Mercy is indeed the polar opposite of justice, but you must remember that God is just and holy. He cannot ignore sin and that is why he himself took upon flesh and bore our sin upon his sinless body so that the penalty, he in his righteous judgment made necessary, was paid in full. Our meager acts of human goodness, prayers and penances can never take away sin. It required death - ours for eternity, or Christ's in our place.
Just what conditions do you think he requires for us to obtain mercy? Mercy is precisely what we must have because we cannot obtain the perfection and sinlessness God requires for being in his presence in Heaven. Scripture says very clearly that if we sin at even one point we are guilty of it all. Even one sin disqualifies us from eternity with God because the wages (cost) of sin is death - even one little lie - and we blew it before we barely knew what sin was.
By God's unmerited mercy and grace through faith in the sacrifice Christ made for us we are gifted heaven. It is man's pride of life that prevents him from humbling himself in the sight of God and letting go of all his worthiness and merit. We resist God's grace because of that pride and until we repent - change our mind - we can never receive the righteousness required by a just and holy God.
Very good.
but you must remember that God is just and holy. He cannot ignore sin and that is why he himself took upon flesh and bore our sin upon his sinless body so that the penalty, he in his righteous judgment made necessary, was paid in full.
That is not justice. That is mercy.
Our meager acts of human goodness, prayers and penances can never take away sin. It required death - ours for eternity, or Christ's in our place.
No argument here.
Just what conditions do you think he requires for us to obtain mercy? Mercy is precisely what we must have because we cannot obtain the perfection and sinlessness God requires for being in his presence in Heaven. Scripture says very clearly that if we sin at even one point we are guilty of it all. Even one sin disqualifies us from eternity with God because the wages (cost) of sin is death - even one little lie - and we blew it before we barely knew what sin was.
By God's unmerited mercy and grace through faith in the sacrifice Christ made for us we are gifted heaven. It is man's pride of life that prevents him from humbling himself in the sight of God and letting go of all his worthiness and merit. We resist God's grace because of that pride and until we repent - change our mind - we can never receive the righteousness required by a just and holy God.
I think that you have rather well answered your own question. Odd that on Halloween night, that several people here that I am corresponding with have quite possibly achieved a realization beyond their former state. I congratulate you.
But he allows it.