Day 4: God Is Merciful And Just

Day Four

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

»  Usually, we want justice for others and mercy for ourselves. Reflect on what it would be like to desire mercy for everyone.

»  If God offers mercy to everyone, how is justice served?

»  Scripture says that if we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive them. How deeply do you believe this? What it is like to stake your life on this?

»  Practice this week’s memory verse.

One day my hero, Moses, after walking faithfully with God for a long time, asked God to show him His glory. It was a bold request, for sure, and God decided to satisfy it. So, in Exodus 34, He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:6,7). Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

Wise man.

It is God’s glory that He is both merciful and just. This may at first sound like a paradox, as it seems in life that justice and mercy are at odds with each other, and one should be unable to give both. Yet God shows that there is one way to give both at the same time: while justice demands that the penalty be paid, mercy allows the innocent to pay it. The wages of sin is death and no sin will go unpunished, but it is the mercy of God that He made a way for the guilty to live. God in the person of Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin, that we might receive the mercy of God. It is the glory of God to show mercy without compromising justice.

This charge occurs 41 times in the Bible: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” And so does His justice. The author of Hebrews urges us to give our all to God and warns us that “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” God’s justice confronts the wickedness of our hearts while His mercy invites us to find our new selves in Christ, who paid the penalty for our injustice.

God is not mocked - one day we will all stand before His judgment seat and be forced to give a defense for our actions. On that day, any defense we offer that is not a complete and utter reliance on the shed, holy blood of Jesus will fail. This is the great mercy of a God who is perfectly just. And the best way to prepare for that day of judgment is to bow and confess Christ today and everyday.