How Can Jesus Be Just And Loving?

This is a tough one. I’m not going to lie, I struggle with this from time to time. There are many things we won’t fully understand about God until we meet Him, and this, frankly, is one of them. What we do know is that God is both just and loving. These are two unique aspects of His character. God is holy, righteous, and just, and as such, sin is the antithesis of who He is. He is also loving and wants everyone to be in a right, loving relationship with Him. The kicker for us is sin. Sin keeps us from connecting with God, and the only way to rectify the problem is through Jesus (Romans 5:8). Jesus took on himself the sin of the whole world because of His great love for us (2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 2:4).

One of the main questions I bet you’re asking is, “If God is so just, and He’s so loving, why do bad things happen to good people?” This one’s even tougher, but the answer to this question really goes back to the problem of sin as well. When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s poor choices, the entire world was affected. So not only does humanity suffer from this sin disease in that we’re separated from God, but the entire planet also suffers. Natural disasters, cancer, divorce, death, rape, genocide, child abuse, etc., are all, unfortunately, a result of living in a sinful world. But God didn’t just leave us here to go through all these things without reason or by ourselves. God is present in the midst of our pain and suffering. He promises never to leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). As to why there is evil in the world, and why there are specific cases of suffering, no one knows for sure, but even the most horrific evil cannot separate us from God (Romans 8:35-39). 

Sin will not always rule our world. One day Jesus will return and will gather all those who believe in Him. He promises that for Christians there will be no more tears or pain and that we will live together, complete in Him (Revelation 21:4).