And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. John 17:3

Eternal life lies in a saving knowledge and understanding of the true and living God, the God who justifies the ungodly based on the righteousness of Christ. We must know the God who conditioned all of salvation on Christ and sent Christ into the world to meet those conditions by establishing a righteousness that enables Him to be just and Justifier. We must know Christ as sent of the Father to fulfill all righteousness on our behalf. The main issue in salvation is the glory of God. The main issue in the glory of God is the righteousness of Christ because it is based on His righteousness alone that God is both a just God and a Savior. The description of God given by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 9:24 is descriptive of the God of redemption. It identifies Him as the God who saves sinners in strict accordance to His holy law and inflexible justice. Here we see how mercy and truth, righteousness and peace are met together.

Jeremiah 9:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

God exercises lovingkindness in His plan of redemption, His mercy, grace, and love which chose a multitude of guilty, hell-deserving sinners out of Adam's fallen race. God in love and mercy purposed to save them and bring them to final glory in heaven. But God could not give them the first blessing apart from His law and justice being satisfied. So He exercised judgment in appointing and sending Christ to be their Substitute and Surety. He conditioned all of their salvation upon Christ. He exercised righteousness in the earth when He sent Christ to become incarnate and to obey the law and die on the cross to establish a righteousness that would enable Him to be just and yet justify the ungodly. In the Person and work of Christ, God's lovingkindness provided what His holiness and justice demanded. In these things God delights because in these things His highest glory is revealed, honored, and magnified (2 Cor. 4:6).