Posted on 08/13/2018 8:45:55 AM PDT by Salvation
Many people today set mercy and justice in opposition to each other, but where is mercy if justice is absent? Could the victims of genocide really be said to experience mercy if their unrepentant killers were ushered past them into the Kingdom of Heaven? Could Heaven even be Heaven if unrepentant sinners dwelled there? At some point, mercy demands that justice rightly separate what is stubbornly evil from what is good. For now, there is a time of mercy and access to the throne of mercy, but there comes a day when justice requires a final answer and verdict. It is mercy that accompanies us to the justice of the final judgement. Mercy and grace prepare us.
Mercy that canceled the requirements of God’s justice and His law would not be mercy at all. It would leave us deformed and incomplete; it would mean that injustice would continue forever. Neither of these outcomes is merciful.
Further, justice that did not rely on grace and mercy would not be justice at all. This is because without grace and mercy, we are dead in our sins; justice is unattainable.
One of the signs of orthodoxy is the ability to hold competing truths in tension, realizing that they are there to balance each other. For example, on the one hand God is sovereign and omnipotent, but on the other we are free to say no to Him; both are taught in Scripture. Our freedom mysteriously interacts with God’s sovereignty and omnipotence.
Heresy will not abide any tension and so it selects one truth while discarding others meant to balance or complete it. For example, is God punitive or forgiving; is he insistent or patient? Too often we focus on one while downplaying or dropping the other. In some eras, the notion of a harsh, strict God was so emphasized that His mercy was all but lost. Today, the tendency is to stress His mercy and kindness while nearly dismissing His role as the sovereign Judge who will set things right by upholding the just and punishing the unrepentant and wicked.
The balance of orthodoxy holds that justice and mercy are alike with God.
Yes, in God, justice and mercy meet.
Monsignor Pope Ping!
Thank you, Salvation!
I’ve always said that while we are alive, Christ is true mercy. At the moment of our death, Christ turns to true justice for us.
I hear you.
As a practicing Roman Catholic you've told us non-Roman Catholics one doesn't know their final destination at death.
You seem to be speaking of the "sin of presumption" of which many Roman Catholics have accused us of.
What say you? And no link either. Your opinion is asked for.
Christ is, of course, the determiner of our final destination at that moment of death, the particular judgment. Where mercy turns to justice.
Your reply suggests you have confidence you are going to Heaven. Am I understanding that correctly?
Jesus is our justice AND our mercy.
That’s not what I said at all.
Then you’re being ambiguous in your post. Would you want to clarify your statement?
Do you know your status now about the future at the date of your death?
I don’t think so. I don’t think you can predict the future.
Salvation answered your question.
Thank you.
Bases on the assured promises of Christ.........yes, A Christian can and does know they have Heaven.
It’s still not clear to me. But from your answer am I to understand the Romam Catholic does not know if they have Heaven or Hell when they die?
Jesus also said:
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
It is not the "sin of presumption" for the Christian to believe what has been revealed in Scripture.
22At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26“But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.
27“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
29“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30“I and the Father are one.”
John 10:22-30 NASB
The Greek behind v28 where Jesus says they will never perish has the strongest negation in Greek possible. John has recorded this statement by Jesus so we'd have this assurance of salvation.
John also noted this toward the end of his Gospel.
30Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:30-31 NASB
In 1 John he wrote the following:
13These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 NASB
John is recording to the believer in Christ they can have assurance of their salvation as that is what he heard Christ say.
Well, I hope one’s faith in Jesus is really true and one does not die in mortal sin. Even the Pharisees expressed faith in God, and you have read that Jesus told us not to be like them. Jesus will make a decision on justice at the date of our death.
Jesus told us to be humble like children, not like the Pharisees.
So if one does not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, then does one have true faith in Jesus?
The Roman Catholic understanding of this does not align with the NT.
If your assertion is correct then everyone that Jesus talked to prior to the Bread of Life Discourse, and everyone else after that, in addition to Pentecost and the remainder of the NT, have been mislead. That is not the case.
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and conveyed the message of believing in Him for salvation. There was no mention of the RC belief of the "Real Presence" or having to eat/drink the flesh/blood of Christ.
Nor was the RC belief the message that was conveyed on Pentecost.
Nor was Rome's message noted on Romans.
The NT is clear.....we come to salvation through faith in Christ.
Rome's concept of the "mortal sins" is also not found in the NT.
Paul is clear, as is the NT, that ALL sin, separates us from God.....apart from the forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ.
Further, some of your fellow Roman Catholics have conveyed the idea that having to participate in the "Mass", is not necessary after a "mortal sin".
I've asked the question...."what happens if you commit a "mortal sin" and die before you can get to the priest, confess, do penance and then the Mass?"
The answers I've received indicate if one is "contrite" in their heart then God will forgive the sin.
If what they say is correct, then the whole process Rome has determined is needed for forgiveness, is not needed.
The thief on the cross was without benefit of baptism and the eucharist and penance. Yet Jesus said he would be with Him in paradise.
The NT is clear, we come to faith in Christ Who forgives all of our sins.
Although, you *thought* you were saved, and so did everyone around you. In some cases, these "never saved in the first place" folks end up in ministerial positions in Protestant churches! Clearly you have no infallible test for "really saved in the first place", so pretending that can infallibly know that you won't throw away something you aren't really sure you even have is just stuff and nonsense.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.