Theme · ethical
Justice and Mercy
God reveals himself to Moses as simultaneously just and merciful — punishing sin yet abounding in steadfast love. The law demands justice for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner. The prophets thunder against those who trample the needy while offering lavish sacrifices: 'What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?' At the cross, justice and mercy meet perfectly: sin is fully punished and sinners are fully forgiven. James warns that 'judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful,' for mercy triumphs over judgment.
Related doctrines
Passages expressing this theme
- 1Cor 4:4 — For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
- 1Cor 6:10 — Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
- 1John 3:17 — But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
- 1Kgs 8:39 — Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the childr
- 1Sam 2:3 — Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
- 1Sam 2:8 — He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’
- 1Sam 2:9 — He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
- 1Sam 12:3 — Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have
- 1Thess 4:6 — That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
- 1Thess 5:15 — See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
- 1Tim 5:3 — Honour widows that are widows indeed.
- 2Chr 14:11 — And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name
- 2Chr 19:7 — Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.
- 2Sam 23:3 — The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
- 2Thess 1:6 — Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
- 2Tim 4:14 — Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
- Acts 3:14 — But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
- Acts 6:1 — And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
- Acts 10:34 — Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
- Acts 13:10 — And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
- Acts 17:5 — But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, an
- Amos 1:3 — Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:
- Amos 1:11 — Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his a
- Amos 4:1 — Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.
- Amos 5:11 — Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, bu
The Church Fathers on Justice and Mercy
He seeks justice so that he may tell of mercy.
(ord.) Justice and mercy are so united, that the one ought to be mingled with the other; justice without mercy is cruelty; mercy without justice, profusion—hence He goes on to the one from the other. (ap. Anselm.) Justly is mercy dealt out to the merciful, that they should receive more than they had deserved; and…
Mercy is customary with God; righteousness is his constant concern. Often, in fact, he obscures sin with a show of his goodness, and he does not submit individuals' behavior to harsh scrutiny; rather, when he sees some people persisting in their errors without amendment, he applies the rigor of justice and chastises…
One is victorious who hopes for the grace of God, not he who presumes upon his own strength. For why do you not rely upon grace, since you have a merciful Judge in the contest? "For the Lord is merciful and just, and our God shows mercy." Mercy is mentioned twice, but justice once. Justice is in the middle, enclosed…
Since indeed a perfect advance in good is considered according to divine imitation, and all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth: hence it is that there is a twofold beatitude according to these two ways, namely hunger or zeal for justice, and the affection of mercy. For the perfection of prelacy, two things…
He also says that it is full of mercy. This is commended from the person to whom mercy is shown, for example, if you do it for the needy: Lk. 14: "When you make a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends, or your kinsmen, or your rich neighbors," etc. Job 30: "I wept for him who was afflicted, and my soul had…