Justice, Grace, and Mercy

 

Isaiah 30:18

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are those who wait for Him.

 

This verse says that God is gracious, merciful and just. We don’t normally combine grace and mercy with justice.

 

Justice is not just punishing the wrong doers; it also means to show favor to the people.

 

On the last week of Jesus’ earthly life, the scribes and chief priests wanted to arrest Jesus so they sent spies to try to trap Jesus into saying something that could be used to accuse Him.

 

In Luke 20:21 this is what they say to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully.”

 

Even Jesus’ enemies recognized that Jesus spoke and taught what was right, that it was not influenced by others’ opinions, and He taught the way of God truthfully. They recognized that Jesus was just.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is recognizing that God is just.

 

So, how does Jesus bring grace, mercy, and justice together? He does it on the cross.

 

1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

 

Jesus who was just died for us who were not just.

 

That is mercy. Mercy is not giving us what we deserved. What was deserved because of our sin was condemnation and judgment and ultimately eternal separation from God.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is recognizing that God is merciful.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21

For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

Jesus who was sinless died for us who are sinful and makes us the righteousness of God.

 

That is grace. Grace is giving more than we deserve. We deserve death and hell but God gave us righteousness which means we are right with God and will spend eternity with Him.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is recognizing that God is gracious.

 

It was on the cross that God judged sin. It was on the cross that Jesus took the judgment because of our sin upon Himself and took the punishment that we deserved.

 

It was on the cross that God punished our sin – justice - but put the punishment on Jesus - grace and mercy.

 

God’s justice does not limit His grace and mercy.

God’s grace and mercy restrict His justice.

God’s justice and grace and mercy are not in opposition; they complement.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is recognizing that our God is a God of justice and mercy and grace.

 

Since God is a God of justice and grace and mercy, what does that mean for us as His followers?

 

It means that we are to show to others justice and grace and mercy.

 

Acts 4:32-35

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection from the dead of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

 

The gospel produces a concern for the poor and hurting and outcast.

The deeds of justice gain credibility for the preaching of the gospel.

Justification by faith leads to doing justice, and doing justice can make the many seek to be justified by faith.

 

The church of Jesus needs to be characterized by justice, grace, and mercy. These three traits when combined will enable the church to impact the world in such a way that people will come seeking Jesus.

 

With Justice, Grace, and Mercy Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

                                                      Joe