Mercy vs. Justice?

Question

The bible states that God is both just and merciful.

To be just is to reward those who deserve it and punish those who deserve it.

To be merciful is to not punish those who deserve it .

How can both be true?

Answer 1

They are true because God says He has mercy on whomever He wishes to have mercy.
The rest He brings into judgment, and repays them for every evil deed.
He has so ordained that to maintain strict justice, the punishment for wrongdoing due to those upon whom He shows mercy, He has meted out upon His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who became the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

"whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. "
Romans 3:25-26

"namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. "
II Corinthians 5:19-21

Just as Isaiah the Prophet foretold, 700 years before the fact:

"But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. :

Isaiah 53:5-6

Answer 2

merciful to those who are believers. punishes those who are not. true believers in God and Christ wouldn't do things deserving of punishment from God. But there is repentance. Evil goes to Hell. God delivers final justice after death. While on Earth man punishes man for his crimes.

Answer 3

Sometimes justice can be merciful. It is better to correct the problem, than to let things continue going the wrong direction. Justice doesn't always equal punishment. That's our authoritarian society talking. Punishment isn't always a just action. It is easily used to force compliance.

With GOD the safe bet is to be as fair to everyone as you possibly can.

Answer 4

I'm sure that God takes into account each individual circumstance.

We all deserve to be punished for some thing or another.

But God would have to wipe us all out if He was truly "just" in his punishment.

Personally I don't believe that God "punishes " anyone. I believe he allows us to face the consequences of our decisions. HIs mercy helps us through those consequences.

Answer 5

God's justice demands that sin must be separated from him.

God's mercy provides a way for sinner's to find redemption and come back to him.

Instead of having no way back to God he sent his Son as the bridge back, however believes in him as savior is redeemed in God's eyes because the sin has already been payed for through his son. Christ has taken your punishment so you can be free.

Answer 6

What we call justice is normally just a type of revenge or compensation to make the victims feel better, it doesn't hold any real value. What we must strive to do is to reform the offenders, by whatever necessary means, not to punish them, punishment is meaningless.

Answer 7

To be merciful means he won't over do your punishment. That's why people ask judges for mercy considering they can throw you away basically if they wanted too.

Answer 8

The Bible has concluded all men guilty and deserving of death by reason of their sin and rebellion.
How can some go free?

Someone else took their punishment for them.

That's why they call it the Gospel (Good News)

Answer 9

And when you were dead in trespasses and in the circumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God, the Son, came down to identify with us, pay our penalty for sin, and rise again. According to Romans 6:1-11 (too long to go into here), what Jesus did physically, by dying, being buried, and rising again, those who believe do spiritually, dying to self, being buried, and rising again. The Holy Spirit then comes into us to keep the law through us. Jesus was our Substitute, satisying God's justice, so that God can show us mercy without violating His just nature.

Answer 10

Your understanding of justice and mercy seem to be skewed. Mercy is shown to those who recognize their sins and seek redemption by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Through faith, men are saved by trusting in Jesus as the Christ and that His life on the cross has paid their sin debt.

Justice in the eyes of God is given to all of those who die under their sin debt, resulting in eternal punishment, which non-believers choose when they reject Christ.

Answer 11

Justice can be mercifully served.

There are times in the Bible though, the injustice got what they deserved by means of how they would have treated others. They would have treated others harshly, so they in turn received justice in almost same manner.