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For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13, NASB).
Mercy can be simply summed up as “God withholds what we deserve.” We all break God’s law, and as Paul writes, “The wages of sin is death.” Fortunately, Paul also writes, “But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Our temporal lives look towards the eternal — a future that we have only by the mercy of God! However, until heaven, all saints have “temporary protected status.”
In Luke 16, we get a glimpse into Hades (the land of the dead) as the poor man Lazarus is carried by Abraham, when a rich man asks Abraham to allow Lazarus to give him water. Abraham responds by describing a chasm dividing the rich man and Lazarus.
Many Biblical teachers believe that Hades was divided into the two sections of “Tartarus” (2 Peter 2:4) and “Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Concisely, the land of the dead at the time of Jesus consisted of two spaces, one good (Paradise) and one bad (Tartarus), and when I die, by God’s mercy, I’m opting for Paradise.
You should too! But Paradise is no longer in the same place as at the time of Jesus. Paul writes…
When He [Jesus] ascended on high, He led captive the captives … Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth” (Ephesians 4:8-9).
After His death, Jesus led the captives to heaven, moving Paradise, where they now await (again in “temporary protected status”) until the final judgment. Paul teaches that when Jesus returns, He will bring with Him those who had previously died (read carefully 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Until that time, the righteous dead witness our actions on earth (Hebrews 12:1) and worship God (Revelation 4:6-10).
There are many views on the specifics of end-time events (and I have my thoughts), but it’s unanimous among those who believe the Bible that, despite our differing opinions on the details of Jesus’ return, He will return, and we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
But as for you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you as well, why do you regard your brother or sister with contempt? For we will all appear before the judgment seat of God (Romans 14:10).
I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds (Revelation 20:11-12).
At the judgment seat, the “temporary protected status” for saints and sinners ends: some to eternal condemnation, others to heaven. The difference between the two will be the mercy of God, received only by confession of Jesus as Lord while on earth.
When I stand before Jesus, the accuser could say, “The law is the law. Grant Edwards broke the law and stands condemned.” It’s true, I’ve probably broken the law thousands of times in my life…
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7).
I thank God for His mercy as I have my permanent citizenship in heaven assured. But let’s remember James 2:13…
For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
As we have been forgiven, and as we have received mercy, we must forgive and extend mercy to others.