When someone asks me how God can be both merciful and just, I often sense a very real worry beneath the words: How can I trust a God who forgives, and yet also holds us accountable? It’s a question many of us carry quietly, especially when we think about our own failures or the brokenness we see in the world. Asking it is not a sign of weak faith—it’s part of the journey toward understanding God’s heart more deeply.
In Scripture, mercy and justice are not two opposing forces battling within God. They are two expressions of the same love. The Psalms tell us, “Mercy and truth have met; justice and peace have kissed.” Those words are not poetry alone—they reveal something profound. God’s justice is His refusal to ignore what harms His children, and His mercy is His unshakeable desire to heal and restore us. When Jesus speaks of the Father, He shows us both: the God who runs to embrace the prodigal, and the God who calls us to turn from what destroys our souls.
The Church teaches us that justice and mercy find their fullest harmony in Christ. On the Cross, Jesus doesn’t cancel justice—He fulfills it in a way only love can. Sin has real consequences, and God does not pretend otherwise. Yet instead of letting us bear those consequences alone, Christ steps into them Himself. This is justice soaked in mercy, mercy that does not deny truth but transforms it. In Christ’s suffering and resurrection, we see that God’s justice is not about punishment, but about making things right—bringing us back into communion with Him.
For our daily lives, this truth offers both hope and direction. When we experience mercy—being forgiven, welcomed, lifted up—we’re invited to extend that same mercy to others. And when we pursue justice—standing for what is right, confessing our sins, seeking integrity—we’re participating in God’s healing work in the world. Justice without mercy becomes harsh; mercy without justice becomes sentimental. But together, they shape a life rooted in love, the kind of love God has for each of us.
May we trust that God’s justice is never without tenderness, and His mercy is never without truth. In Christ, both shine as one radiant love inviting us home.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
