Justice and Mercy
I'm so grateful that the Lord provides both justice and mercy.
For most of my life, the thing I've been most grateful for is his mercy. I mess up so much and make so many mistakes, I'm grateful that He's merciful and loving to me and allows me to keep going. I'm grateful that His mercy makes it possible for me to be enough even though it is obvious I am not.
But the thing that has been on my mind lately has been what an incredible blessing justice is.
We live in an unfair world. Horrible things are happening everyday to people I know, and people I don't. Sometimes others are caught in this life and made to pay for their crimes. Other times, no one ever finds out about it. Also, our circumstances in life are unfair. For some our kids are harder, or our spouse is harder, or our living situation is different than most, or we deal with a mental illness. Enter the Lord's justice system, better than any justice system in place on Earth.
Those who commit crimes, no matter how secret, no matter how much evidence, be they known only by God, will be made to pay for them.
Those with disabilities, infirmities, illnesses of any kind, will be made right.
The Lord will set at right every injustice in our family situation, living situation, marriage and every other injustice we face.
I'm so grateful to believe in a God who believes in justice. I'm so grateful there IS a God who is powerful enough and mightier than any worldly justice system. Our justice systems try to exact justice, but no judge has perfect knowledge. I think when people get worried about God's justice it's because they think about it in terms of our experience with justice in this world--which is imperfect and human.
We will receive justice by someone who knows our hearts intimately, who knows our thoughts and desires and is also able to grant us exactly what we deserve. That is the God of justice. So too will those who've committed crimes against us be judged, by a Father who perfectly knows their thoughts and intentions, and also knows the depth of the pain they've caused others.
I'm also grateful that because Jesus provides the justice, I don't have to. I don't have to decide if people are sorry enough. I don't have to judge if they suffered long enough. One of the most beautiful parts of the Gospel is that all of us are welcome to the mercy Jesus provides, if we but turn our lives over to Him and "go thy way and sin no more." In that instance, our incredible loving friend and Brother satisfies the demands of justice FOR us, the sinner. Because the most incredible part of eternal justice is-- mercy.
"Loving mercy means that we do not just love the mercy God extends to us; we delight that God extends the same mercy to others. And we follow His example. “All are alike unto God,” and we all need spiritual treatment to be helped and healed. The Lord has said, “Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another.” I testify that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, and He lovingly and joyfully extends His mercy to all." -Elder Dale G. Renlund
