God’ s Righteousness and Mercy

Think of this…..

There is an infection in your leg. You have been treating it and hoping it would get better. But it has not. It has progressed into a full-blown, life threatening condition. You have gone to the doctor. Medication has been prescribed and time has passed to no avail. The doctor says there are only 2 choices at this point: cut away the infection and remove it from the body; or allow it to continue to see if your body can beat it before you die from it.

Choices!

Now think of this….

You are not perfect. In you is a nature that is a nature of death that denies God. You have an infection. You don’t attribute the goodness of your life to God. You go though day after day without acknowledging God’s involvement and intentional care for the health of your life. You are denying that you even act this way. You do your thing and when it goes well, you say, “Look at God”. But when it doesn’t, you say “Why God, why are You treating me like this?”. You might even blame Him. Or you don’t even acknowledge that He has anything to do with it at all....”It is what it is”. The truth is that this God is the Only Creator. He truly created you. Every fiber of your being God personally managed when He brought you into this life. In fact, He designed you specifically for a reason. You have a dedicated purpose. God has created you, suited perfectly, for the life you are living. Every aspect. From parents and through childhood. Though puberty to adulthood. Education to employment. Your spouse and children. And more than that, you are created in the very image of God! But somehow, you haven’t really gotten a grip on that and still believe “I’ve got this”. The infection is that you really don’t think “God has this”. You have taken yourself too seriously and denied God’s sovereignty. The infection is out of control. You are in a predicament. You either going lose your physical leg (some aspect of your worldly life in order to save your spiritual life) or lose your spiritual life altogether. So now you pray!

God’s righteousness knows exactly what to do. “Amputate! Cut out the infection and the patient will live!”. But the patient cries out in fear, “I can’t do this!”. “But it must be done or you will die!”. “Every independence, every instance where you are saying, “My way, I know what to do, I got this” must be removed. You are operating in defiance of the design of your life and the purposes of it. Remember, you are the created, not the Creator. That is your infection.

God is also rich in mercy! He goes past the doctor’s logic into a whole nother realm. He introduces a Savior! His very own Son, Jesus the Christ. Mercy recognizes the needed amputation, but steps in to to replace it with another solution. Judgement is passed and the sentence given, yet not administered to the infected one! The surgery required to remove the infection is still performed, but the infection itself is removed instead of the leg! Without harm to the patient. It is moved to The Intermediary, Jesus Christ!

Righteousness served by mercy. Judgement preserved and righteousness served, the patient lives without harm and the infection is gone :)

Mercy triumphs over justice!

Psalm 89:14 (KJV)

Justice and judgment [are] the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

Zechariah 7:9 (KJV)

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:

James 2:13 (KJV)

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.