How do we reconcile our deep need for justice with the reality of a God who forgives murderers, rapists, and the very worst among us; if they simply ask?
It’s a question that touches something raw in all of us. If God forgives such people, is there still any real justice? If the worst evildoers can be pardoned, does that make the suffering of victims meaningless? Is God’s mercy too cheap?
These are not abstract questions; they are the real wounds of a heart that knows both the ugliness of evil and the longing for righteousness. Let’s walk through this tension carefully, faithfully, and honestly.
Our Built-In Sense of Justice
From the earliest stories of Scripture, humans were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Part of that image is a deep, immovable sense that right and wrong are real; that evil must not go unpunished.
When we recoil at atrocities, when we cry for justice, we are echoing God’s own heart:
“For the Lord loves justice; He will not forsake His saints.” (Psalm 37:28)
God’s Justice vs. Human Justice
But there’s a difference between our justice and God’s justice:
- Human Justice: Often limited, flawed, partial; punishes the external act; demands immediate retribution.
- God’s Justice: Perfect, eternal, all-seeing; judges the heart and soul; balances righteousness and redemption across eternity.
God doesn’t forget, overlook, or excuse evil. He deals with it perfectly, either through the cross or through judgment.
Forgiveness Does Not Erase Justice
Here’s the critical insight: Forgiveness is not the absence of justice.
When God forgives a murderer, rapist, or any sinner, it is because the penalty for that sin has already been paid; not ignored.
The cross of Christ is where justice and mercy meet:
“He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.” (Isaiah 53:5)
Forgiveness is not God waving away evil. It is God absorbing its cost into Himself.
The Realworld Struggle: Corrie ten Boom’s Story
Corrie ten Boom survived a Nazi concentration camp where her sister Betsie died. Years later, while speaking in Germany about forgiveness, she was approached by a former guard. One of the cruellest men she remembered.
He reached out his hand and asked for her forgiveness. Corrie froze. She could not forgive him from her own strength. But she silently prayed, obeyed, and extended her hand. In that moment, she felt God’s love flood her heart.
Forgiveness did not erase the horror of what had happened. It handed justice back to God, where it rightly belonged.
Scriptural Models: Paul and Jesus
Paul: The Persecutor Redeemed
Before becoming the great Apostle, Paul (then Saul) was a violent enemy of the early Church (Acts 8-9).
Jesus didn’t destroy Saul. He confronted him, forgave him, and transformed him.
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15)
Grace is not for the deserving. Grace is for the worst.
Jesus: Forgiveness at the Cross
At the very moment of His crucifixion, surrounded by hatred, betrayal, and cruelty, Jesus prayed:
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
This is divine mercy: Not the denial of evil, but love stronger than hate, justice satisfied through sacrifice.
Jonah’s Anger: When Justice Feels Betrayed
We are not the first to wrestle with this.
Jonah ran from God’s call to preach to Nineveh because he knew God would forgive them (Jonah 4:1-2).
In Jonah’s mind:
- Nineveh’s evil deserved destruction.
- Mercy would cheapen justice.
But God rebuked him gently:
“Should I not pity Nineveh, that great city…?” (Jonah 4:11)
Jonah’s heart couldn’t accept that God’s mercy was bigger than his sense of fairness.
The Cross: The Place Where All the Tension Meets
At the Cross:
- Justice was fully poured out.
- Mercy was fully offered.
- Evil was fully judged.
- Sinners were fully invited into redemption.
“He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26)
Closing Reflections: Holding the Tension
Justice and mercy are not enemies. They are two halves of God’s perfect nature.
When we wrestle with forgiveness, like Jonah, Corrie, and countless saints before us, we are standing at the foot of the Cross , where the worst crimes meet the deepest grace.
We don’t have to silence our cries for justice. We bring them to the God who promises that, in the end, every wrong will be made right.
Until then, we live in the mystery:
- Trusting God’s justice.
- Accepting God’s mercy.
- Extending God’s forgiveness.
Not because we are strong. But because He is strong enough for all of us.
Reflection Questions
- Where am I struggling to trust God’s justice over my own sense of fairness?
- Are there people I secretly believe are beyond God’s grace?
- How does the Cross change the way I view forgiveness?
- Am I willing to hand back to God the right to avenge the wrongs done against me?
Key Scriptures
- Jonah 4:1-11
- Romans 3:23-26
- Isaiah 53:5
- Luke 23:34
- 1 Timothy 1:15
Reflecting where heaven touches earth.
