Knowing God’s Mercy (and Grace) & Justice
Sunday Seminary—7
Know What You Believe. Believe What You Know.
It’s time for Sunday Seminary. We’ve moved from our knowing the One, Triune God, to his creative work. Our God existsfrom all eternity, into all eternity, in love as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Out of that love and life, God created everything—including you. But we’ve “paved paradise and put up a parking lot,” as the songs says. Yet God, who is love, shows mercy to fallen creatures who deserve his justice and pours out grace upon us in Christ.
As Article 16 of the Belgic Confession begins,
We believe that—all Adam’s descendants having thus fallen into perdition and ruin by the sin of the first man.
Because of Adam’s fall, we stand guilty before God. But the good news is that God reveals himself as merciful and just. Let’s focus on knowing God’s mercy (and grace) and justice.
God’s Eternal Mercy
The Belgic Confession, Article 16, declares:
God showed himself to be as he is: merciful and just. He is merciful in withdrawing and saving from this perdition those whom he, in his eternal and unchangeable counsel, has elected and chosen in Jesus Christ our Lord by his pure goodness, without any consideration of their works.
This is mercy—God rescuing sinners from the punishment they deserve. As Paul says: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (Rom. 9:15).
When did this mercy begin? From eternity itself. God “chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). He “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace…before the ages began” (2 Tim. 1:9).
You don’t have to figure out how this works—just adore him for it! God’s mercy wasn’t earned or deserved; it flowed from his loving purpose. “It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Rom. 9:16). Adore God for saving you apart from works; and if so, he can save anyone!
God was merciful to us from all eternity, simply because he’s that kind of God!
God’s Eternal Justice
The Confession continues:
He is just in leaving the others in their ruin and fall into which they plunged themselves.
If mercy means withholding punishment, justice means giving sinners what they deserve. God doesn’t owe anyone mercy, but he always acts justly. None of us can claim innocence. In the words of Judge Dredd: “Nobody’s innocent—we’re just here to determine your level of guilt.”
When God withholds mercy, he’s not being unfair—he’s being just. He allows sinners to remain as they are, confirming their rejection of him.
What does this mean for us?
Praise God for showing you mercy!
Pray earnestly that God would show mercy to those you love. As your pastor proclaims the gospel, you plead with God; the rest is in his hands.
All have sinned. God’s withholding mercy from some reveals both who we are as sinners, and who he is—just.
God’s Historical Grace
Article 17 of the Belgic Confession continues the story:
Our good God, by his marvelous wisdom and goodness, seeing that man had plunged himself into physical and spiritual death…set out to find him, though man, trembling all over, was fleeing from him.
What mercy! In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sinned, covered themselves, then hid from God. Yet instead of judgment, he sought them and promised to crush the serpent’s head.
In time, that promise came true in Jesus. The mercy planned in eternity became grace in history. Again, adore your God who sought you when you were running from him.
Amazed at Mercy
God is eternally merciful. God is eternally just. In time, he poured out his grace on a sinner just like you. Knowing this should leave you amazed, humbled, and worshipful for who God truly is.