In my third year, I encountered a profound question in a Christian Religious Studies assignment: Is it contradictory for God to be both just and merciful? At first glance, these attributes seem mutually exclusive. Justice demands moral righteousness and fair judgment, holding people accountable for their actions. Mercy, however, extends kindness beyond what is deserved, often absolving faults entirely. How can one embody both without compromising either?
The Scriptures depict God as a righteous Judge who ensures justice, fighting for His people and promising vengeance against wrongdoing. The Book of Revelation crowns it all up by revealing the events that would take place at the very end of time, and subsequently, how each person would receive their rewards according to their works while here on earth. Yet, this same God is also rich in mercy, renewing it daily and offering forgiveness so complete that He “remembers our sins no more.”
This duality mirrors the legal concept of the prerogative of mercy, where a higher authority, like a President or Governor, can pardon someone despite a judge’s rightful sentence. God, however, embodies both roles: He is the Judge who delivers justice and the Pardoner who grants mercy, justifying the guilty as though they were never at fault.
At the core of God’s nature is love, as captured in John 3:16, which reflects both His mercy in offering salvation and His justice in requiring choice. He provides life and death, urging humanity to choose life.
As for God, He remains the same; merciful, and just. And isn’t it awesome that He embodies these two seemingly contrasting attributes, and perfectly so?
Elizabeth Chima Kalu
Nigerian Law School Enugu Campus
Last modified: January 18, 2025
