The Nugget:
Genesis 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
My Comment:
At least one Muslim participant in the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group” questions why, if God is a God of love, why will He punish those who killed Jesus.
My Answer:
AbdulGaniyu AbdulQuadri, you have asked a very serious, important question, when you ask, “Why will He punish those who killed Jesus?”
The answer is, God Himself acts only in harmony with His character. His character is revealed by His attributes, His qualities. His attributes are revealed very fully or completely in the Bible. The attributes of God is a very worthwhile and important topic to study from the Bible.
I recently made as complete a study of the attributes of God revealed in the Bible as I knew how to do. As a result of my study I came up with a list of 49 attributes of God. That is too long of a list to share here!
We cannot understand God correctly if we have not learned about His attributes. The Bible says:
Psalm 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
To know God’s name means to know God’s character, His attributes.
The result of knowing God’s name is that the person who knows God’s name, His character, His attributes, will put their trust in God.
Only those who seek God seriously and diligently by studying and believing what the Bible says about Him can truly come to know His character and truly learn to trust Him.
Notice that the effect of seeking God is the promise of God that He will not forsake those who are seeking Him.
Now, back to your question: Why will God punish those who killed Jesus?”
The most direct answer I know is that though God is a God of love, the Bible declares that God is a God of justice. God has declared in the Bible repeatedly that He will punish sin. He will judge individuals on the basis of what they have done.
Abraham stated a great truth about the justice of God as recorded in Genesis 18:25,
Gen 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
The answer to Abraham’s question, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do Right?” is clearly that He certainly will.
Not to punish evil would be contrary to the declared character of a holy God.