Today marks the conclusion of our month-long series on James 2:13, where we examine a single word each week from that verse: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

This might sound contradictory at first to our theme verse, but the exercise of God’s judgment is essential to the triumph of mercy. Why? Because if mercy is going to reign, then every aspect of evil must be justly judged and eternally eradicated.

Everyone longs for a world ruled by a holy God who judges justly. Even people who deny God’s existence, who desecrate what he designed to be holy, who repudiate his holy commands, still long for things that only his holy judgment can deliver.

Human beings were created to find their everyday safety in the judgment of one who is gloriously just in every way. We all want to live in a world where justice is real and dispensed with equity.

We would all love for violence to end in our streets. We’re all frustrated when a career criminal who has been arrested 50 times is released on the streets and commits another crime.

We would all love for government corruption to end forever. We all mourn the abuse of children, the exploitation of the weak, the denigration of women, or prejudice and racism against people groups. We all wish that no one would starve, that disease would claim no more lives, and that war’s endless presence would end.

The specifics of our longings may differ, but we all long for something better. We long for justice. We long for judgment. We long for paradise, a world that is peaceful, loving, safe, and righteously ruled.

God has appointed a day when he will judge the world. This will be a righteous judgment by Jesus Christ, who has been given the power to judge by God the Father. Everyone will stand before the throne of Christ the Judge to give an account of their thoughts, words, and actions, to be judged according to what they have done, whether good or evil.

Jesus says that in the final judgment, he will separate the sheep (those who have trusted him and his grace, followed him by faith, and done his work) from the goats (those who have denied him and his call on their lives; see Matthew 25:31-46).

The righteous will be ushered into the everlasting life and the perfect righteousness of the new heavens and new earth, receiving the full and refreshing joy that comes from the presence of the Lord. The unrighteous, who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, will be thrown into eternal torment. They will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.

Judgment is essential to the Christian faith, and judgment is essential to the triumph of mercy. In fact, the declaration of judgment demonstrates God’s mercy! If all God wanted to do was judge us, he wouldn’t warn us about the coming judgment.

God wants us to be fully persuaded that a day of judgment will come, both to deter everyone from sin and to comfort the godly in adversity.

The day of judgment is declared for us so that we would live with the comfort of knowing that God will keep all of his promises to us, that he will fix everything that sin has broken, and that we will finally be made like the Son, no longer with our backs bent over with the burden of remaining sin.

The day of judgment is declared for us as a loving warning from a perfectly holy and merciful heavenly Father. He wants us to understand the Godwardness of everything we do, the seriousness of sin, and the moral consequence of rejecting his authority, repudiating his law, denying a need for his grace, and living as we please.

In mercy, God declares to us the coming judgment. As we listen, we hear either celebratory songs of worship and victory or the screams of those in torment. He lets us in on the future in order to draw us close and keep us safe until the end.

And he knows that we will live as we were designed to live only when we live with the inescapable reality of judgment in view.

A Prayer for Today: God, please help me to live with the inescapable reality of the coming judgment so that I may not pursue sinful desires and I may live with the peace that everything will one day be made perfectly right. When I look at the world, I long for righteous judgment and perfect peace, but only you can provide that. Help me to trust you and your timing in making all things right. Thank you for the warning of your judgment too, and allow it to deter me from sin. Thank you that your judgment demonstrates your mercy! Help me to live moment-by-moment in the confidence that you will one day bring about perfect, holy judgment. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Conversation Prompts for Children

  • Why do bad things need to be punished? Is it good when evil gets punished? What about the evil that you and I do?
  • As Christians, why is it a good thing that Jesus was punished for the evil we have done? If Jesus has taken our punishment for the sin we have done, what does that mean for us and our forever future?
  • How can a warning about punishment help us to live right here, right now? Why do you think God warns us about punishing and judging sin?
  • Have you said yes to the payment Jesus offers by taking your punishment on himself? If not, can I help you know how to say yes to him?

Reflection Questions

1. What scares you about the judgment of God? What brings you peace about his coming judgment? When did you say yes to the payment Jesus made for you, taking your judgment upon himself?

2. Why is God’s warning of future judgment really a loving display of his mercy toward you?

3. What might be keeping you from living in the comfort of knowing that God will keep all of his promises to us? What burdens or remaining sin are you carrying that God wants to free you from because of his mercy?

4. In what ways are you refusing to take your sin seriously? How is that affecting your daily life? How is it impacting your relationship with God himself?

5. How can the declaration of God’s judgment ultimately be a source of supernatural comfort to you?