Why is God’s justice such an integral part of salvation? God’s just nature demands that sin be punished, and it is only a result of His mercy through Christ that we can be saved from that punishment.
Grace and mercy are attributes of God’s character which ought to be preached in accordance with His righteous justice, not at the expense of it. Spurgeon observes how ministers in his day, as in ours, often preach the mercy of God without also telling of His righteous judgement on sin.
“They preach of God’s love and mercy as they ought to do, and as God has commanded them; but of what avail is it to preach mercy unless they preach also the doom of the wicked? And how shall we hope to affect the purpose of preaching unless we warn men that if they ‘turn not, he will whet his sword?’”
We will not understand God’s grace unless we also understand His holiness.
“But remember, it is equally true, God is just, severely and inflexibly just. He were not God, if he were not just; he could not be merciful if he were not just, for punishment of the wicked is demanded by the highest mercy to the rest of mankind.”
All are sinful and under God’s righteous wrath. Without His grace and mercy, we too would be doomed. God’s justice demands that we repent and trust in Christ to receive God’s grace unto salvation.
Excerpt:
But the cry of the age is, that God is merciful, that God is love. Ay; who said he was not? But remember, it is equally true, God is just, severely and inflexibly just. He were not God, if he were not just; he could not be merciful if he were not just, for punishment of the wicked is demanded by the highest mercy to the rest of mankind. Rest assured, however, that he is just, and that the words I am about to read you from God’s Word are true—”The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God;’ “God is angry with the wicked every day;” “If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.” Forsooth, because this age is wicked it is to have no hell; and because it is hypocritical it would have but feigned punishment. This doctrine is so prevalent as to make even the ministers of the gospel flinch from their duty in declaring the day of wrath. How few there are who will solemnly tell us of the judgment to come. They preach of God’s love and mercy as they ought to do, and as God has commanded them; but of what avail is it to preach mercy unless they preach also the doom of the wicked? And how shall we hope to effect the purpose of preaching unless we warn men that if they “turn not, he will whet his sword?” I fear that in too many places the doctrine of future punishment is rejected and laughed as a fancy and a chimera; but the day will come when it shall be known to be a reality.
Read the rest of the sermon here.