In life, it’s easy to conclude that you’re getting the short end of the stick.

On social media, everyone seems to be having a better life than you are.

At the grocery store, each year you pay a bit more for the same item.

In the parking lot, the other guy inevitably gets the spot you were waiting for.

At the casino, the house always wins.

Even your bathroom scale seems to be part of the conspiracy against you: surely it’s rounding up?

But with God, this isn’t true. The game is rigged in your favour!

How so?

When we think of the scales of justice and mercy, we assume they’re evenly balanced. But God actually has his finger on the scale, so to speak. For those who believe in His Son, it’s tilted heavily toward mercy.

“The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” (2 Peter 3:9)

God longs to be merciful (Isaiah 30:18). But at the same time He must judge sin.

How does He reconcile these two seemingly contradictory impulses?

At the Cross.

When Jesus was crucified, He took the punishment that we rightly deserved for our sins. God’s justice was thereby satisfied.

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

God showed His mercy by extending Jesus’ work on the Cross as payment for our sins. We get a “Paid in Full” receipt for our sins, and all we needed to do was trust in Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

At the Cross, God demonstrated justice and mercy at the same time. He once and for all reconciled the tension between them by coming down from Heaven and paying the price for our sins Himself.

“Mercy and truth have met each other: justice and peace have kissed.” (Psalm 85:10)

With Jesus’ death on the Cross on our behalf, we see two aspects of God’s nature come together in beautiful harmony: His unfailing love and His need to address sin.

“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished…” (Exodus 34:6-7)

All you need to do to appropriate God’s mercy is to believe in Christ’s substitutionary atonement on your behalf. You don’t need to pay for your own sins: Jesus did that for you.

Salvation isn’t about what works you must do to get in God’s good books: it’s about what has already been done for you through Christ’s sacrifice. And it’s a free gift.

You’re truly getting the better end of the deal!

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

romans 6:23

© 2025 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.