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Pastor David Mitchell
The message this morning, we're moving into the character of God, the aspect of his character that we call justice. And so the title of the message will be, Righteousness and Peace Have Kissed Each Other.
Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this passage of Scripture that we'll see today. We thank you for your Holy Spirit who will teach us the sense of it, who will also move it from our minds into our hearts, move our hearts, take us to the place we need to be to go out into this coming week.
Lord, continue to mold us into the servants that we must be for our time. We live in the most interesting of times. Father, we sense that we are in the last days. So give us the power from you to be holy.
And Father, help us today to see your justice in Jesus Christ. And we pray in his name. Amen. This particular verse, if you have it, follow along with me. It says, Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
There's only one place in all of history. When I say history this morning, I speak of God's history. From the time that he spoke physical things into existence and started time as we think of time. From that point until that time ends, there's only one place in all of that span of history that can cause this to happen.
A place where something called mercy, which implies to us forgiveness and mercy, and another word called truth, which implies to us something that cannot change, something that involves justice. How can it be that mercy and truth and justice can meet together in one place and not have the whole of the human race annihilated?
Well, it's because of that one focal point in all of God's history that we know of as the cross. Mercy and truth are met together when our Lord Jesus Christ was lifted up that day when the skies turned dark and the earth began to quake and he said, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
And then he yielded up the ghost and the curtain, which may have been anywhere from 6 to 12 inches thick that separated the holy place from the holy of holies, was torn from the top to the bottom. Picturing reconciliation, picturing the fact that propitiation had occurred and God was satisfied and his righteous justice was perfectly satisfied at that moment.
All of this is found in that little verse. Concerning the justice of God, God has absolute right and authority over his creatures and yet man in his rebellious state does not recognize this. Americans in particular have a difficult time understanding God's sovereignty because we've never served a sovereign king on the earth.
We don't know what it means to have to bow the knee to someone higher than us. Theoretically, we are the government. I think Brother Otis mentioned a couple of times in Sunday School this morning it's not always that way, but theoretically, in theory, it's that way and it's enough that way that we don't have a very good human model for what it means to bow the knee to a sovereign.
So it's particularly difficult for Americans to understand the fact that God has absolute right and authority over his creation which includes us, his creatures. God can, in fact, do as he pleases with his creatures and whatever he does is fair, believe it or not.
We grow up in this country. The first phrase a child learns after da-da is, it's not fair. Brother did this, sister did this, mom did this. It's not fair. That's the American right. It's just not fair.
And yet most of us have never seen how three-quarters of the rest of the world lives in huts with dirt floors and grass on the top and families, more than one, living in that one hut. But it's not fair for us.
And so many times when God chooses to have his timetable different than we think it should be, we say, it's not fair. When God chooses to allow us to go through the crucible of testing longer than we think we should, we say, it's not fair.
And when we say it's not fair, we're being polite because what we really mean is God's not fair. And yet as we study the word of God and see how God has revealed himself, he has revealed himself as a sovereign, the one who created everything, including us, and the fact is he can do as he pleases with his creatures, when he pleases and how he pleases, and that is what he does.
And through it all, he is good, and he is love, and he is all-wise, and yet because of the fallen state, rebellious state of man, we have a hard time seeing it even on this side of salvation. We see it better than we did, though, don't we?
But isn't it wonderful in the light of this truth to know that the God who can do as he pleases and does do as he pleases is just? His justice is exhibited in four ways, at least for us this morning. I'm sure there are a million ways, but four ways.
First of all, in his righteous laws. Psalm 19, verse 7, if you'd like to turn to that, but you don't have to hurry, we'll be through with it quickly. Psalm 19, verse 7, we're going to go to Psalm 119 in a moment if you want to kind of be looking for that, too.
Psalm 19, 7, exhibits God's justice in the fact that his laws are righteous. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, underline that phrase.
They are right, they are righteous. And this rejoices the heart of man. Do you know why it rejoices the heart of man? Because man who has been very thoughtful, such as David was, a thoughtful man, has stopped to think that God can and does do exactly as he pleases with his creatures.
And so it brings great rejoicing to the heart when one understands that the statutes of the Lord are right. He's not going to do anything wrong to us. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is thy servant warned. God is a good God. He has warned every man, woman, boy, and girl that's walked on this earth, on this planet since Adam and Eve, since the fall. He has given wonderful, marvelous, and sometimes fearful warning.
But in keeping of them there is great reward. So first we see the justice of God is exhibited in the fact that he has given righteous laws. Secondly, we see his justice in the fact that these laws are written.
You hold them in your laps this morning. They're on your coffee tables. They're beside your bed. Some of them in small form are in your cars, your automobiles, that you can use for witnessing as the opportunity arises.
His laws are written. There is an objective code given to man. This exhibits God's justice. God did not say figure out my rules and if you keep them you'll be all right. And not tell us what they were.
God has revealed himself and his law through time. Today we live in a day when the word of God has already been canonized for almost 2 ,000 years. It is whole. The book itself is mature. It is God's eternal word and we have it this morning.
And this exhibits God's justice. He doesn't leave us in the blind to know what the rules are in this universe. Psalm 119 .89 says, Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. That's almost strange grammar.
But it's about the best way to be said in time to illustrate outside of time. God's word has been settled not only in time but in eternity. And the next verse exhibits the fact that his justice has to do with his faithfulness.
Thy faithfulness is unto all generations. Thou hast established the earth and it abideth. You can look at the earth and think about all of the science fiction writers who have tried to show cataclysms where the earth just comes to an end.
A meteor comes and hits it and all life is extinguished. Nuclear war extinguishes all life on the earth. How many times have men written books to try to describe the fact that or that the sun is running out of energy.
In a few zillion years there won't be a sun and the earth will be extinguished. But you know what God says? God says the fact is you can look at the earth and it abideth. It remains. It is a sign of my faithfulness.
They continue this day according to thine ordinances. Even the earth, the rotation of it, the planets, all of the things that have to do with the way this world consists are part of his ordinances. They all show forth his faithfulness.
For all are his servants. He is sovereign over the entire universe. Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in my affliction. You get a glimpse of the lost world there and the contrast between them and the saved world.
The lost world don't have God's laws as their delights and they do in fact perish in affliction. I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me. You brought life into my bones. You brought life into my soul with your word.
I am thine. Save me for I have sought thy precepts. We see the justice of God not only in the fact that his laws are righteous but in the fact that his laws are written. And thirdly we see the justice of God if you want to turn to 2 Chronicles 19 in verse 7.
We see the justice of God in the fact that not only do we have these laws and not only are these laws written in a code that we can hold in our laps. But there is perfectly impartial, impartial enforcement of the code.
2 Chronicles 19, 7 says wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Take heed and do it. For there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts. He is not a judge that can be set up beforehand by your enemy.
He is not a judge that can be bribed by your enemy before he judges in your case. The fact is he is perfectly impartial in his judgment and has no respect for persons. And then fourthly we see the justice of God in the Lord Jesus Christ in his life, in his being, in his death, in his resurrection.
The scriptures speak of this in Acts chapter 7 verse 52. We see that it says which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? They have slain them which showed before of the coming of the just one.
Notice that one of the very titles of the Lord Jesus Christ in the word of God is the just one. The justice of God is exemplified in the Lord Jesus Christ. It says of whom ye have now the betrayers and murderers who have been betrayers and murderers of the just one.
This was pointed out to the Jews. I'm sure it got quiet in the room when this was pointed out. So we see Jesus as we look at him. It is not that he acts in justice. It is that he exists as justice. It is not that he does just things.
He is justice. As we look at the justice of God we see that we have a judge who is omniscient, all-knowing. We have a judge who is omnipresent which means he is all-seeing. He has seen the evidence perfectly.
No lawyer has to bring it before him. We have a judge who is immutable which means he never changes in what he says is right. Nor does he change in his own essence or his being. He can't have a good mood one day and a bad mood the next and you have to hope you hit the good mood in order for the justice to be given in your case.
He's immutable. We have a judge who is mercy and love at the same time. He is the way and the truth and the life. He judges in perfect truth and he is righteous in all of his ways. Exhibited in his righteous laws, in his written laws, in his impartial enforcement and in his son Jesus Christ.
It's interesting that in the scriptures God is not said to be merciful or kind in the sense of overlooking sin. Grace is not letting it slide as he looks at sin. So mercy and kindness and the grace of God are not as the world sees it or describes it.
As related to salvation and the forgiveness of sins and the cleansing of sins as spoken of in 1 John 1 .9. We don't see so much the mercy and the kindness and the grace as we see God being described as both faithful and just.
His faithfulness and his justice are described in relation to salvation and cleansing. Romans chapter 3 verse 26. If you turn there we're going to be in Romans chapter 3 verse 1 for the remainder of the morning, that chapter that is.
I want to skip ahead and read verse 26. It summarizes the message. Romans 3 verse 26. To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
So in Jesus Christ and in the cross and in the resurrection we see that God can both be just and be a justifier at the same time. Mercy and truth meet and they kiss each other in the cross. 1 John 1 .9 mentions his faithfulness and his justice.
He says if we confess our sins he is faithful and he is just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It has become just for God to forgive. It does not imply that he lets it slide.
It does not imply that he overlooks it. It shows very clearly that because of the cross of Jesus Christ justice has already been done and therefore God is just as he forgives. But he is also faithful.
Turn with me if you're not already there to Romans chapter 3. I'll just skip down and start with verse 4. I want you to visualize the scene. The scene is that we are walking into the most magnificent courtroom drama of all time in this chapter.
And in this book as a matter of fact, the book of Romans. I regret to say that I may have done the homework for everybody in your Sunday school class, Brother Otis. Maybe not all the homework. But in this magnificent drama of this courtroom, we see a righteous judge ruling.
First of all, it says in verse 4, God forbid, yea, let God be true in every man a liar. As it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged. Now this is written of God.
It speaks as a man when it says that God may overcome when he is judged. But what it means is that sometimes as I said in the introduction, we have times when we think God's timing is wrong. We have times when we think that his chastening is too harsh and lasts too long.
We have times when we think that God is not just. And what this very verse says in Romans 3 and verse 4 is that there will come a day when all will see that God himself will overcome when he is judged by us and he will be shown to have been perfectly right and just in every incident of every minute detail of everything that's happened in history.
He will overcome when some come to him and try to judge him, which of course is impossible anyway. It shows that he might be justified in his sayings. God will be justified. Not only did he justify us, but he himself will be justified when all comes to an end.
All is looked upon. And we introduced this courtroom drama with verse 4, but now let's skip down to verse 9 and the following verses. We look at the subjects. In other words, we look over at the table in the courtroom where the defendant has to sit.
But in this case, there are millions of defendants. The human race is sitting there. The human race is seated at this table. And let's look at these subjects that are about to be judged. Look at verse 9.
What then? Are we better than they? We have some subjects at this table who are Jews. We have other subjects at the table who are Gentiles. And the Jews are beginning to say, well, we're better than they are.
We have the law. And yet the scripture says, know and know wise, for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are under sin. Now I want you to begin to enumerate the attributes of these subjects, the defendants.
The first one is, they are under sin. We put number one there. Next it says, as it is written, there is none righteous. No, not one. The second point that's made by the opposing lawyer is that there is not one person seated at this table who has done a right thing.
And who can stand before this judge as having any minute detail of righteousness in their own life. Verse 11 says, there is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after God. The third thing is that it is pointed out of these defendants that they have not even sought the righteousness of God.
They weren't seeking it. They didn't understand it. They didn't want to understand it. They loved the darkness rather than the light. And verse 12 says, they are all gone out of the way. You see, the Bible pictures us as perhaps the sheep of God.
As the animals are subject to the shepherd, we are to be subject to the judge and the king of the universe. It's hard for us as Americans to bow the knee. But it pictures us as those who have gone out of the way.
Little sheep who have strayed away from what they really should have known was the place that the shepherd wanted them to be. And they strayed away. All of us from the youngest times in our lives and you children sitting in the room today and you teenagers, you know that you've already had times when you strayed away and you did something that you absolutely knew God didn't want you to do.
Or you said something you knew he didn't want you to say. Or you acted in a way or you thought a thought that you knew God didn't want you thinking. All of these subjects at this table in this courtroom, the defendants, have gone out of the way.
They are together become unprofitable. They haven't done one thing to profit their maker. There is none that doeth good, not one at the table. Their throat is an open sepulcher with their tongues they have used to seek.
The poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. The words that they spake during their lifetime in many times and in many ways were bitter words. They were words that were designed to tear down, not to build up.
They were words that were designed to speak forth blasphemies rather than praises of God. Many wrong things have come from the lips of these people who are at this defendant's table this morning. And yet they sit before a righteous, holy, perfect, just God of the universe who is peering at them with eyes that are piercing right through the very wretchedness of their being.
Mouth is full of... Verse 16, verse 15 says, Their feet is swift to shed blood. They're murderers. Some of us in the room say, Well, I've never murdered anyone. But even the youngest in this room have had a thought of hatred.
Jesus said, When you do that in your heart, you've murdered that person. When you hate someone in your heart, you've murdered that person. The Bible says, Their feet are swift to shed blood. Such is the nature of man.
That's why we've had war throughout the history of mankind and will until the Prince of Peace comes. Destruction and misery are in their ways. As we look at the defendants seated at this huge table with millions of them standing there, we're looking at a miserable, proud, destructive, and living in misery in their own way rather than God's way.
The way of peace have they not known? They don't even know how to be reconciled. They're warriors. They're bloody. They don't know the way of peace. They're not trying to work it out. They're not trying to be reconciled.
They know not the way of peace. There is no fear of God before their eyes, the Bible says. As they sit at this table and gaze across the room at the judge and they look at him, they don't even fear him because they don't really see him.
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and that the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
And then the session is closed for a break. And I'd have to say that the first session, as it closes, things are looking very dim for mankind. The law cannot save. It condemns every man, Jew and Gentile, seated at this table.
When the court comes back for the second session, we open scene two. The same miserable lot is seated as defendants in the room. And yet a new person enters. One walks in who is the faithful law keeper.
He is faithful and righteous all together. He is glorious in fact and even his countenance speaks of the fact that he has never sinned. Though being tempted in all points even as we. Verse 21, we begin this scene.
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. A new argument is about to take place in this courtroom. Prosecutor has very wisely and craftily pointed out twelve things in the lives of these defendants that are horrible attributes that we've already seen.
These people are destructive and they are living in misery. And there is not one point of righteousness in their life. There is not one good thing that they have done. And he's pointed all this up and held it right up against the laws that God seated as judge is using as the code book to judge these subjects.
He's pointed everything out, everything that's been broken. And as this new advocate for the people walks in, in verse 21, we see that the righteousness of God is argued to be without the law. This hasn't been heard before or at least the ears haven't heard it.
Not that it hasn't been said before. Verse 22 says,. Now I want you to keep your place at verse 22, but I want you to skip down to verse 30 just for a moment because I want you to see these opening arguments of the Lord Jesus Christ, the faithful keeper of the law.
Seeing it as one God which shall justify the circumcision, that's the Jew, by faith and the uncircumcision through faith. Isn't it interesting that the Jews are by faith and the Gentiles are through faith?
A subtle but interesting difference. And we see that as this one enters the courtroom, he speaks on behalf of the Jews that belong to the Father. And he says,. Back to verse 22, you see it says,. It means Jesus' faith.
Jesus says,. And I have kept it perfectly. And those Jews who receive me will be justified by my faith because I kept the law on their behalf. And with respect to the Gentiles, he says,. As they walk in my faith which has been given to them.
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. For there is no difference. For all have come short of the glory of God, this advocate says to the judge.
But he goes on and he says,. The Lord Jesus Christ says they are justified by the fact that I have purchased them. I have redeemed them from the slave market of sin with my own blood whom God has set forth to be the propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission, the removal, the complete obliteration of sin from the life of the believer.
Both the sins that are past, the sins that are present, and the sins that are future, they are all remitted. They are all removed. Because of the fact that judge, as he speaks to the Father, he says, Judge, you in your own law have demonstrated that your righteous justice can be propitiated, in other words, can be perfectly satisfied if we could find a perfect substitutionary lamb.
I, he is quiet in the courtroom, to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus, this advocate argues before the Father. He says, God, you can be just if you justify me.
You can be just, you shall be just when you justify those who believe in my finished work because my finished work has perfectly satisfied every jot and every tittle of your perfect law. And he gets quiet in the courtroom again.
Where is the boasting then? It is excluded by what law of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. These people cannot be saved by their good works for they have none. These people cannot be saved by the law for they have broken it.
But I don't argue their case based upon them keeping the law. I argue it based upon the fact that I kept it perfectly and they have faith in me. Verse 28, therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
He continues to argue. Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also the God of these Gentiles seated at this table? Yes, of the Gentiles also, seeing it is one God which shall justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith.
And Jesus says, your plan has worked it all out. These Jews can be justified because I kept the law perfectly and they have received me. And these Gentiles can be justified because they are in me and they have walked by my faith.
Do we then make void the law through faith? Jesus argues the determination of guilt. Move to chapter 5, if you would. Chapter 5, verse 21. We've skipped some of the details of the courtroom drama, but we move into this conclusion.
The determination of guilt. The judge cannot just overlook sin. And though this argument was beautiful and perfect and absolutely right, the courtroom drama is not over yet. Verse 21 says, in being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able to perform, in other words, it's speaking back of Abraham and God had promised him something and Abraham said, well, I know God can do what he promises.
That is faith, by the way. And he was completely persuaded that God would do what God said he would do. That is the perfect definition of faith. Therefore, it was imputed to him as righteousness. Our advocate continues to argue the case and he says, do you remember Abraham?
Do you remember, Father, Judge, how when Abraham believed you that your word was right and that you would do what you said you would do, that you counted it to him, you imputed it to him as if he had your own righteousness.
Do you remember that? Now, I'm sure the judge remembered that because he's omniscient and he knows all things. He didn't have to remember it. Therefore, it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone.
Jesus argues that it was imputed to him, but for us also. These people at this table, these defendants also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead, who was delivered, now circle the word, for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.
And so Jesus ends his argument with the fact that he was the substitutionary lamb. This little word, for, is what saves us. You find it in several places, especially the book of Romans. But this little word, for, is what it's all about.
Because in this courtroom, the judge has proclaimed that it is right and legal and perfect, according to his law, that if there could be a perfect substitute who kept the law absolutely to the letter and then would agree to receive the payment for those who did not, that he would accept his death in place of the punishment that the others so greatly deserved.
And so Jesus points out, I was delivered for their offenses. I was raised again for their justification. Isn't it interesting that it points out his substitutionary death, but it shows that the resurrection itself is what proved he was, in fact, the perfect sacrifice.
If it weren't for the resurrection, Jesus couldn't be arguing this case today on our behalf. He died for our offenses. If he had had to put a period there and ended the sentence, I'm afraid he would have lost the case.
But he came back and he said, and judge, I want you to remember that you raised me from the dead, proving that I was the perfect sacrifice for their sins. One says, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into his grace.
So now we've moved to the final scene in this drama, the verdict. The verdict is proclaimed. The perfectly just judge says, therefore, these are justified by faith. They now have peace with God. Now in this verdict, look at the things we have.
The first one is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The second is by whom also we have access. We are now granted access. Do you see we're about to be set free and let go from the court? We're about to be proclaimed innocent and told that the chains can be removed and we can walk out free, men and women and boys and girls.
And as we walk out, we have peace with the very one who sat as our judge. We have access as a friend to this one who was, a few moments earlier, our judge. And we also have access by faith into his grace, undeserved favor that he shows us forever once this verdict has been reached.
Not only do we have peace and access to him and access to his grace, but we can stand in it. It is a position. It has nothing anymore to do with experience. Once we walk out this courtroom and we've been proclaimed innocent once and for all, it is a position.
It is not an experience. What we go and do from this day forward will not change the verdict. It says that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith into his grace, wherein we stand forever a position.
And therefore we rejoice. The fifth thing is we can walk out of this courtroom rejoicing in hope and in hope of the glory of God which we now partake of as well. But God commended his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, the judge says as he reaches the verdict.
He says this is true. This is good. This is the way. This is the truth. This is life for each one of you who is being judged today. The verdict is that God commended his love toward you and even as you sit here as miserable wretches, as subjects and defendants, the fact is while you were yet sinners, Christ still died for you.
Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. You have been granted mercy. But this mercy came at a price. Your very advocate who so beautifully argued your case, who in fact won your case because he was a substitute for you and has agreed to die the death you should have died, to pay the penalty of separation from me and hell that you should have paid, he has not only argued this case but he has paid the price and therefore he has saved you from that wrath.
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled we are saved by his life. And the judge says there's one more thing. Before you walk out of this courtroom free, remember this.
He remains your advocate forever. You may walk out of the courtroom and it may be finished for you, but the fact is he remains before me seated right here arguing your case every day you live on this earth.
When you do wrong and the enemy comes to accuse you again and try to drag you back into this courtroom, he stands as your advocate and reminds the judge of these very rulings of this day. So it is true that while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, but it is also true that we are saved by his life, his present work, as our advocate before the Father.
By whom we have now received, and here's the pronouncement of the verdict. As it says in the English and the Greek it says reconciliation. You see atonement merely means a covering. That's not what happened.
That's an Old Testament concept. In the New Testament there is no covering. There is a remitting. There is a removal. The sin is now gone. We have received reconciliation with whom? The very one who a few moments ago was our judge.
Isn't that the most beautiful courtroom drama in all the universe? Let's stand and have prayer together. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you that you show us you are not only the justifier, but you were just in doing so.
You did not violate your own justice when you had mercy upon us. Because of the cross. We thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ and the price that he paid which we cannot describe nor think about nor comprehend.
We know one thing about it. He redeemed us. We thank you for that. If we can walk out of this room today and go forward with the rest of our lives knowing that we've been reconciled to you and that we've been found innocent because of his innocence and his perfection and his righteousness that you have given us by faith in him.
Go with us into our fellowship. We ask you to bless our meal together and our day together and we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.