Justice, Mercy, Grace, Guilt, Repentance

There are terms in the Bible that we sometimes get confused, such as “mercy, grace and justice” as well as “guilt and repentance”.

Justice, Mercy, and Grace

God has all three of these things.  He is a God of justice, mercy and grace.  The meanings of each of these are very different; however, in their true essence, they are tied together.

Justice

Justice demands payment for a crime committed.  Justice is getting what we deserve.

If God was only a God of justice, he would have to instantly kill every one of us the moment we commit a sin.  Justice is not what we want for ourselves, we want mercy.

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.” (Ephesians 2:1-3 NLT)

We have all broken God’s law.  We all justly deserve God’s wrath.  We are fortunate that God is not only just, but also merciful.

Mercy

Mercy withholds the punishment we deserve for a crime committed.  Mercy is the deliverance from the justice we deserve.  Mercy is not getting what we deserve.

Mercy withholds justice.  Without mercy, we would all be under the death penalty for our sin.  Mercy is when God doesn’t give us what we deserve…punishment when we sin.

“4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-6 NLT)

God is rich in mercy and saves us not because of anything we have done, but because of His mercy alone.  Jesus took the punishment for our sin.

“he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5 NLT)

Grace

Grace is when God gives us what we don’t deserve – He blesses us even though we don’t deserve it.  Grace is God’s undeserved love.

“7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.  8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”  (Ephesians 2:7-8 NLT)

Grace cannot be purchased and it cannot be earned.  One can only respond to a gracious gift by humbly receiving it, being thankful, and then praising the character of the giver.

When he gives us eternal life, and heals us, and protects us, and meets all our needs, and gives us His Holy Spirit, and blesses us in every possible way, even though we don’t deserve it, that’s grace.  Grace is getting the blessings, the results, from the good of what Jesus has done on our behalf.

We Need Mercy and Grace

Mercy means withholding the negative; grace means giving us the positive.

You need mercy and grace…mercy to escape the bad and grace to be given the good.  We couldn’t have God’s mercy without His grace.  Mercy and grace can be seen as two sides of the same coin.

You get both grace and mercy, because of what Jesus did for you.  You get mercy because of his death on the cross.  You get grace because of his perfect, sinless life that becomes a substitute for your imperfect life.

Forgiveness Costs; Justice Demands Payment

God is a God of justice, and he can’t just forget about justice, and let us get away with anything without ever having to pay for it.  No, when you sin, somebody’s got to pay.  Somebody’s got to get punished. 

Forgiveness does not come cheaply; it will cost someone’s blood.  Every sin that has ever been committed against Him by any human that has ever walked the earth, whether thought, word, or deed, must be punished. 

But because of God’s mercy, that somebody is Jesus, not you.  That’s why Christ died on the cross – to shed His blood to pay the debt for these sins.  On the cross, Christ received the justice that we deserve so that we could receive the grace and mercy we don’t deserve.

God’s powerful love is what is behind God’s grace and mercy, and what is behind the sacrifice of God’s own son for us.  And that powerful force of love is what makes it possible for us, when we are guilty, to ask God for mercy, and He’ll say yes.

“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10 NLT)

So, when we’re guilty, we admit our guilt, we ask God for mercy.

Justice is either served through the shed blood of Christ, or justice is served through the punishment of unrepentant sinners in hell for eternity.  Christ paid a debt he did not owe because we had a debt we could not pay.  Because God’s wrath was satisfied and justice served, His mercy abounds for those He saves.  That is justice and mercy working together.

The wonder of God’s love, justice and mercy is not that men die for their sins, but that we are allowed to live, in spite of them!

Guilt and Repentance

Some think repentance is the same as feeling guilty.  I feel really bad about what I did, I’m so sorry, I repent.  No.  It’s not the same thing.

Repentance means a change of heart, a change of mind, and a change of direction.

“10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.   Renew a loyal spirit within me.  11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit[d] from me.  12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” (Psalm 51:10-12 NLT)

Guilt may lead you to repent and change, but guilt is not the same thing as repenting. 

We need spiritual power to get back on the right path and stay away from whatever caused our guilt.  Just feeling guilty isn’t going to change you.  Just admitting it to God isn’t enough to change you.  Your spirit needs to be renewed, by the Holy Spirit.  This happens with repentance.

Repentance removes guilt.  If you still feel guilty after you’ve repented then it is not real guilt, it is false guilt.

True guilt comes from God.  False guilt comes from Satan.  There aren’t any sins too big for God to forgive.  But Satan would like to convince you that your sins are too big.  Be careful what voices you listen to.  Don’t accept false guilt. 

The Bible says, If God sets you free, then you are free indeed.  Repentance results in joy.

Repentance is great!  When you repent, the guilt is silenced and the joy of your salvation returns!

“9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:9-10 NLT)

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son on the cross to die for our sins.  Thank You, Lord, for being a God of justice, mercy and grace.  Thank You for Your forgiveness and mercy.  Thank You for Your grace, for blessing us when we don’t deserve it.  Thank You for placing guilt and conviction on our hearts when we have sinned and leading us to repentance.  Thank You for setting us free of our confessed and repented sins.  Thank You for the joy of the salvation you have given to us.  Thank you for your powerful and amazing love! Lord, I pray that those who are lost come and are brought to You, so that they may receive salvation and the wonderful gifts of Your grace and mercy.   In Jesus’ name, Amen.