A THRONE OF GRACE AND JUSTICE

Two of God’s great attributes (mercy and justice) as related to His dealing with mankind, operated when he originally formed the Plan of redemption and will continue to be exercised unto its completion. God’s mercy is infinitely greater than men’s conception of it, at his very best. Mercy is defined as that benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries or to treat an offender better than he deserves. It is the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment or to inflict less than the law or justice will warrant. Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being.

Judgment is defined as “the final trial of the human race, when God will decide the fate of every individual, and award sentence according to justice.” It is impossible to have a clear conception of God’s mercy without viewing it in its association with His justice or judgments in connection with His great Plan. A clear recognition of these two attributes-justice and mercy -is of very great importance in all attempts to delineate the Divine character as revealed in the Divine Purpose. The Scribes and Pharisees, the religious teachers of our Lord’s day, were very deficient in this respect, and received the rebuke of Christ, for their perversion and neglect of these in their teachings. — See Matt. 23:23.

This same rebuke applies equally well to the religious guides and teachers of our day.

When considering any unfolding of the Divine Plan of salvation we may detect its perverseness or defectiveness by its neglect or distortion of God’s attributes.

As for example the doctrine of eternal torment, which is wholly lacking in both true mercy and justice and which not only distorts God’s attributes but dishonors His holy name.

How clearly can it be seen from this standpoint that the human family (with but few exceptions) have not been dealt with by God with the object in view of their learning righteousness, or the completion or establishment of character at death!

God’s mercy is shown in the sentence upon Adam in permitting that sentence to be executed gradually. God’s past judgments, where they have resulted in the destruction of human life, have been simply the execution of the one original sentence passed upon all in Eden. Where His judgments have been otherwise, they have had for their object the correction of man for His good; and these have had to do especially with His own people, as illustrated in the captivities in the days of the Judges of ancient Babylon and in the present dispersion of Israel.

God’s mercy, as well as judgment, is seen in its deepest sense in providing a ransom price to release all from the death penalty for the purpose of carrying out that feature of the Divine Plan of giving every creature of Adam’s race a full, fair trial to obtain everlasting life; or in other words, His arrangement for a judgment Day. This judgment Day will afford an opportunity for human beings of every class, clime and condition, even those who have been given up as hopeless cases by present reformers and reform institutions, to become righteous and obtain life everlasting. All these will be especially dealt with by God and His infinite wisdom and discernment will enable Him, through Christ, to administer judgment and mercy for the development of righteous characters.

“ANOTHER BOOK OF LIFE”

What is the book of life?

Concerning the book of life which is said to be opened we have this most reasonable explanation:

“ANOTHER book of life was opened. This suggests to us that as there is a book (record) of life, in which the names of all in the Gospel Age over-comers are recorded who are worthy of Divine life, so there will be a book or record kept in the next Age of those worthy of perfect human life.

The book of life now about finished will not be opened-the ‘results or record will not be known until the full end of this Age; then we will see those deemed worthy to be of the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife; so too, the records of the next Age will not be opened until the end of that Age, when those worthy of receiving back the dominion of earth, lost by Adam, will receive it.

“Another feature of difference between the world’s judgment of that Age and ours of this, is that though they will be required to have faith, yet their trial will be based on WORKS — ‘judged according to their works.’ We, on the contrary, live in an Age when perfect works are impossible, and our judgment depends largely on faith: According to thy faith be it unto thee, and works only according to ability.

“In the end of that Age of trial, death and the tomb, and all not found written in their book of life, will be cast into the lake of fire-already described as representing wrath and destruction. That the lake of fire is SYMBOLIC, is readily seen, because death and the tomb are represented as going into the same—the tomb will be -no more, and the Adamic death will be no more. (Isa 25:7, 8) All men who are then judged unworthy of life die; but it is the Second Death, and is attributable to willful sin on their own part, for the Adamic death and all its results will have been destroyed.”–Z March ’82-8.

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises… For He is coming to judge the earth, with righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity (His truth).” Psa 98

Continued with next post.