Attributes of a Perfect God

[DArceri]

If God is perfectly just, why does he not punish all sinners (i.e. everyone)?

It's called Grace. (ie. unmerited favor). As the offended Creator, He can chose to extend grace to none, to just one person, to many persons, or to all. It's His choice. That being said, to understand what the 'cross' is all about, you need to read up on the terms, "propitiation", "substitution", and "representation".

 

[AmericanCatholic]

It's called Grace. (ie. unmerited favor). As the offended Creator, He can chose to extend grace to none, to just one person, to many persons, or to all. It's His choice. That being said, to understand what the 'cross' is all about, you need to read up on the terms, "propitiation", "substitution", and "representation".

If God does not punish everyone who ought to be punished (that is, sinners; or, everyone), whether it's on account of grace (as an "unmerited favor" it would be compassion) or something else entirely, then God is not perfectly just because He is not imposing justice on that which requires it. The need for justice arises from transgression. Compassion does not remove the need for justice as a response to transgression.

 

[DArceri]

If God does not punish everyone who ought to be punished (that is, sinners; or, everyone), whether it's on account of grace (as an "unmerited favor" it would be compassion) or something else entirely, then God is not perfectly just because He is not imposing justice on that which requires it. The need for justice arises from transgression. Compassion does not remove the need for justice as a response to transgression.

Again, divine justice is DEMANDED for all, but God satisfied this Divine justice via sending His Son to the Cross. As I said before, you need to do a study on what the CROSS means and what it satisfies.

PROPITIATION:
"Propitiation is the work of JesusChrist on the cross, by which He fulfills the wrath of God (both an emotional response of anger and a moral response of indignation), and conciliates Him who would otherwise be offended by our sin and would demand that we pay the penalty for it."

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[AmericanCatholic]

Again, divine justice is DEMANDED for all, but God satisfied this Divine justice via sending His Son to the Cross. As I said before, you need to do a study on what the CROSS means and what it satisfies.

PROPITIATION:
"Propitiation is the work of JesusChrist on the cross, by which He fulfills the wrath of God (both an emotional response of anger and a moral response of indignation), and conciliates Him who would otherwise be offended by our sin and would demand that we pay the penalty for it."

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If the innocent are punished for the crimes of the guilty, how is that justice?

 

[DArceri]

If the innocent are punished for the crimes of the guilty, how is that justice?

Who are the innocent you speak of? If you mean Christ going to the cross, that's where knowledge of the Old Testiment comes in. God instituted a sacrificial system in the O.T. to appease His wrath. The sacrifice offered was an unblemished animal and also a "scapegoat"....This was a forshadow of what Christ ('sacrificial lamb') was sent to be, ie. a perfect unblemished sacrifice.

Listen, read your bible, O.T. and N.T. It's all there. Read Leviticus..... "The story of the scapegoat in Leviticus is a symbolic prefiguration of the self-sacrifice of Jesus, who takes the sins of humanity on his own head, having been driven into the 'wilderness' outside the city by order of the high priests. Also see John 1:29 and Hebrews Chps. 9-10"


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[freeport]

If God is perfectly just, why does he not punish all sinners (i.e. everyone)?

Wait, all sinners are not punished?

News to me. In fact, I go through hard times even when I don't do anything wrong.

Life is hard and if someone has avoided that: well, big news flash. The feast does not last forever and their time comes around, too.

*praying for sinners that God may be merciful on them*

Who knows, maybe they will repent and God will relent?

As for me, I rejoice in the fire and I rejoice in the water.

To know God is to be with God and see God.


And to see God is bliss.

 

[MamaZ]

If God does not punish everyone who ought to be punished (that is, sinners; or, everyone), whether it's on account of grace (as an "unmerited favor" it would be compassion) or something else entirely, then God is not perfectly just because He is not imposing justice on that which requires it. The need for justice arises from transgression. Compassion does not remove the need for justice as a response to transgression.

This is why He sent His son. So that those who believe into Him are imputed Christs righteousness. This is what the good news of Christ is all about. For men cannot justify themselves by works..

 

[squint]

If God does not punish everyone who ought to be punished (that is, sinners; or, everyone), whether it's on account of grace (as an "unmerited favor" it would be compassion) or something else entirely, then God is not perfectly just because He is not imposing justice on that which requires it. The need for justice arises from transgression. Compassion does not remove the need for justice as a response to transgression.

Mercy can fulfill or over ride justice. That's the bottom line. Mercy is ETERNAL JUSTICE.

IF only God Is Perfect (I think we'd all agree on that) THEN the ONLY way Perfection can TOLERATE that which is LESS (anything less than Perfection) is by MERCY/TOLERATION.

A present time example is that we might TOLERATE both manure and dirt IF the intents and uses of same is to produce FRUIT or FLOWERS or other FOOD stuffs. Do you understand this principle? Even though we would not be eating dirt or manure both of them are NEEDED and USED for a 'higher' intent/purpose...the production of something else that is PLEASING to the producer and the consumer.

So it is with 'evil.' God can and does CREATE and USE such things as EVIL, and can do so with Divine Perfect Intentions.

From the use of EVIL for examples, HOPE is raised in us for that to CEASE. The raising of HOPE then is directly correlated to EVIL. There are other 'by'products of the use of EVIL as well. Patience, perseverance etc etc. ALL connected to the HOPE that EVIL will cease, and all byproducts of EVIL employed.

Many in this thread try to explain 'evil' as something that is just THERE as if God is not involved or implicated whatsoever. And that view is ridiculous. God does not 'need' our 'insulations' on these matters.

HE Is Great enough to use any given thing for His Exact Purposes simply because HE CAN.

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