How Mercy and Justice can be in the same sentence.

I take zero credit for writing this, my only credit will be feeling this is good enough to repost for others to read and hopefully others will be blessed as I was.

“When I first encountered Jesus, the following illustration helped me to understand what Jesus achieved for you and me on the cross: Two people went through school and university together and developed a close friendship.

Life went on and they went their separate ways and lost contact. One went on to become a judge, while the other’s life spiralled downwards and he ended up as a criminal.

One day the criminal appeared before the judge. He had committed a crime to which he pleaded guilty. The judge recognized his old friend and faced the dilemma, which, in effect, God faces. He was a judge so he had to be just; he couldn’t simply let the man off.

On the other hand, he wanted to be merciful, because he loved his friend. So he fined him the correct penalty for the offence. That was *justice*.

Then he came down from his position as judge and wrote a check for the amount of the fine.

He gave it to his friend, saying that he would pay the penalty for him. That was an act of *mercy*, love and sacrifice.

The illustration is not an exact one.

Our plight is worse — the penalty we face is death. The relationship is closer — your Father in heaven loves you more than any earthly parent loves their child.

And the cost is greater.

It cost God far more than money — he came himself, in the person of Jesus, and paid the penalty of sin.

God is not soft on crime. In his *justice*, God judges us because we are guilty.

Then in his *mercy* and love he comes down in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ, and pays the penalty for us.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, God is both just and merciful.”

Psalm 9:16,18

Rely on the justice of God.