Back in December, I wrote about the Year of (false) Mercy HERE and of course it’s all coming true. Mercy does not exist outside Justice. They go together.
Just came across a superb article by Frederick W. Marks from the Jan-Feb edition of NOR HERE. He does a great job of debunking the common misconception that the God of the New Testament is the God of mercy, and as such is somehow in opposition to the God of justice in the Old Testament. You must go over and read the whole thing ($1.95 to access the article).
A taste:
How familiar are you with these divine attributes? If you think you know the proper balance between the mercy and justice exemplified by our Lord, try your hand at the following multiple-choice test:
(1) We read in the New Testament that God will judge the world with
(a) mercy
(b) justice
(c) mercy and justice
Answer: (b) justice (Acts 17:31)
(2) When Jesus mentions mercy and justice, which comes first?
(a) mercy
(b) justice
Answer: (b) justice (Mt. 23:23)
(3) Of the seven spiritual works of mercy, which comes first?
(a) forgive all injuries
(b) admonish sinners
Answer: (b) admonish sinners (forgiveness comes sixth on the list)
(4) When Jesus pleads with His heavenly Father for the gift of unity, He addresses Him as
(a) merciful Father
(b) just Father
Answer: (b) just Father (Jn. 17:25)The gift of divine mercy is inestimably great. Yet it comes with strings attached because justice is “the foundation” of God’s throne (Ps. 97:2). To avail ourselves of God’s great mercy, we must repent of our errors and firmly resolve to sin no more.
The article is excellent and will give you lots more scriptural ammo for the war.