No — God is not unjust in punishing sinners, because although Christ paid the sin debt for every human being, the benefits of that payment must be personally received through faith in Jesus.
God reconciled the world to Himself in Christ and paid the total price for sin, so He is just and the justifier of those who believe. But the payment is not automatically applied to anyone; it is received by believing in Jesus. When a person spurns God's love and provision, God in His sovereignty has every right to reject them at the Great White Throne. Therefore His punishment of sinners is just, not unfair.
Romans 3:25-26 — This text explicitly declares that God is both just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus — the biblical core of the answer.
Romans 5:18 — Shows that Adam's offense brought condemnation on all men, but Christ's righteousness brought the free gift of justification, which must be received.
2 Corinthians 5:19 — States that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them.
The Bible says that God set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, declaring His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, so that He might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26). It also says that as by one man's offense judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by Christ's righteousness the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life (Romans 5:18). And it says that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Les Feldick teaches that God can never be unfair and that He is totally just in all His dealings. He maintains that when Christ died, He paid the sin debt for every human being who has ever lived, reconciling the world to God — not just a few believers. Because God has supplied the full payment, He has every right to reject at the Great White Throne those who spurn His love. Yet the benefit of the cross is not automatically applied; it is based on an individual's choice to believe in Jesus. God is just in condemning sinners precisely because He is also just in justifying everyone who believes.
Les says the human response is often, 'God, that's not fair — they never had a chance.' He answers that the only way to resolve that dilemma is that God is never unjust; He is never unfair. In God's own higher way of thinking, He knows how He will take care of it, and He is totally just in all His dealings.
Les teaches that God is not winking at sin or cutting corners. He has paid the total price for sin through the work of the cross, so He can be just in justifying the sinner who believes in Jesus. Through the work of propitiation, shed blood, and redemption, God declares the believing sinner just as if they had never sinned.
No. Les maintains that when Christ died He paid the sin debt for every human being who has ever lived, and no one will wake up in eternal doom and say God didn't supply their need. However, the restoration is based on choice, not automatic; universalism must be rejected. Those who spurn God's love and provision are rightfully rejected at the Great White Throne.
Les uses Romans 2 to show that those who made their boast in the law dishonored God by breaking it. He points out that circumcision profits only if the law is kept, and that a true Jew is one inwardly, with circumcision of the heart. Religious externals give no one a claim on God's justice.
Outward Religion Does Not Settle God's Justice
Les points to Romans 2 to show that people who boast in the law yet break it dishonor God; religious externals such as circumcision do not make anyone acceptable before Him.
God Is Never Unfair
Les addresses the objection that God would be unfair to punish people who never heard the gospel, and he says the only answer is that God is never unjust or unfair.
The Total Price Has Been Paid
Les teaches that God has paid the total price for sin through the cross, so He can be just in justifying the believer; He is not winking at sin or cutting corners.
God Ends Up Just in Justifying Believers
Through propitiation, shed blood, and redemption, God is both just in judging sin and just in declaring the believing sinner righteous.
God Has Never Treated Anyone Unfairly
Les states that among God's attributes are justice and righteousness — He has never treated anyone or anything unfairly, even when circumstances tempt believers to question His fairness.
Restoration Is Based on Choice, Not Autonomic
Les says that although Adam's offense brought condemnation on all, Christ restored all — but it is based on choice; universalism must be rejected.
Christ Paid Every Human Being's Sin Debt
Les teaches that God was in Christ reconciling the world, not just believers, and that Christ paid the sin debt for every human being; no one can say God failed to supply their need.
God Has Every Right to Reject Spurned Love
Because God's love and provision were extended to every human being, He has every right to reject at the Great White Throne those who spurn that love.
Romans 3:25: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Shows Christ as the propitiation through faith in His blood, the basis on which God is just.
Romans 3:26: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
This is the verse Paul uses to say God is just and the justifier of the believer — the biblical heart of the answer.
Romans 5:18: Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Contrasts Adam's offense with Christ's righteousness, showing both universal condemnation and universal provision.
2 Corinthians 5:19: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
States that God was reconciling the world to Himself, the basis for Les's point that Christ paid the sin debt for everyone.
Romans 2:23: Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Used to show that boasting in the law while breaking it dishonors God.
Romans 2:28-29: For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Used to show that outward religious identity does not make someone acceptable.
No. Les says the payment is sufficient for everyone, but it is not automatically applied. Salvation is based on choice — believing in Jesus — and universalism must be rejected.
Les says the only way to answer that dilemma is that God is never unjust; He is never unfair. In His higher way of thinking God knows how He will take care of it, and He is totally just in all His dealings.
Les teaches that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not just believers, and that Christ paid the sin debt for every human being who has ever lived. The benefits are received through faith.
Yes. Because He has loved every human being to the fullest extent heaven could offer and gave Christ for them, God in His sovereignty has every right to reject those who spurn that love at the Great White Throne.
Watch the Teaching: Why Even "Good People" Can't Escape God's Judgment — Romans 2