Welcome to the Westside Church of Christ We

Welcome to the Westside Church of Christ! We are glad you are here! “Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD” (Joel 1: 14) Sunday assemblies: Wednesday assembly: 9: 30 AM Bible class 10: 30 AM Worship 6: oo PM Worship 7: 00 PM Bible class Please silence cell phones

5 Questions: Which would you do? A robber breaks into your house. He collects your valuables, but before he leaves, you catch him and subdue him. What do you do? A. Call the police and press charges. B. Get your valuables back and let him go free. C. Let him take your valuables and offer him a ride to where ever he wants to go.

Which would you do? I visit your house. While there, I accidentally bump your favorite antique, which has both monetary and sentimental value to you. It falls over and breaks. What do you do? A. Require me to pay for it to be fixed or replaced. B. Say “that’s ok” but not ask for repayment, & forget it. C. Forgive the accident and pay for the repair or replacement out of your own pocket.

Which would you do? You are a police officer. One day you catch a driver speeding. He explains that he is on his way to his child’s school play and he doesn’t want to be late. As the police officer, what do you do? A. Write him a ticket-he broke the law! B. Give him a warning & let him go. C. Think about your own child and the importance of your family, and offer him a police escort to get to the play on time.

Which would you do? You see a homeless family huddled behind the 7 -11. What are you most likely to do? A. Call the police on them for loitering. B. Nothing. C. Offer to help them get a job and a place to stay, even if it creates an inconvenience for you.

Which would you do? You are a child, and your birthday is coming up soon. What do you expect to receive? A. A lump of coal and a bag of switches…I’ve been naughty and don’t deserve any presents. B. Nothing…I’ve been both bad and good, and it evens out. C. Gifts. Even though I’ve been naughty, my parents love me and will give me gifts.

Yours answers reflect your faith… When you choose answer “A” on these, you are showing a preference for justice. When you choose answer “B”, you are showing a preference for mercy. When you choose answer “C”, you are showing a preference for grace. What are the differences between these three things?

Justice, Mercy, and Grace Their meanings, differences, and how they work together

Justice Getting what you deserve Deserve = earn Law of Moses was heavy on justice Eye for an eye If you earn what you desire Justice is getting what you want If you earn what you do not desire Justice is getting what you do not want You can ask for justice, for what you deserve Confess guilt and request punishment Prove you worked and ask for payment

Justice When justice happens to others… We seem to like it when justice happens to others We regard it as God’s hand taking care of business We regard it as people getting what they deserve for sin But we all sin, so we all deserve justice Wages of sin is death, and we earn it! (Romans 6: 23) Devil is cruel employer, but he always pays! God is just, cannot be unjust When God warns, He must carry it out Adam & Eve had to be punished “Had He not done so, our relationship with Him would be as unpredictable as the relationship the ancient pagan people imagined they had with their numerous deities” (Bales)

Justice…then and now Law of Moses: a law of justice! Promised blessings for good behavior Promised curses for bad behavior Governed men on principle of “eye for an eye” Must have been difficult to live in such time Men struck dead on the spot, cities destroyed Children stoned to death for disrespect (Deut. 21: 18 -21) Gospel of Jesus includes justice 2 Corinthians 5: 10 Do we want justice today? Or something better - James 2: 13

Mercy Is NOT getting what you deserve Implies you did something wrong Is escape from or avoiding punishment Is a “second chance” Mercy > justice: not have to pay for crimes (sins) You can ask for mercy! The judge may give you a lighter sentence Your parents may un-ground you sooner God will forgive your sins But mercy only sets us back at par Will not, by itself, get us to heaven Leaves demands of justice unsatisfied Justice is good, mercy is better, but we need something else…

Understanding God’s Method Why must there be punishments? Why not declare moratorium on punishments? Why not automatically forgive all sins? Why not do away with hell so all can be saved? Why not “declare universal amnesty for the entire human race and be done with the problem? ” (Bales) Some have asked our government for amnesty Draft dodgers Illegal aliens A civilized nation requires order, consistency Amnesty creates unjust exceptions Amnesty does not solve problems God is just and not an author of confusion

What if there were no laws? Before the flood…lawlessness ruled God was sorry He made mankind Solomon knew better (Ecclesiastes 8: 11) Opposite of amnesty: equality (Romans 11: 32) God does show mercy… But not by canceling punishments Not by ignoring sin or granting amnesty We want mercy for ourselves And justice for our enemies But mercy & justice won’t get us to heaven

God’s Perfect Solution Grace is getting what you do not deserve Usually something good that you have not earned Defined as “unmerited favor” Parents show grace to children: gifts You can offer grace to enemies: pray for them, share King of Israel gave grace to enemies: 2 Kings 6: 8 -23 Sermon on the Mount teaches us to show grace But you cannot ask for grace for yourself! Would be preposterous for a criminal to confess to a crime and tell the judge to let him go free anyway Grace must be freely offered by the giver

Grace: Better than Justice Grace satisfies the demands of justice It provides punishment as required by justice But not upon the one who deserves it Romans 5: 8 -9 You and I deserve death for our sins And God’s justice cannot be thwarted So to satisfy justice, God sacrificed His Own Son God loves us like any parent loves his own erring child John 3: 16 - grace meeting the demands of justice

Grace: Better than Mercy Grace brings mercy Since Jesus died, I don’t have to be punished! Mercy is not getting what you deserve… God’s grace makes it possible for me to avoid hell Ephesians 2: 4 -6

Grace: God’s Perfect Solution Encompasses both justice and mercy But does more than just get you & I out of trouble Gives what we do not deserve: eternal life Titus 3: 3 -7 Ephesians 2: 1 -8 Grace makes you an heir Grants entry to heaven And through grace, God is able to be both just and the one who justifies, without compromising His nature

Responding to Grace The terrorist of the Irish Republican Army If that terrorist was you, how would you respond? The fact is, a sinner is a criminal and rebel against God And the Prince of Peace did serve your sentence He died in your place Resurrected the King of Kings! How will you respond?

Final questions… If you are not a Christian, then you are lost in sin. What should God do about it? Send you to hell (justice) Nothing at all (mercy) Pay the price for you, forgive you, and invite you to heaven (grace? ) If you are not a Christian, what will YOU do about it? If you are a Christian who has fallen away, when you will do something about that?

Summary Justice: getting just what you deserve Mercy: not getting something bad that you deserve Grace: getting something good that you do not deserve ---------------------------------Come back Wednesday for Bible class at 7: 00 PM!