Revelation 6:9-10 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

I quote this verse in relationship to mercy for only one reason. This demonstrates man’s shortsightedness. We see suffering and we want to put an end to it. We praise the alter of souls for what they have done in faith. Notice how they declare God holy and true, yet question His mercy.

We seek mercy for ourselves and those we love. We cling to scriptures that say the Lord will not give us more than what we can bare, while at the same time think, “I can’t take it!” We see Christian’s continue to die for their faith even today and the words of Revelation 6:10 ring in our ears, “How long?”

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

There are worse things than suffering or dying. Those things are shortsighted. God’s mercy takes the broader view. How would you feel if God granted you mercy and because of it, a soul was lost to hell? The Lord will not come again until the last member of the body of Christ joins us during this church age. He will not lose one soul that is His.

Revelation 6:16-17 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Mercy is best served that no one within the body of Christ should ever see that day.

Romans 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Confusion exists in the human experience as to exactly what just means. The human condition experiences hurt, pain, and loss. They want revenge against those who are guilty. Revenge isn’t just.

If you are a witness to the legal system it becomes apparent that justice is anything by just. It does not satisfy anyone.  This sense of satisfaction is key to understand God’s quality of just. God must be satisfied in order to justify all sin no matter how minor or severe, equally.

“This is no small undertaking if you stop and think about God having to be holy and just at the same time and not compromising either quality. If any sin, no matter how small is equally dangerous to the purity of God, then the cure has to be fair and just to treat all offenders equally.” Quoted from Why the Cross

Justification is a bookkeeping term. It is how debts are reconciled, taking them out of the red and into the black. The paying of a debt has to be reconciled to Him to whom the debt is owed.

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Propitiation means acceptable substitute, meaning Christ died for all our sins and satisfied God.

The debt we owe is not for the sins we have committed but rather for the death of His Son Jesus Christ. His death was the only just way for all unequal sins to be reconciled to God in His Holiness.