God has a Dilemma

(Fearsome, Awesome – in Perfection, Righteousness, Holiness, Judgement and Justice – yet a God of Patience, Mercy, Compassion, Grace and Forgiveness)

. . . There was only one possible way for God to give away his righteousness and still be true to both his justice AND his mercy—to offer up his own Son. Romans 3:26 TPT

(How can a perfect God administer perfect justice (e.g. for victims) while offering (e.g. to perpetrators and transgressors) his great mercy and forgiveness? Does not one negate the other – the guilty one goes free and justice for the victim goes unrequited? Such injustice does not sit easily with people, particularly when it involves predatory crimes against children. This is a point that seems lost on Professor Richard Dawkins(6) (Dawkins 2006, p. 287) in deriding why God doesn’t ‘just forgive’ people without making an issue of it by requiring a so called barbaric and ‘vicious’ crucifixion.)

6. ‘I have described atonement, the central doctrine of Christianity, as vicious, sadomasochistic and repellent. We should also dismiss it as barking mad, but for its ubiquitous familiarity which has dulled our objectivity. If God wanted to forgive our sins, why not just forgive them, without having himself tortured and executed in payment?’ (Dawkins, R. The God Delusion. Bantam Press, 2006.

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For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:19‑21 NASB

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. Revelation 12: 9‑11 NASB 

You have wearied the LORD with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask. By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?" Malachi 2:17 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good not even one.
Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be [both] just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

(i.e. He is both righteous and the forgiver of unrighteousness)

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. Romans 3: 9‑31 NIV

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Justice and Mercy meet in the laying down of Jesus’ Innocent Life

References:

“Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psalm 85:10 KJV

The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:5 NIV

. . . There was only one possible way for God to give away his righteousness and still be true to both his justice AND his mercy—to offer up his own Son. Romans 3:26 TPT

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation*; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. Zechariah 9:9 ERV 

(*i.e. He is both righteous and the forgiver of sins.)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Zechariah 9:9 ERV 

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Psalm 89:14: NIV

. . . Jesus, the Anointed One, has liberated us from the guilt, punishment, and power of sin!

Jesus’ God-given destiny was to be the sacrifice to take away sins, and now he is our mercy seat because of his death on the cross. We come to him for mercy, for God has made a provision for us to be forgiven by faith in the sacred blood of Jesus. This is the perfect demonstration of God’s justice, because until now, he had been so patient—holding back his justice out of his tolerance for us. So he covered over the sins of those who lived prior to Jesus’ sacrifice.  

And when the season of tolerance came to an end, there was only one possible way for God to give away his righteousness and still be true to both his justice and his mercy—to offer up his own Son. So now, because we stand on the faithfulness of Jesus, God declares us righteous in his eyes!

Where, then, is there room for boasting? Do our works bring God’s acceptance? Not at all! It was not our works of keeping the law but our faith in his finished work that makes us right with God. So our conclusion is this: God’s wonderful declaration that we are righteous in his eyes can only come when we put our faith in Christ, and not in keeping the law.

After all, is God the God of the Jews only, or is he equally the God for all of humanity? Of course, he’s the God of all people! Since there is only one God, he will treat us all the same—he eliminates our guilt and makes us right with him by faith no matter who we are. Does emphasizing our faith invalidate the law? Absolutely not. Instead, our faith establishes the role the law should rightfully have. Romans 3: 24‑31 TPT

“The good news for every child of God in Christ is that God’s mercy toward us will triumph over His judgment of us. Our sins may argue against us, but Christ is our loving Advocate who argues for us and prevents us from receiving the judgment we deserve.

“We, in turn, display God’s type of mercy toward others. Many people know only one side of God’s dealings with humanity but not the other. They think that He is holy and wants only to punish or that He is merciful and wants only to show kindness. In truth, He is both judge and refuge.

“Is justice something we want? In a sense, yes and no. We would like God to judge those who harm us, but at the same time, we want God to show mercy to us. We may desire immediate justice in the world, but justice will also be fearful for us. We, too, would perish if God judged every evil instantaneously.

“Instead of providing instant justice, God is long-suffering and wishes that all come to repentance. This delay works to our benefit, giving us time to repent. However, it also means we need to patiently endure those who will never repent and wait for God’s own timing for justice. Even though God is slow to anger, he will not acquit the wicked. He will only delay justice, not deny it.

“Mercy is not getting what we deserve, e.g., the penalty for our wrongdoing. As it is written, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin (Romans 4:8). Mercy reflects God's love. God is patient and does not want anyone to perish if they are willing to turn back to do what is right). God's mercy is demonstrated in this, that God sent His Son to take the penalty of our sins upon Himself on behalf of those who believe in Him. John writes, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1John 4:10).“ If we wish to avail ourselves of this mercy, we can repent and believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. He who confesses and forsakes sin finds mercy.

“Can a God who reveals His wrath against wickedness also be a God of love and mercy? Indeed, the demands of justice seem contrary to the demands of mercy. However, justice and mercy were both satisfied when Jesus died on the Cross. There, Jesus took our penalty (to satisfy the demands of justice) by taking our place so that (to satisfy mercy) we do not have to die .

“Without God, we cannot execute perfect justice without condemning ourselves. Only God can judge others fairly without condemning himself because He is perfect. Furthermore, only God can forgive sins without breaking the demands of justice, because Jesus Himself tasted death for every [person].”(7)

7. How Justice and Mercy Meet at the Cross, Posted August 15, 2017 by Amy Wang http://faithphilosophy.com/en/evil-how-justice-and-mercy-meet-at-the-cross.php

But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2: 9‑13 NIV

“By one offering, He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14 NASB

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2: 6‑8 NKJV

If anyone hears my words and doesn't follow them, I don't condemn them. I didn't come to condemn the world but to save the world. John 12: 47 GWT

But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. Mark 2:10 NIV

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8: 1‑4 NIV

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5: 8‑10 NKJV

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us.” Galatians 3:13 NASB

He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins--and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. 1 John 2:2 NLT

“Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world [Satan] will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die [crucifixion]. John 12: 31‑33 WEB

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John 4:14 ESV

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13‑14 NIV84

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:19‑20 NIV

So that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 ESV

That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5: 17‑21 NLT

For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:19‑21 NASB

You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience; among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; Ephesians 2:1‑7 WEB

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be [both] just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. Romans 3: 22‑31 NIV

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Galatians 3: 10‑14 NIV

You, Lord, showed favour to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins
You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.
Restore us again, God our Saviour, and put away your displeasure toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.
I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants — but let them not turn to folly.
Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth and righteousness looks down from heaven.
The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.
Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps. Psalm 85: 1‑13 NIV

 But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; 1 Peter 2: 20‑24 NIV

“Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13 NIV

For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. Romans 11:32 NKJV

But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. . . Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2: 9, 14‑17 NIV

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8: 31‑35 NIV

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