Romans 1:32 – The Righteous Judgement of God
- Feb 3
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 3
God is perfectly righteous as Judge, uncompromising toward sin, and yet gloriously righteous in saving sinners through Christ.
This article is adapted from a message preached on February 3, 2026. Watch the full sermon on YouTube.
The righteous judge
who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:32)
We have read together of God as the righteous Judge. Paul speaks of “the righteous judgment of God,” and later refers to the Lord Himself as “the righteous Judge.” Scripture presents God not only as holy in character, but righteous in judgment.
All of us, being made in the image of God, have an inward longing for justice. When we are wronged, we want things made right. That imperfect sense of justice within us comes from the God whose image we bear. Yet our sense of right and wrong is flawed, warped by sin. God’s is not.
Human judges have limitations. They do not know every fact. They cannot see through every disguise. They may be sincere, even well-intentioned, yet they are finite and imperfect. God is not like that. He has no blind spots. He cannot be deceived. He is not desensitized by evil. He cannot be pressured, influenced, or bribed. God knows everything, and nothing escapes Him.
God is righteous intrinsically. He did not become righteous. He did not learn righteousness. He has always been and will always be righteous. When He judges, He does so perfectly. He cannot do what is unjust. He cannot overlook sin, forget it, excuse it, or sweep it aside. God must judge sin, because He is righteous.
The Bible speaks of God as the Judge of all the earth. He is not the Judge of one nation or one people group. He is the righteous Judge of all.
When history comes to its close, not a single sin will be left unjudged. Not one. In the whole universe, every sin will be accounted for. God must judge sin.
That raises a personal question before God: What is God to do with your sins? What do your sins deserve?
The righteous judgment for sinners
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)
Some may say, “God is forgiving. Don’t my sins deserve forgiveness?” Scripture answers plainly. Your sins do not deserve forgiveness. What your sins deserve is the righteous judgment of God.
People sometimes say they will stand before God and face Him for their own actions, trusting that God will deal justly with them. That is true. God will deal justly. But justice means sin must be punished.
Forgiveness does not mean sin is ignored. Those whose sins are forgiven are forgiven on a righteous basis. Their sins have been judged. God cannot forgive by setting aside His righteousness.
Many attempt to come before God with what amounts to a bribe. Some bring religious credentials, faithful attendance, or outward devotion. Others bring good works, charity, or moral effort. But none of these address the real issue. What has been done about your sins?
Good works cannot undo past guilt. Religious acts cannot erase wrongdoing. Money given, rituals observed, or good intentions held cannot deal with sin. When all is said and done, the question remains: What about your sins?
When a person truly comes face to face with God, they come to one unavoidable conclusion. I have sinned. I am guilty. I deserve the righteous judgment of God.
Those who die in their sins will face that judgment. As dreadful as it is to contemplate, it will be righteous. They will receive what justice demands.
The thief on the cross understood this. As he suffered, he said that what he was receiving was the due reward of his deeds. It was justice. But then he looked at the Lord Jesus and acknowledged that He had done nothing wrong.
That leads us to another judgment.
The righteous judgment for sins
who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed [Himself] to Him who judges righteously; (1 Peter 2:23)
In 1 Peter we read of the Lord Jesus. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.
Then comes this remarkable statement:“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree.”
Here we see another righteous judgment of God. This time, not judgment falling on sinners in eternity, but judgment falling on another.
The Lord Jesus was sinless. Holy. Flawless. Separate from sinners. Yet He was judged. How could that be righteous? It was righteous because He was not being judged for His own sins. He was bearing ours.
God took the full sum of human sin, from the first person to the last who will ever live, and placed it upon His Son. The Lord Jesus bore our sins, and with them, the judgment those sins deserved. The righteous judgment of God fell upon Him.
Every sin will be judged. Either a person will bear the judgment themselves for all eternity, or they will look to the Lord Jesus, who bore that judgment at the cross.
Why did Jesus die on the cross?
Jesus gave Himself willingly to rescue us from what we could not escape.
That is why Scripture says there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. The Lord Jesus alone has dealt with the question of sin. He is not the founder of a religion. He is the Saviour of the world.
God is just, and the Justifier of the one who believes in Jesus. God can forgive righteously, without compromising His character, because the sins of the believer have already been judged at the cross.
Everyone in heaven will acknowledge three things. First, I have sinned. Second, I deserved the righteous judgment of God. And third, my sins have been judged.
Those who refuse Christ leave God with no alternative but to judge them for their own sins. But those who trust the Lord Jesus find forgiveness on a righteous foundation.
May you come to the Lord Jesus, the One who bore our sins in His own body on the tree, and find that God is both just and forgiving.
