Justice, Mercy, and Grace

- Mercy involves forgiveness.
- Only the one who has power to execute justice can show mercy.
- When mercy is shown to one, the price is paid by someone else. To forgive a debt means that what has been taken or spent was taken from someone and not given back to him/her; so, the latter has paid the price.
- The price paid will be the withdrawal of justice from the one who pays the price either voluntarily or involuntarily.
- When one is forced, involuntarily, to pay the price, then s/he suffers injustice.
- Forced payment creates injustice which in turn demands for justice.
- Only justice, if not mercy, can be the terminal point.
- When one pays the price voluntarily, then s/he shows mercy, and the voluntary payment is called sacrifice.
- Someone, always, has to pay the price.

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- Infinite mercy requires infinite sacrifice.
- Infinite sacrifice demands an infinite source.
- The infinite pool of mercy is Love.

God is Love.

God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) (Eph 2:4-5)

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- Grace involves generosity.
- Grace involves generous giving of a gift.
- Grace is always only voluntary. It involves a choice.
- When grace is shown to someone, it is always at an expense (Mark 7:27)
- Thus, grace also involves the question of justice (2Cor.11:8)
- But, since grace is always voluntary and contributory, it never involves injustice (Matt.5:45; 20:14,15).
- Favor unjustly shown is called favoritism.