A Day-by-day devotional

February 21, 2023

Mercy and Justice

Chronological One Year Bible Reading Plan: Numbers 1-2

Scripture of the Day: Isaiah 30:18

In a court of law, when someone charged of a crime has been found guilty beyond reasonable doubt by the presiding judge, that person would be convicted and punished according to the law of the land. Justice has been served.

However, sometimes, if the convicted person does well in prison, the sentence can be lifted and he could receive parole. He has been forgiven of his wrongdoing. Mercy has been given.

When we sin against God, His tremendous love for us enables us to receive His mercy. We may be guilty of sin, but when we enter God’s throne, repent of our wrongdoing, and ask for forgiveness, God forgives (1 John 1:9).

We celebrate God’s merciful character. And it is something that we ought to do. We need to be grateful that since Jesus already bore our punishment on the cross, we are at the luxury of receiving God’s mercy. We are pardoned for something we should have been punished for.

What we often forget, however, is that because our God is righteous, He is not only merciful. He is also just (Psalm 89:14). Yes, He does forgive us of our sins. He does wipe away our sins from His memory. He remembers them no more, once we ask for forgiveness (Hebrews 8:12). But the world exists governed by the laws of nature that has been set by God Himself since the beginning of time. Whenever we disobey and sin against His will, we put upon ourselves subsequent consequences of our actions. Evil begets evil. No evil thing can bear a good thing. Whenever we sin, we follow evil ways. And each time we do, we are opening avenues for consequences that come with sin, to enter our lives.

Certainly, God forgives our sins, remembering them no more once we repented and asked for His forgiveness. But whatever consequences are attached to that sin, we still have to bear in the end. Often, we see this as punishment from God. But the truth is, when He forgave us, He granted us parole, even before we were convicted, although we have been found guilty. He already lifted up our punishment from that very moment. Nonetheless, the consequence of our sins is like a shadow that would still be there. God allows that to happen not because He does not love us. He allows that to still happen because when we chose to sin, we have entered a package deal with sin. With sin, came those consequences. It is not God’s punishment. It is something we bore upon ourselves. And God allowing the laws of nature to maintain the workings of the world is not His punishment. It is His justice.

Jesus took the weight of our sins upon Himself. With and through Him, we can be forgiven. However, in the end, each of us would still need to face our Maker, and be held accountable for what we did or did not do in our lifetime on this earth.

Our God is merciful. But what we tend to forget, is that, He, is also just.

Reflection: Have you ever felt and thought that God is punishing you for what you have done in the past that is against His will, even though you have asked forgiveness? Do not fret, He has forgiven you. He is not punishing you. That which you are experiencing is the aftermath of the wrong choice that you made when you decided to disobey God.

Prayer: Father, I thank you for your grace and mercy. You are amazingly good, ready to forgive me of all my sins. May I not forget though, that in every decision that I make, if I choose to sin, I am making a bargain with the consequences. But even when that is of my own doing, you still love me so much to see me through. I am grateful. Amen.