Mercy and truth have met together in
Christ. The truth is we were, and are,
sinners. We were born into a miry clay kind of existence. The cross of Christ does not ignore this
reality; it actually embraces it. It is
taken fully into account. Mercy does
that. It does not discount nor deny the
horrible pit in which we live.
A
common question that frustrates shallow thinkers is the famous conundrum: how can a merciful God punish sinners in
hell, eternally? And pardon my use
of the word shallow; but I use it
because the difficulty of the question is present only for those who will not
think deeply about man’s own choice that has left him in the pit of
despair! It is typical for these thinkers to figure out some way to deny
the depth of the pit in which we have put ourselves.
·
Modern day Judaism says, The pictures of penal fires … are purely imaginary. … The idea of
eternal punishment is repugnant to the genius of Judaism. … Such teaching does
not represent the doctrine of any rational religion. (Morris Joseph, Judaism
as Creed and Life, 1903)
·
Clark Pinnock (US News and World Report story,
1990) asked, How can Christians possibly
project a deity of such cruelty and vindictiveness … however sinful they may
have been?
·
For many the way out is a doctrine of annihilation, that the wicked just cease
to exist after this life. But that
position, besides being a mishandling of Scripture, begs the same response as
Paul gave in 1 Cor. 15:32: Let us eat,
drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
The reason we need to cry out for mercy is because we are in the most pitiable of situations. Apart from mercy that acknowledges the truth
we are helpless and hopeless. We are
destined for everlasting contempt (Dan. 12:2), everlasting punishment (Matt.
25:46), a home where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Mark
9:47,48). Concerning Rev. 14:9-11 J. A.
Seiss said,
There may be those who mock and jeer at the idea of an
eternal hell for the wicked. … But here
a great and mighty angel from heaven is the preacher, and his sermon from
beginning to end is nothing but fire and brimstone, even everlasting burning
and torment for all who take the mark of Antichrist. Shall we believe our modern sentimental
philosophers, or abide by the word of our God and of His holy angels? (Revelation Commentary, p356)
Here is what God is saying through Paul. Our situation is hopeless. We were in sin (v3). And we make no contribution (v5). Never, never, never do our works bring any
benefit to getting out of the pit (Eph. 2:8f; Rom. 11:32; 9:15f). This is our problem with Catholics, Mormons
and the Witnesses, along with every other religion. They all want to take part in getting out of
the miry clay. But it is NOT by works of
righteousness which we have done but according to mercy. God’s mercy.
God’s mercy that does not deny the depth of the pit!
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