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Justice, Mercy, Grace, and Love. . .
Finding the Balance
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5
God is just. But God is also the Giver of mercy. . .grace. . .and love. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy, according to Webster’s dictionary is “lenient or compassionate treatment.” Grace is unmerited favor. And love, well, “All you need is love . . . .”
How do these all work together? How does justice harmonize with grace? We, who deserve death according to our sinful ways, have not only received mercy (lenient and compassionate treatment in spite of our sin), but we’ve also received God’s grace (unmerited favor that says, “You are my child”). So we who really deserve death are alive in Christ. Not only are we alive, we’re also “heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). The justice we deserve is washed away in the blood of Christ, and we are given crowns instead. And we’re made co-heirs with God’s own Son, the only One who even deserves to be with God in the first place.
It doesn’t really make sense when you think about it. God, who is completely just and knows what we deserve, is so full of love that we receive grace above and beyond justice. It’s like a judge stepping down from the bench and saying to the convicted, “I’ll take your punishment. You’re free to go. Actually, why don’t you just move into my place? You can have it all.”
Why is it, then, that we demand justice and are reluctant to give grace? Why is it easier to desire punishment than to give unmerited favor? Why do we see through clouded eyes of judgment as we stand firmly under grace and love?
We tend to find it easier to extend grace to people we know and love—people inside the walls of the church, people whose stories we understand, people whose backgrounds “explain” their actions, people who are our friends. It’s the people outside that “deserve justice,” we seem to think. Somehow we become the judges of who deserves grace and who deserves justice, as if we even have that position. Are we just part-time grace-givers?
“Church people” don’t deserve more grace than the “outsiders.” None of us deserve any of it. And so we have no right to judge either. However, we do have the opportunity to show people what love and grace is all about in a world that is justice-oriented.
Is justice bad? No, God is just. And God is also the Giver of mercy, grace, and love. God is the perfect balance of it all. And we have the privilege of being God’s example to other people in this world who can know Jesus by the grace we give.
God, You have given us more than we could ever imagine. You have lavished love and grace on us when we deserved nothing but death. God, we are quick to show judgment and slow to give grace and love, even though You have given us everything. Teach us to be Your grace-givers. Help us to humbly love others as we share Your truth. May we never lose sight of You. Amen.
Jennifer Tygret
Director of Children’s Ministries and Publications
First Baptist Church, Colorado Springs, CO |
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