgement, published by Crossway.

Schreiner begins with making the clear case that the entire redemptive storyline of the Bible, specifically salvation, doesn’t make sense apart from the final judgment.

Salvation, justification, reconciliation, redemption, regeneration, adoption, and other salvific realities don’t make any sense if human beings don’t deserve condemnation. If there is nothing to be saved from, we don’t need to be justified, reconciled, redeemed, and forgiven.

Because the justice of God is integral to the gospel message, Christians have the obligation to proclaim God’s judgement to the world.

Believers have a responsibility to tell others that a day of judgment is coming, and such a proclamation doesn’t stem from anger or vindictiveness but from a heart of love, since we hope that all who hear the good news will repent and be saved from the final judgment.

Proclaiming judgement shouldn’t come from a place of superiority or pride. That misses the point of grace. But that doesn’t negate the reality of judgement. And we must tell others that this judgement is forever.

The judgment in God’s courts is irrevocable and horrible, for the destiny of the wicked is hell (Matt. 5:22).

Schreiner, a prolific author, has written a good one here. It takes the Christian on a path to understanding God’s justice and goodness comprehensively, and how each play a crucial role in our redemption. I recommend this book to anyone!

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.