Let us look at the essence of who God is. These attributes are his nature and character. God uses the Gospel narrative to reveal his character. Once we see how God’s nature is displayed by God’s actions, we can follow God’s example. This is what we were created to do—to be conformed to the image of Christ.

A practical analogy: In math, the transitive property states that if two values are equal, and either of those two values is equal to a third value, that all the values must be equal. This can be expressed as follows, where a, b, and c, are variables that represent the same number: If a = b and b = c, then a = c
It can be used to make deductions. For example, if Jenna is taller than Victoria, and Victoria is taller than Kiera, then by the transitive property, we also know that Jenna is taller than Kiera.

The Bible tells us that God is love.

• 1 John 4:7-8: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

The Bible tells us the fruit of the Spirit includes love.

• Galatians 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Therefore, if God is love, and love is also a fruit of the Spirit, God is also joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Often, we in the Church emphasize love over everything. We tell the world that God unconditionally loves them. And this is true. But many equate unconditional love with unconditional blessing.
But just as God is love, and God is forbearance, and God is faithfulness, God is also just. Justice is a core of God’s nature, just as love and the other fruits of the Spirit are.

• 2 Thessalonians 1:5: All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

• Isaiah 61:8: For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense
  
• Psalm 89:14: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.
  

Justice is the foundation of God’s throne. This implies everything God does is based on justice. A king sits on a throne and rules. God, the King of Kings’ throne, is built on the foundation of justice. What justice is God concerned with? The Hebrew word for justice is “tzedek” (צֶדֶק). It conveys the idea of righteousness, fairness, and doing what is right.

• Colossians 3:25: For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.
  
• Acts 17:29:  “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
  
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8: He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.
  

Who does wrong? All of humanity. The Hebrew word for sin is “chet” (חֵטְא). It conveys the idea of missing the mark, akin to an arrow missing its intended target. The Greek word is “ἥμαρτον” (hēmarton), which means the same. We all miss the mark.

• Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
  

Since God is a God of justice, it is in his nature that God would judge us based on not doing what is right according to God. But since we all fall short, is there hope for mankind? Yes, because God is also merciful and graceful.

• Isaiah 30:18: Therefore, the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.
  

If the Lord is a God of justice who longs to be gracious, grace must be a component of justice. But what is grace? In Hebrew, the word for grace is “chen” (חֵן). It derives from a root meaning “favor, mercy, pity, kindness, and graciousness.” The Greek word for grace is “charis” (χάρις). It carries several meanings. It refers to the gift or blessing brought to humanity by Jesus Christ. It signifies God’s favor extended freely to people. It can also denote gratitude and thankfulness.

What must we do to experience this Grace from God? We must confess our sins (our falling short of the mark) and we must believe and have faith in Jesus Christ, whom God sent.

• 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
  
• Romans 3:21: But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
  

God is merciful. God is graceful.

• Psalm 86:5: You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
  
• Ephesians 2:4-5: But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved.
  
• Titus 3:5: He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.
  
• Titus 2:11: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.”
  
• John 1:16-17: Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
  
• 1 Peter 5:10: And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
  
• Hebrews 4:16: Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
  
• Ephesians 1:7: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”
  

What are we to do with this?

• Romans 6:14: For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
  
• 1 Peter 4:10: Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
  
• Titus 3:7: So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
  
• 2 Peter 3:18: But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
  
• 2 Timothy 1:9: He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.
  
• Jeremiah 9:24: but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
  

We are called to grow in the Fruits of the Spirit and the attributes of Christ. However, justice, in the sense of repayment, is an attribute we are to leave for God.  We cannot know all reasons and motives, and therefore, we cannot determine proper judgement. Besides, we are in no position to judge anyone having been delivered ourselves. This would make us hypocrites.

• James 4:12: There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
  
• Matthew 7:1: Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
  
• Luke 6:37: Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
  
• 1 Corinthians 4:5: Therefore, do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.
  
• Hebrews 10:30: For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’
  

However, we are to practice discernment. And so this does not mean we have no basis for law or discernment on earth. We still need its guidance in a world that does not believe. We also need it for ourselves as our salvation is not fully realized. Our form of justice should reflect God’s justice. But we are to recognize that it is ultimately the Lord’s to administer final justice. In essence, we can be stewards of justice, but we cannot claim authority. But we ourselves are to act justly, with self-control, and to love mercy. God is just, and God is mercy. To love justice and mercy is to love God—who is the source of all that is good.

• Micah 6:8: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
  

Notice how God’s attributes, God’s fruits, intertwine in due time in every action God takes.  There isn’t one attribute that isn’t a transitive property of another.  If God loves you, God will justly treat you according to your actions and faith. If you have no faith and evil actions, God gives you what you deserve; God gives you over to your desires, which leads to death. This is the loving thing to do because it preserves your prerogative, the right and privilege to choose, which God has bestowed upon you.  But since God is graceful and merciful, God has given Christ to atone for your own injustice. By faith, Christ’s just character replaces your unjust character. In this way, every attribute of God is fulfilled.

God loves all. God will judge all. But since none can pass the judgement, by grace, God offers a substitute in Jesus Christ that pays for your injustice. But so that justice is fulfilled, those that do not wish it will not have a substitute. But God offers redemption through Jesus as a substitute, pouring your judgement onto Christ. In both cases, justice is fulfilled while at the same time mercy is extended in forbearance by grace. God has done this with:

• Joy—Hebrews 12:2: fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
   
• Peace—Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God.
  
• Kindness—Ephesians 2:7: so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
  
• Goodness—Psalm 27:13: I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
  
• Faithfulness—Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
  
• Gentleness—Psalm 18:35-36: You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip.
  
• Self-control—Matthew 26:39: Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’
  

1 John 3:1: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.