Justice or mercy — or both?

Loving parents fall into a quandary when they make a rule that requires strict obedience, their child breaks that rule, and the parent feels terrible about inflicting punishment. If there is none, rules will be meaningless. If inflicted, the relationship will likely suffer.

Think of God in Eden. “Do not eat that fruit” and when it happened, the justice of God pleads for punishment, but the mercy of God pleas for pardoning. What is a loving God to do? How does the all-wise God deal with this situation?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Jesus died to take our punishment — “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And the love of God sent Him to satisfy the demands of both justice and mercy. Justice is served by the shedding of His blood without one drop of our own.

As Charnock writes, the riches of grace are twisted with the terrors of wrath and the depth of God’s mercy is wound about the flaming sword of justice and that sword of justice protects and secures the depth of mercy. Because of what Jesus did, justice cannot complain for want of punishment, nor mercy for want of compassion. This infinite sacrifice satisfies justice and delights mercy and shouts out to us the wisdom of God.

How amazing that God is righteous without being cruel, and merciful without being unjust. His mercy shines in the midst of all that sin deserves. Yes, all have sinned and fall short, but we…

…are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:24–25)

As Charnock points out in his section on the wisdom of God, both justice and mercy would be unknown if one of them been sacrificed for the other. Had we been solely fostered by mercy, justice would have forever been secluded. Had we being guilty and been absolved, mercy might have rejoiced, and justice might have complained; but had we been solely punished, justice would have triumphed, and mercy grieved.

Because of God’s wisdom, justice and mercy are both satisfied. The death of His sinless Son is a horror, but if God went one way or the other, we would face “either an unrighteous mercy, or a merciless justice.” Instead, His love gave us a righteous mercy, and a merciful justice.”

Not only that the wisdom of God comes in a great variety of ways, all mysterious and every example fillsl me with wonder. This list describes His redemption plan and how it brought the glory of God with the salvation of man, the defeat of the apostate angels, the discovery of the blessed Trinity in God’s nature, and all He does in combined and distinct acts and expressions of goodness. Salvation reveals the conjunction of three natures, infinitely distinct from one another; the union of eternity and time, mortality and immortality, and death is made the way to life, with shame becoming the path to glory.

Not only that, the weakness of the cross is the reparation of man, and the creature is made wise by the foolishness of preaching. Fallen man grows rich by the poverty of the Redeemer, and we are filled by the emptiness of God. The heir of hell is made a child of God by God taking upon Himself the “form of a servant” and children of men advanced to the highest degree of honor by the Son of God becoming of “no reputation.”

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Hebrews 2:10)

And Jesus in the garden praying with drops of blood and saying: “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) Was there no other way? Had the sinless Jesus something else in mind? Likely not, but even if He did, He yielded to death that we might live.

PRAY: I cannot fathom Your wisdom, Lord God, nor question it. You choose the only way to punish sin yet save sinners. My heart rejoices at the great decision You made so I could be set free to love and serve You. Not my will but Yours be done.

 

Loving others, no matter what . . .

At a meeting yesterday, I was reminded that yesterday’s post was in error. I actually did experience harm and mistreatment from someone who is rich. That post was prompted by these verses from James that speak to those who are partial to rich people. God asks: “Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?” (James 2:6–7)

I’d not remembered that mistreatment until realizing the person who did the oppressing was at the meeting. Since that event happened, God worked in my heart to take my focus from what was done to me to the horror of what having spiritual blindness and a hard heart does to a person. Instead of wanting to retaliate, I’ve felt great pity for that person and the guilt she may be experiencing for what she did. Unloving behavior can bring deep shame too. This means she needs Jesus just as much as I do. The next verse says:

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. (James 2:8)

This ‘law’ is vital and comprehensive. It is also akin to the greatest commandment as Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37–40)

Loving others is the way to express my love for God. This is what makes partiality a sin, not only against others but against God for it reveals a lack of love for Him.

As the writer says in today’s devotional, love for God and one’s fellowman summarizes the intent of God’s law and is the measure of true faith. However, this love is not the shallow, emotional, self-oriented love that is so prevalent in our world. Instead, it is that sacrificial love that places the needs of others on par with my own, making it utterly incompatible with partiality. Playing favorites is about furthering my selfish goals, about making me comfortable. I need to love the rich and thoughtless neighbor as much as I love those with less money and bigger hearts.

Showing partiality violates God’s attributes. I could say ‘I’m one of God’s favorites’ but that is not a correct way to describe His mercy toward me or anyone else. He is gracious because of who He is, not anything I’ve done or who I am. I’m to love others the same way — because I am a child of God and being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Partiality misrepresents the Christian faith, ignores God’s choice of the poor, and condones any sinful behavior of the rich by ignoring the fact that all are sinners and all fall short, rich or poor. How can I look down my nose on anyone when I am down there with them — a sinner also?

The Bible commends those who are impartial. James said they did well and John writes that this behavior is our assurance that we are Christians:

Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in (Christ) ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:5–6)

PRAY: Knowing that You love me totally and unconditionally is a huge factor in being able to love others, even those who treat me badly. I do not need the love of others to know my worth to You. While love and kindness from others tends to reinforce that reality, Your love is enough. Knowing that makes it much easier and even imperative to express Your kind of love to those around me. Jesus, thank You for loving me.

PONDER: These verses describe what God’s love is like. Read them again and ask God to use them to increase my love for Him and for my neighbors: John 3:16; Ephesians 5:25–29; Philippians 1:9–11; and 1 John 5:1–3.