Iceage, your entire premise of contradiction depends upon a presupposition; that Life is only physical, and that within that life, justice and mercy must cohere. It is a 'time' issue also... You may ask, 'where is the justice for a child caught in the crossfire of his father's crime?'
Iceage:
| If God is outraged over acts of mercy extended to the enemies of his people, just how does this fit with God's other command of loving your enemies. |
It does appear that for justice to be just, it must be uncompromising.
Ezekiel 18:4
For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son--both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
Notice God is talking about the soul. Not the flesh...
All flesh will die, but not all souls will die, and it is in this eternal reality that the proper context is found.
Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.
But justice to the guilty is only out of mercy for the victim. It is the victemization that makes it truely wrong. You're equating physical death with justice. And you cannot understand why innocents die. Who says they do in the ultimate sense?
There is a resurrection to be had. Nothing will bring them back whether they deserved to live or not, except the ressurection. Without it, there is no justice.
If you want to see the resolution to the problem you must look at the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. That is where all of these realites converge.
On the cross you have absolute (eternal) justice being carried out. But in [time], it is the most unjust thing that can be.
You have absolute (eternal) mercy being given. But in time, it is the most unmerciful thing that can be.
The resurrection resolves the dispute between whether life is ultimately physical or spiritual. It is the emperical evidence of the spiritual reality and coheres the two...
In the short term, these historical events seem foolish and contradictory. But in the long run, God restores all things.
It has been done.
Jesus was crucified. He rose from the dead.
What more proof of eternity, God's absolute justice, and His absolute mercy could you ask for?
He paid for your sins, so that justice was met, but that you may live.
If you owed a huge court fine that was not within your ability to pay, and it was paid without cost to you, by someone else. Justice was still met. Whether the lesson was learned depends upon the severity of the sacrifice.
What if you deserved the death of your soul? What if your friend actually died for you, so that you could live?
What if his physical life was so powerful, that it was equal to the life of your own soul?
It's strange really... you demand an accounting of justice and mercy in the here and now. But then it is gone...
All of this will be gone. The sun will burn out, though the moon's deteriorating orbit will likely destroy us first. And even if that is averted by some as yet fictional strategy, the inevitable heat death and entropic decay of our universe will ensue.
And then what will become of justice and mercy Iceage?
As Konrad Adenauer,the former German Cancellor said to Billy Graham durring the aftermath of World War II, “Outside of the resurrection of Jesus Christ I know no other hope for mankindâ€.
He had just finished asking Billy if he really believed in the resurrection. Billy said, 'Chancellor, it I did not belive in the ressurection of Jesus Christ, I would have no Gospel to preach".
And both of these men realize iceage, that if the resurection is not reality (God), then it is utterly futile.
The Apostle Paul did as well:
| 1 Corinthians 15:12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God (reality), for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. |
So, what Paul is saying is that if we believe in the resurrection and it is (in reality) not true... then we are the most foolish people on the face of the earth.
So, knowing that... why believe that there is justice of any kind other than in God's hands?
If justice and mercy are not in the hands of reality, then what is the point of your question?
De 32:35 It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.
Isa 61:8 "For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.
Re 22:12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
What reward do you deserve iceage?
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