Written by Elder Brian Burgess, serving in the Mexico Puebla North Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaking Spanish.
Well fast week!
I love you all!
This last week I was studying about Justice and Mercy. I love the need for both of these essential parts of our salvation. God requires Justice!
In the scriptures we read in Matthew 5:48: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Then we read that in Doctrine and Covenants 1:31: For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
How can we be perfect if sin makes us imperfect?
And in Romans 3:23, Paul says we are all sinners. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
God is just.
In Alma 42:5 we read, "What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God."
If any man sins, he is bound by justice.
Elder Holland said, "One of God’s attributes is justice, and we would not have the faith—because of fear—to live righteously or to love better or to repent more readily if somehow we didn’t think that justice would count for us, if somehow we thought God would change His mind and decide there was another set of rules. Because we know that God is just and would cease to be God if He weren’t so, we have the faith to go forward."
The need of MERCY! The blessing of MERCY!
In Alma 34 verses 15 and 16, it says:
15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.
16 And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.
Mercy can satisfy the demands of justice! I testify that God is just. He has to be, or would cease to be God. Through the sacrifice and Atonement of Jesus Christ, He opened the gates to the prize of Mercy,
2 Nephi 2:7
Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.
And Mosiah 15:8-9 it says: 8 And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men—
9 Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice.
Literally, Jesus himself acts and will act as our advocate. I imagine him standing between my Father in Heaven and I, having the following conversation, (cited from Doctrine and Covenants 45:3-5):
3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—
4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.
I testify that if we repent, we will be forgiven. Mercy and Justice can't lie.
Mosiah 24:14: And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand aswitnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
I pray that we can reflect a little on the need for Justice and the need for repentance! I love repentance. I love my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He suffered so that you and I can be clean, and can receive our eternal reward through our diligence to the commandments!
This is my short and humble testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN
ELDER BURGESS
El Lobo (September 15, 2014)
Service in Mexico (October 13, 2014)
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