Mercy and Judgment?

[TRlover]

Why do people who believe in justice and judgment always ask for  justice and get mercy?

While though of us who believe in mercy and the law of liberty ask for mercy but instead get judgment?

What happen to the promise of James 2:10-13?

[missmuffet]

8 hours ago, TRlover said:

Why do people who believe in justice and judgment always ask for  justice and get mercy?

While though of us who believe in mercy and the law of liberty ask for mercy but instead get judgment?

What happen to the promise of James 2:10-13?

Question: "What is the law of liberty?"

Answer: We find the law of liberty first mentioned in James 1:25, “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James here refers to the gospel, which, although it is called here a law, is not, strictly speaking, a law comprised of requirements and enforced by sanctions. Rather, it is a declaration of righteousness and salvation by Christ, an offer of peace and pardon by Him, and a free promise of eternal life through Him. The juxtaposition of the two contradictory terms—“law” and “liberty”—made the point, especially to the Jews, that this was an entirely new way of thinking about both. Paul uses this same technique when he refers to the “law of faith” in Romans 3:27.

The perfect liberty found in Christ fulfills the “perfect law” of the Old Testament because Christ was the only one who could. Those who come to Him in faith now have freedom from sin’s bondage and are able to obey God. Christ alone can set us free and give us true liberty (John 8:36).

The phrase “law of liberty” is found again in James 2:12. In this portion of his epistle, James is discussing the sin of showing partiality within the church. He reminds his hearers that to show favoritism toward others is a violation of the command to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Jesus Himself reminded us that all of the Law that God gave to Moses could be summed up into one concise principle—to love God with all the heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37–40).

God’s Word teaches plainly that all have sinned and stand condemned before God (Romans 3:10, 23; 6:23). No one but Jesus Christ has ever fully obeyed the law of God. He who knew no sin became sin for us (Isaiah 53:5–6; 2 Corinthians 5:21)! Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has redeemed from the curse of the Law all who trust in Him by faith (Galatians 3:10–14). Believers have been justified (declared righteous) by His grace (Romans 3:24–28) and are no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1). All who have trusted Christ have received the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). It is His power in us that gives us the ability to please God (Galatians 5:13–16).

Christ’s perfect sacrifice brings release from the eternal death sentence that the Law brings upon all sinners, and it gives believers the ability to please God as we put off the works of the flesh (Colossians 3:1–9), put on love (Colossians 3:12–17), and walk in (or by) the Spirit day by day. It is by the Spirit’s filling and control (Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 5:17–21) that we can walk in love and please our Heavenly Father.

What perfect liberty we now enjoy! What a blessed privilege to have received mercy, to be redeemed (liberated) from the bondage of sin, and to be empowered for service by our Creator! Our love for others proves the reality of our faith (1 John 4:7–11). Let us love one another even as He has loved us (1 John 4:19).

https://www.gotquestions.org/law-of-liberty.html

Edited October 5, 2019 by missmuffet

[lftc]

12 hours ago, TRlover said:

Why do people who believe in justice and judgment always ask for  justice and get mercy?

While though of us who believe in mercy and the law of liberty ask for mercy but instead get judgment?

What happen to the promise of James 2:10-13?

I am not sure, but I believe what you are asking is why we can't just look around us and see the hand of God dispensing justice on those who dispense justice (as the James passage promises).

It is an excellent question and is the source of much dismay in people's lives.

As is usual for me, I wrote way too long of a post for modern readers.  So allow me summarize: Since God is the author of mercy why would we expect him to bring judgement on those who deserve it (as the James passage makes clear they do).  I am speaking in terms of this mortal life.  After this mortal life, those who do not believe the Gospel will get what they want, the opportunity to tell God they don't need mercy - face to face.

Those who believe in mercy are constantly being brought to justice by the accuser and those that work for him.

Now for the longer exposition.  Skip it unless you have time to read.

Again the OP questions are pertinent to everyone's life.

I believe it is the point of the book of Job.  In Job we see God claiming that Job is "perfect" which of course prompts a response from the accuser, "allow me to show you his weakness".  To our great dismay, God says have at it.  Job's life is destroyed.  Even more than mine.  If I put the proper terms to describe how this feels, the post would need to be removed.  Besides, I try to stick with more articulate adjectives.  But Jeremiah describes it well in Lamentations chapter 3.  And David describes it in several Psalms.  And the Sons of Korah (there is a name that brings focus on Mercy) describe it well in Psalm 88.

Then Job's friends show up.  People like to make fun of them because of what they say, but they are honest and they sat with him for 7 days before they started the discussion.  In my life there have been about the same number of friends.  Most people are looking for a reason to hate and immediately disregard the destroyed person, as they take the same view as Jobs friends, but don't have any love to at least sit with the destroyed person.  Just get the bad person out of the way.

Then we get 30+ chapters of philosophical discussion.  A debate right from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. 

Job's friends are saying that Job has done something wrong and that is why he has been destroyed.  Evil earns judgement and punishment. 

Job is saying that he has not and he deserves blessing.  Good earns blessing.  I think God gave us the courts of heaven start of the book to ensure we would know Job was correct about his innocence from God's perspective.  God had removed his sins - Job does reference prior sins, yet has confidence those are not held against him.

So they are all saying the same thing.  Many hundreds of years after this story, God confirms that this is indeed the summary of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil:  at the end of Deuteronomy he gives the Blessings and Cursings.  Which no-one has ever collected on the Blessing side as the prerequisite for blessing is to KEEP THE WHOLE LAW.  Most people don't even know what it says as they have been told that that blessing is referring to a different law. 

Job and his friends are debating the questions of the Original Post in this topic.  30+ chapters of some articulate discussion of the issue.  Which is why I almost never quote from the middle of Job.  In a way, God negated the whole debate.

If you notice, the last statements by Job sure seem to be headed the wrong way.  He basically demands that God make an accounting for the destruction in his life.   Calling on God to answer for misdeeds is indeed a serious issue.  My conjecture here is that Satan was joyfully watching the defendant fully incriminate himself.

God steps in.  He stops the debate.  I used to be frustrated as God does not point out who had good things to say in the debate.  I wanted so much for him to say one side or the other was correct.  But then I realized that he simply insures that all listeners, Job, his friends, numerous centuries of readers, and Satan, recognize their respective position.  God alone is God.  Eternity is his domain.  All created things are ... well ... created.  Existence emanates from him.  Does one call on God to answer for his actions?  What should one call on God for?  The first thing God does is ask: ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’

After God establishes the smallness of man, Job answers "You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know."

So the Great and Terrible Divine Being destroys them all for their impertinence.  End of Story.  That is what Satan wanted. 

No, God shows his Mercy, he has Job officiate at a blood sacrifice to cover (atone) their sins.

What are God's plans that they were obscuring?  It's not a hard question, he told his plans.  He predestined his plans to show his great mercy.  From before the beginning of the world, he predestined (planned and made sure it happened in common language) to make sure people knew their need for mercy, ... no, KNEW their need for mercy ... still not strong enough ... had absolutely no doubt about their need for mercy.  He made sure of this quite effectively through the law.  Then he planned to show that mercy by coming and becoming the once and for all blood sacrifice to fulfill the requirements of all the law.  And establish once for all that he is merciful.   Real Mercy as the sins are very real and worthy of death.  Eternal death.

An undefeatable plan.  Just needs people to believe.

How were Job and friends obscuring it?  By continuing to believe that they could procure blessing via their own actions.

After that Job experienced fleshly blessings again. Then he died ending those fleshly blessings again.  Important to note as we want all blessings now.  But my guess is that Job and his friends had a better view point on life after that phenomenal experience.  What view?  That the Kingdom of God is far bigger than this life.

Which brings us back to the original post:  Why does God not bring judgement on those the live by judgement?

Because that would obscure his plans.  He has mercy while the world runs its course.  He does step in sometimes in big ways.  I believe that is to prevent people from being completely decieved by Satan.  He does step in sometimes in individual lives.  But not often enough from my point of view.

I want so much for him to intervene and teach my oppressors a great and terrible lesson.  JUSTICE! NOW!

Then I remember that a call for justice requires full justice.  If I call for others to face justice, then I will not be excluded.  And God does not pay any attention to the custom sets of law.  He is not even slightly amused by the feeble attempts to dodge his clear instructions.  He rises in anger at those who make mockery of his plans.  Including me.

And then he has mercy.

I wish he would step in more.   I sometimes think I should call him to account like Job did so that he will step in and give me a lecture like he did Job.  That would be great.  But I realize that I shouldn't do that; I fight off the impulse.

Once again I come to the place of dependency.

God have mercy.

[Alive]

lftc---I see a great deal of truth in what you are saying.

He is indeed longsuffering among many other things.

I like to think that He judged the whole ball of wax on the cross. All of His sense of justice and wrath was fully poured out on the Lamb of God for us.

[johnthebaptist]

On 10/4/2019 at 2:51 PM, TRlover said:

Why do people who believe in justice and judgment always ask for  justice and get mercy?

While though of us who believe in mercy and the law of liberty ask for mercy but instead get judgment?

What happen to the promise of James 2:10-13?

There are those who need judgment - otherwise they would never repent of their sin. Others need encouragement and mercy because they've endured about all they can endure.

[createdequal]

On ‎10‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 2:51 PM, TRlover said:

Why do people who believe in justice and judgment always ask for  justice and get mercy?

While though of us who believe in mercy and the law of liberty ask for mercy but instead get judgment?

What happen to the promise of James 2:10-13?

I don't u/stand the Q so will not respond. 

with Jesus we all get both (is all I can say)

and it happens more in the end than while we are on Earth