Friday, March 6, 2009

Does the mercy of God put the justice of God in jeopardy...?

Take the cross of Christ, for example. The death of Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of divine love: "God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Yet the Bible also says that the aim of the death of Christ was "to demonstrate [God's] righteousness, because in the forbearance of God he passed over the sins previously committed" (Romans 3:25). Passing over sins creates a huge problem for the righteousness of God. It makes him look like a judge who lets criminals go free without punishment. In other words, the mercy of God puts the justice of God in jeopardy

So to vindicate his justice he does the unthinkable - he puts his Son to death as the substitute penalty for our sins. The cross makes it plain to everyone that God does not sweep evil under the rug of the universe. He punishes it in Jesus for those who believe.


John Piper

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

kinda makes mee glad i dont fall under the wrath of God...it would surely kill me!

Craig Glenn said...

I read somewhere that the wrath of God is abandonment by God...i thought that was pretty good...

The ultimate abandonment by God is hell....literally

But for us who believe, He says, never will i leave you, never will i forsake you !!

No wrath...