Good News! Mercy and Justice is Reconciled

God is just and justice demands that sinners should be punished for their sins.
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. (Galatians 6:7 ESV)
For the wages of sin is death,  (Romans 6:23a ESV)

But God is merciful. God is love.
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? (Ezekiel 18:23 ESV)
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8 ESV)

So how does a just and righteous God reconcile justice with mercy? How can He love us and not punish us for our sins and yet remain just?
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NASB)
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, (1 Peter 3:18 ESV)

But when you reject God's pardon and love in the form of Christ, what remain for you will be God's justice and the wrath of God on sin and sinners.
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3 KJV)
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12 KJV)
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12-15 ESV)

A Fearful God

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31 ESV)

God is fearful, not because He is a tyrant, but because He is just and we are great sinners.

老子道德經 第五章 虛用

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45 KJV)

老子道德經白話解 虛用第五
【經文】
天地不仁，以萬物為芻狗；聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。天地之間，其猶橐籥乎？虛而不屈，動而愈出。多言數窮，不如守中。
(芻狗 - 用草紮成的狗，古代祭祀時用為贖罪除禍的替身。)

【翻譯】
天地無私，不會偏愛親近萬物，反而把萬物當做草狗。聖人無私，不會偏愛親近百姓，反而把百姓當做草狗。天地之間，就像是風箱一樣，中間空虛而永遠也不會窮盡，愈動它的出風就愈多。言語過多那麼反而讓法度走向絕路，不如守住中虛無為之道。

天地不情感用事，對萬物一視同仁，聖人不情感用事，對百姓一視同仁。天地之間，不正像風箱一樣嗎？雖空虛卻不會窮竭，越動，它的風就越大。政令繁多反而使人困惑，更行不通，只會加速失敗，不如保持虛靜任其自然發展。

天地沒有任何偏愛把萬物當成芻狗，讓它們自行榮枯。聖人沒有任何偏愛，把百姓當成芻狗，讓他們自行興衰。天地之間，正像一個風箱啊！雖空虛卻不致匱乏，一鼓動就源源不絕。議論太多，很快就會走投無路，還不如守住虛靜的原則。

天地真是一點都不仁慈啊！對待萬物就像對待芻狗一般，在成就妙化萬物的大功後就放任萬物自生自滅。聖人同樣一點都不仁慈，也把百姓當芻狗般對待，在建立好大道的制度後，就任由百姓去自謀生路。天地間，道的作用就像是冶鐵時用的風箱一般！其中空虛卻不曾屈撓，運作的越快萬事萬物就產出越多。說多了反而把道給說僵了，還不如用心去感悟常道，並遵循常道而行。

Chapter 5 The use of emptiness
Heaven and earth do not act from (the impulse of) any wish to be benevolent; they deal with all things as the dogs of grass are dealt with.
The sages do not act from (any wish to be) benevolent; they deal with the people as the dogs of grass are dealt with.
May not the space between heaven and earth be compared to a bellows?
'Tis emptied, yet it loses not its power;
'Tis moved again, and sends forth air the more.
Much speech to swift exhaustion lead we see;
Your inner being guard, and keep it free. (James Legge)

To be impartial, the universe treats all things like straw dogs.
To be impartial, the sage treats all people like straw dogs.
The universe is like a vacuum tube: empty but can never be exhausted
When it is acted upon with force, air comes out.
Verbosity leads to rejection. Finding a point of balance is preferred. (E. C. Chang 張暢繁)

Lao Tzu views heaven as impartial or amoral and does not act on good or evil that is done by men.

Look at the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds, which are higher than you. If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him? If you are righteous, what do you give to him? Or what does he receive from your hand? (Job 35:5-7 ESV)

Proper Order of Love

And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:15 HCSB)

A proper order of love (JOY):

1. Jesus - love for God;
2. Others - love for others;
3. You - love for self.

An improper order of love
Self preservation, self protection

The Difference That Is Grace

Christian living is grace motivated, confident in the works of Christ.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

The different behaviour of two wives
Grace - The wife who knows that her husband loves her is joyful and confident.
Works - The wife who does not know is nervous and miserable, striving to keep her husband happy.

The two different ways a father admonish his son:
Grace - You should not do this bad thing because you are my son - focus on relationship.
Works - You did this bad thing! You are a bad boy! - focus on behavior.

The grace of God is based on our standing / relationship with God in Christ. Fellowship may change but relationship does not.

Guilt

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 ESV)

There are two types of guilt.

1. Subjective guilt - feelings of guilt (look who you have hurt)
2. Objective guilt - actual guilt of an offence (God is going to get you for that)

A person’s objective guilt is far more important than his subjective experience of it. The objective guilt has been removed by Christ's propitiation. The grace of God destroys the guilt of sin.

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2 ESV)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 ESV)