They responded, “Yes, don’t you think so too?”

I was silent for a moment, then commented, “Since most people believe that, I gave it some serious thought.  After all, what’s the use of gaining the whole world, if at the end I lose my soul?  But the more I thought about it the more trouble I had with the idea.”

“What do you mean?” they asked.

“Well, if God is going to put my sins on the scale, I’d like to know how much each sin weighs, wouldn’t you?  I’d like to know how much each lie and each evil thought weighs – and pride too.  Moreover, how much do all my sins weigh in the sight of a holy God who hates sin.  But that’s not all.  I also wonder how much my good deeds weigh, seeing they are often inadequate, and often ruined by pride and the desire to have the praise of men.”

My friends were silent.  Then one said, “Our only hope is in God’s mercy and grace.”

“That’s right,” I agreed, “and thank God, He is merciful and gracious; but His mercy cannot be at the expense of His holiness and justice.”

Another friend then asked, “I know God can do all things, but explain how He can execute justice and show mercy at the same time.”

I answered,  “With men this is impossible.  If the judge does not punish the criminal for his crime, he may seem merciful, but he is not just.  However, if he executes perfect justice, he could not show perfect mercy.  But God can show perfect mercy and yet be perfectly just!”

“How?” they questioned with amazement.

Then I gave them another illustration: “Suppose the just punishment for my sin was payment of a large sum of money or imprisonment, and the judge paid the sum himself.  Would he not be merciful and just at the same time?”

“Yes, he certainly would be merciful, just and gracious all at the same time,” they all agreed.

My friends were anxious to know how God can do the same for man.  My friends are very sincere people – as those from the East who discuss such matters often are – but this discussion made them realize that trusting in one’s good deeds is dangerous.  They never denied being sinners; now they were anxious to know how they could be saved.

The Bible states, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).  I explained to them that the punishment for sin is eternal death – not just physical death.  So how could God bear this punishment for us?  By becoming Man for us.  That’s exactly what Christ died.

The Bible also tells us that God loves mankind so much, He sent Christ to die for us.  And Christ died for us willingly, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  Concerning Christ, the Bible says, “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission (forgiveness) of sins” (Acts 10:43).

-Rafique

Scriptures from The New King James Version, © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.  By permission.

I said, “No Sammy, you are wrong.  I have many enemies, and they are very powerful.”

Sammy was quite surprised.  “I would never have suspected that.  Tell me who they are and where they live.  I will take care of them.  I don’t care how strong they are.”

“Thank you, my good friend,” I remarked, “but you cannot take care of these enemies because they live within me.  Their names are pride, selfishness, evil thoughts, the desire for revenge, and many others.  They are the worst enemies of man, because they live within him and lead to sin against God.  And, of course, any sin against God is more serious than any illness or disaster.”

Sammy grew silent, bowed his head and said in a low voice, “I am ashamed to admit I have done these things and worse.”  Then, sorrowfully, he prayed, “O God, I’m a sinner.  Please have mercy on me and forgive me.”  I too bowed my head and asked God to show Sammy the way of salvation.

I looked at him and his eyes were wet with tears.  “Sammy, you have just confessed to God that you are a sinner and asked him to forgive you.  Do you know God’s answer?”

He said he was not sure, so I read these words from God’s Word: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

“Wonderful!” he exclaimed.  “But why is He called ‘faithful and just’ and not ‘merciful and kind?'”

“You have a keen mind,” I answered, “and this is a very good question.  Of course God is very merciful and kind in forgiving us, but He is also faithful and just.  He is just, because Christ willingly died for us.  He bore the punishment for every one who believes in Him and receives Him by faith.  He is also faithful in forgiving, because He promised that whoever believes in Christ will never perish but have eternal life.”

Sammy was thrilled to hear these facts from the Word of God.  I invited him to read the Bible regularly.  I also quoted the following verses from the Bible and he promised to read them:

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

“Most assuredly, I (Christ) say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

-Rafique