The claims of justice
The words of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew capture the essence of what God’s eternal laws require of us: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). These commandments reveal that true justice and morality are rooted in love—love for God and love for others. This selfless love is the guiding principle of God’s kingdom, and the stability and security of his government rest upon it.
The fall and its consequences arose solely from stepping outside the boundaries of God’s moral and legal framework of love, a framework in which there can be no compromise. To some, the restrictions imposed by this moral framework are a restriction against personal freedom – but on the contrary, humanity was not deprived of the freedom of choice. Love can only thrive and exist in a world were the freedom to choose wrong is the right of every individual. “The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority.”1
With this in mind, we vew God’s command to Adam as a warning meant to protect them from the dangers of disobedience: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). This so-called ‘restriction’ was, in reality, an expression of God’s eternal love, designed to shield them from sin, suffering, and death, guiding them toward what was ultimately good and beneficial.
The claims of justice found in God’s laws are always for humanity’s good because they reflect the goodness of God’s character. “God is love” (1 John 4:16), and “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). Paul wrote, “the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12).
Inherent in God’s command to Adam and Eve was also a call for their exclusive worship – again, for humanity’s good. Jesus recognised this claim upon humanity, while he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, when he said, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve”. (Matthew 4:10). By prioritising God’s command over their own desires, Adam and Eve would have demonstrated their devotion and affirmed their worship of Him alone.
True worship is not merely an act of obedience but a heartfelt response born out of love for God. The ideal experience of worship is a voluntary expression of love, and affection, from a deep appreciation for the One who is worthy of all devotion. This appreciation stems from recognising the exalted character of His goodness. Such worship elevates God to the highest place in one’s life, drawing out the best of one’s commitment and service.
However, worship does more than honour the object of devotion; it also profoundly transforms the worshiper. Over time, individuals begin to resemble what they worship. The closer and more intimate the relationship, the more significant the transformation. This was the divine intention for our first parents—a design in which their worship of God would lead to their continual growth in His likeness.
This concept is illustrated by social psychologist Dr. Robert Zajonc’s study, which revealed how couples who initially bore no particular resemblance to each other came to look alike after 25 years of marriage. Remarkably, the more marital happiness a couple reported, the greater their facial resemblance became. The study suggested that people, often unconsciously, mimic the facial expressions of their spouses in silent empathy, and over time, this shared mimicry shapes their faces similarly.
This insight reveals the incredible purpose of the first of the ten commandments. God’s command, “Worship no god but me” (Exodus 20:3 GNT), is not a demand born of selfishness but a call for us to fulfil our ultimate good – for by beholding we become changed. There is a reason why Jesus emphasised to, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:39). By reserving the best of our affections and devotion for God alone, we position ourselves to grow in wisdom and undergo a transformation that nothing else can achieve. And since God is eternal, our potential for growth and transformation is likewise eternal.
When Adam and Eve transgressed God’s command, they violated not only a physical law, but more importantly, the spiritual law governing the potential for their spiritual growth and existence. This disobedience immediately brought upon themselves the penalty of sin, both spiritual and physical: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Through sin, death—both spiritual and physical—became the inevitable consequence for all humanity. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).
Unlike human laws, the demands of divine justice extend not only to actions but also to the innermost thoughts and intentions of the mind – from the moment we are born. But not only this, the eternal law of God claims a return from us on the potential of growth abiding in love will have afforded us, had we never sinned. Ellen White notes, “We should not measure ourselves by the world, nor by the opinions of men, nor by what we were before we embraced the truth. But our faith and position in the world, as they now are, must be compared with what they would have been if our course had been continually onward and upward since we professed to be followers of Christ.”2
By this standard, it is no wonder, “the scripture hath concluded all under sin” (Galatians 3:22), “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23). The law of God, revealed in his law, will be the standard by which all are judged, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
At this juncture, I want to delve a little deeper into how the law of God has claims even upon our desires and dispositions. The Scriptures highlight this point in Romans 8:6-7: “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” The word “carnal” means fleshly, and the word “mind” is translated from a Greek word meaning inclination or disposition. Let’s read the verse again with these definitions:
For to be fleshly inclined is death; but to be spiritually inclined is life and peace. Because the fleshly inclination is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
This reveals that the law of God demands that even our dispositions align with its holy principles. The dictionary defines “disposition” as a “prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination.”
A quote from Selected Messages captures this concept well, “By this law, which governs angels, which demands purity in the most secret thoughts, desires, and dispositions, and which shall ‘stand fast for ever’ (Ps. 111:8), all the world is to be judged in the rapidly approaching day of God”. 3
The fall had disastrous consequences for human nature, upending the order of God’s creation and leading humanity into a state of perpetual transgression and condemnation. God’s eternal law demanded moral perfection—past, present, and future—but every individual, with their marred beginnings and inherent selfishness, could not meet this standard, as this selfish nature is the root of all sin.
However, Christ offered justice the perfect life that humanity could not. He was born without any taint of sin, lived an absolutely flawless life, and provided a pure sacrificial atonement as our substitute. In Christ, the claims of God’s law were perfectly satisfied. As noted, “There it saw One equal with God bearing the penalty for all injustice and sin. With perfect satisfaction, Justice bowed in reverence at the cross, saying, It is enough”.4
At the cross, Christ bore the full weight of divine justice. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). In His suffering and death, He satisfied the claims of the law of God’s universal government – death upon the sinner, upholding its integrity while providing a means for humanity’s redemption.
The prophet Isaiah captured a glimpse of this incredible responsibility borne by Christ upon His shoulders in the words, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). And this reconciliation is beautifully expressed in Psalm 85:10: “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”
Ellen White elaborates, “The only One who could with hope approach God in humanity was the only begotten Son of God… Christ came to the earth, and made an offering of such value that he redeemed the race. Through the sacrifice made on Calvary is offered to everyone the sanctification of grace”.5
The fall of humanity introducing sin, suffering, and death into the world, created an immeasurable breach between God and His creation. The claims of justice, rooted in God’s perfect and eternal law, demanded a response to this disobedience. Christ alone was able to meet the demands of justice, while at the same time providing a fountain of mercy to the fallen human race.