Pastoral Ponderings...

Welcome to the 'Pastor's Page' of the 

Oelwein Evangelical Free Church. 

Here you will find ramblings from the 

Church's pastor, Dan Driscoll.

I had someone ask me the other day about a statement I've been emphasizing from First Timothy. What I've been saying is, "Mercy trumps justice." This person asked me if you could have mercy without justice.

Mercy is God's undeserved help to the helpless. It has been contrasted to grace, which is God giving what we don't deserve, while mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve. God's mercy is not 'instead' of Justice. There is in the idea of mercy the satisfaction of justice. The Publican stood in the temple, and cried, "God, Be merciful to me, the sinner." (Luke 18:13) The term Luke uses there for 'be merciful' is literally, 'be propitiated,' or 'be satisfied.' Propitiation is the satisfaction of God's wrath, the payment of the penalty so that justice is satisfied. So, mercy does not replace or cancel justice, it satisfies the demands of justice.

That is exactly the position of the forgiven saint. Their sin has met with God's mercy and God's wrath at their sin is satisfied. But Paul argues against those who would make the 'Justice' of the Law their response to sin. He calls them false teachers and warns Timothy against them. Their message is a message of condemnation and rejection, while the gospel message is a message of forgiveness and acceptance. Against the prideful, superior and condemning attitude of the false teachers, Paul contrasts his experience: "It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." (1Timothy 1:15-16)

The implication is that the forgiven one will forgive, the one 'mercied' will show mercy. Thus, if we are a forgiven Church, if we have received mercy, mercy will be our attitude towards others. Those who demand 'justice,' who exercise (or promote) condemning judgment, have not received mercy. That's Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:15 and in Matthew 18:23-35, "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." (Matthew 18:35)

Mercy is appropriate in civil settings as well, but it does not replace the role of the magistrate as "... it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil." (Romans 13:4) Justice is the task of the civil authority. Mercy doesn't override the rule of civil law. Mercy is the unique prerogative of the Church. 

The Church deals with sinners as reprobates in need of redemption and mercy. The civil authority has no such resource or responsibility and is meant to deal with sinners as reprobates in need of punishment and  correction. The Church misses her calling if she is condemningly judgmental, and the civil authority neglects its mandate if it exercises mercy at the expense of justice.

May the Lord bless you as you seek to follow Him.