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How can God be merciful and just at the same time?

He is love, full of grace, mercy and patience. He abounds in goodness and truth. He forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; Romans 5:16 And the gift is not like that which came to pass through one who sinned; for it is after a single offense that judgment becomes condemnation, while the free gift becomes justification after many offenses. 17 If by one man's trespass death reigned through him alone, much more shall those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through Jesus Christ alone. 18 Therefore, as through one offense condemnation reached all men, so through one act of righteousness the justification which gives life extends to all men. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law intervened that trespass might abound, but where sin abounded, grace abounded more, 21 that as sin reigned through death, so grace might reign through righteousness unto life. eternal, through Jesus Christ our Lord. He is most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin and in no way exonerating the guilty, Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrible expectation of judgment and the fierceness of a fire that will devour the rebels. 28 He who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy, on the testimony of two or three witnesses; 29 Of what greater punishment do you think that he will be judged worthy who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, who has held the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified profane, and who has insulted the Spirit of Grace? 30 For we know him who said: Vengeance is mine, recompense is mine; and again: The Lord will judge his people. 31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

God is love John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. He is not moved by wickedness, but by kindness; Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed before him, and cried, The LORD, the LORD, God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, rich in goodness and faithfulness, 7 who preserves his love to a thousand generations, who forgives iniquity and rebellion and sin, but who does not hold the guilty innocent, and who punishes the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on children's children up to the third and fourth generation! There is in him tenderness and gentleness towards the beings he created. The affection that parents feel toward their children is similar to the affection that God feels toward man Ps 103.13: As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. » The kindness of parents towards their little ones is radically inferior to the kindness of the Lord towards us Matthew 7. 9 Which of you will give a stone to his son if he asks him for bread? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him. God is merciful: he has a heart for misery, he feels compassion. He is not indifferent to our suffering and sadness.

God is holy, He is perfectly righteous, God is a righteous judge, Psalms 7:11 God is a righteous judge, God is angry at all times. There is no trace of evil in him or any communion with sin. He hates wickedness and injustice; he hates them with eternal hatred. His eyes are too pure to see evil, he cannot look on iniquity; Habakkuk 1:13 Your eyes are too pure to see evil, and you cannot look on iniquity. Why should you look at the perfidious and hold your peace, When the wicked devours him who is more righteous than he? This is why He looked away from Jesus on the cross and he will heave a great sigh; Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which means: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? God cannot stand idly by in the face of evil, for he cannot in any way be complicit in it and exonerate it; Genesis 18:25 To make the righteous die with the wicked, so that it may be the righteous as well as the wicked. wicked, far from you this way of acting! far from you! Will not he who judges all the earth exercise justice? The Lord punishes crime, he executes justice and judgment, he repays sin and condemns the criminal.

How can God's mercy and his justice coexist? God cannot be merciful if he does not forgive evil, but he cannot be just if he does not punish it. We must not imagine that God is divided between his feelings like us or that there are two wills in him which would leave God indecision. God is a simple being in which there is no conflict. How can God be merciful and just at the same time?

 

The one and only answer to this question is the Gospel. The Gospel is more than an act of redemption, it is an ontological necessity of a God both filled with love and wrath towards sinful man. Any conception of divinity that does not involve the gospel is an idolatrous conception. By what other means than the Gospel can God be merciful and just? The Gospel manifests the love of God who loved man so much that he saved him through the death of his Son.

A simple example: the daughter of a judge was caught speeding. Arriving at court, her father should judge her. He asked him two questions:

1: Do you plead guilty or not guilty?

Answer: guilty.

2:A month in prison or a fine of €90?

Answer: a fine of €90.

The father took off his toga, stood next to his daughter and paid the fine. This is how God acts with us.

God bless you !