It Isn’t Mercy, It’s Vindication

Note: Sorry for missing last week. I ended up getting very sick and didn’t feel well enough to finish the article and record it.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

1 Timothy 1:8-11 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

As Christians, we are forever bombarded by the notion of forgiveness. We must forgive, as Christ has forgiven us. You must forgive, or God will judge you. If you understood how much God forgave you, then you would always forgive others. And with the notion of forgiveness, there is this idea that forgiveness means no punishment. Or at the very least, society will preach to the Christian that forgiveness means no punishment. And so, what becomes of a nation of law and order when it devolves into a nation of forgiveness and mercy?

It may seem odd to be talking about forgiveness and mercy in somewhat derogatory terms, but what do you suppose Satan would do if God were not to punish him and lock him up in hell for all eternity? Would that make him a better being? Would he turn from what he is and become something altogether good? Would complete mercy cause him to stop torturing the people of this world? Is it because of judgment that Satan is evil, or is he judged because he is evil?

Today, many judges, prosecutors, and people have decided that the reason people do bad things is not because they are bad, but because bad things have happened to them. And if you punish them, that is, do bad things to them because of what they’ve done, that will not solve anything. In fact, because pain and suffering cause people to commit pain and suffering, you are only making the problem worse. After all, when people get punched, they punch back. Or why do upperclassmen pick on lowerclassmen? Because they can, yes, but also because they were picked on when they were lowerclassmen. Abused children often become abusive parents. Hence, people have decided it is a good idea to reduce prison sentences, eliminate charging people for “petty” crimes such as shoplifting, etc., all in a supposed effort to reduce crime and bad behavior.

But because someone had a hard life, should that give them a free pass to do bad things to other people? Because someone was abused as a child, does that mean if they abuse their own children, their own children must stay and continue to be abused? Because someone is hungry, should they be allowed to steal? Because someone has stolen from others, should others be allowed to steal from him?

When we focus entirely on mercy and compassion for the one who did the wrong, we perpetuate pain and suffering in two ways. One, if we only have compassion, then we lose a major way people are motivated, which is by consequences. Essentially, then, there are no consequences, or the consequences that are present are so minimal that they can never outweigh the benefit of whatever bad thing it is. In addition, the people who are wronged are never compensated. Their pain is never truly acknowledged. And that leads to more pain and suffering.

Think about it. When you get punched in the face, what do you want? What is your natural reaction? To, at the very least, punch them in the face with equal force. Or perhaps you want even more. Not only do you want to punch them in the face, but you want to kick them in the stomach as well. When someone breaks into your house and steals from you, what do you want? You at least want your stuff back. But that is not the only compensation you want. You also want them to pay for whatever they broke to come in. But most importantly, you want to feel safe in your house again. And what happens if you cannot feel safe in your house? You have to move. Or what about a girl who is raped? Should the rapist only pay for the damage to her clothes and maybe medical bills? Or is there some form of compensation that is needed? What if her rape is never really addressed?

But aside from the compensation that you naturally want, when you are wronged, that experience teaches you how the world works. You take what happened to you to heart. Ultimately, there are really two lessons you can learn. Either you recognize the pain and suffering that was caused to you and resolve not to do that to others. Or you perpetuate that pain and suffering onto others because it is now normalized or justifiable. And if you fall into the latter camp, what signal does it send to you if you are never punished for the pain and suffering you inflict? The message is that society, people, and the government all agree that the pain and suffering you inflict is normal and justified, and you can and should keep on doing it. In other words, of course, you would not get in any real trouble, what you did and who you are justify your actions. In reality, how is that any different than someone in the government or who is very wealthy who uses their wealth and power to avoid getting into trouble? They can run a red light, drive drunk and kill someone, or pay their employees pauper wages because they are rich, a philanthropist, or are simply too important to suffer consequences.

Hopefully, you can begin to see how, when you give mercy and compassion to a person who feels justified in their behavior, it enables rather than discourages more pain and suffering. After all, mercy and compassion to such a person is not mercy and compassion to them. Instead, it is the just and right response. It is vindication and exoneration, not mercy and compassion. Mercy and compassion can only ever truly be shown to someone who recognizes and believes that the just and right response to his actions is judgment and punishment (Luke 23:39-43). Likewise, Satan could never perceive mercy towards his behavior as mercy, because his behavior is justified. And if he were not to receive judgment, it would vindicate him in his own mind. Whereas, because he is entirely unrepentant, because he believes his actions are justifiable, he cannot and will not stop his behavior unless someone stops him. As it says:

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

So then, without the law, justice, and judgment, it is impossible to show mercy. Moreover, even a nation built solely on mercy and forgiveness will devolve into chaos, disorder, and suffering because it does not have true justice and judgment. Mercy and forgiveness require individual application based on the totality of the circumstances. And the biggest of those circumstances is the heart of the offender. So what does that mean for us as Christians, and how do we get more people to heaven?

Well, it means that, as Christians, we must also love justice as God loves justice (Psalm 33:5). And justice means that we advocate for criminals being sent to jail, for equitable and fair application of the law, and for the number of laws to be minimal and not onerous (Ephesians 6:4). Not because we want people to be punished, but because we want them to turn from their evil ways. We want them to be rehabilitated (i.e., redeemed) through discipline, so that they recognize the wrongs they have done and turn to God. We want God to treat the wrongdoers of our nation the same as He treats us, as His children, which by necessity involves discipline (Hebrews 12:3-11). In the case of the wrongdoers, the discipline comes practically from the Government. But if the wrongdoers cannot be rehabilitated, then at least they will be punished as is God’s requirement for the authority He institutes (Romans 13:1-5). And perhaps, through that punishment, evil may be curtailed, and bad behavior minimized (1 Timothy 1:9).

In a more practical and day-to-day sense, it also means that parents discipline their children and neither spoil them nor punish them unduly and unfairly. Moreover, the church as an organization must also not allow sin and bad behavior to fester (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). In other words, perhaps the person who does not fulfill their position within the church is counseled and removed for dereliction of duty. Or the person who is openly sinning is confronted about their sin. Or the person who gossips and schemes is also addressed rather than ignored. Or when there is conflict and sin within the church, the church leadership demands and leads the way for victims to engage with those who have wronged them, and encourages those who have wronged others to seek forgiveness.

The reality is that pain and suffering exist in this world. And we cannot stop it by wishing it away. We cannot protect the innocent by not punishing the guilty. We cannot change behavior by eliminating consequences. And if we do not stop or change someone’s bad behavior, aren’t we just allowing pain and suffering to perpetuate?

Is there a situation in your life or that you know of that was made worse because someone was forgiven, released, or not punished even though they did something wrong? How does your church handle sin, especially when members sin against each other? Why is it difficult to discipline your own children well, and what has helped you to be better?

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission.
All rights reserved.

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© Copyright 2026 Peter Kucenski