Justice and Forgiveness

Some people wonder why Jesus had to die. Why does God just not forgive those who repent?

Justice is not just something between us and God. He cannot just forgive us without taking all the other into account the others involved. There are a whole lot of interested parties. Christians of course. The injured people, some who have chosen not to forgive, and many more who still want justice. The angels. Even the spiritual forces of evil. The name Satan means accuser, which is a legal term. Even though he has fallen, he still has some legal rights and seems to have some demands on justice.

God has to provide justice to all these interested parties, while treating everyone fairly. He cannot change the rules midstream, so I presume that he is also partly bound by the commitments to justice that he has made previously. (I am not sure that we know what commitments he made to the angels at the beginning).

I am not sure how all this works, but I believe that we have to take a much broader view to fully understand God’s justice. He has to be fair to every human and every living being. Just forgiving those who repent, may not accomplish this goal. For example, if God just forgives me for my sin, Satan could demand the same. Those who have not repented could also demand to be just forgiven. Jesus had to die to satisfy the broader demands of justice, as God established it in the beginning.