In
The Moral Teaching of Christ we saw that each of the four Gospels presents
Christ as teaching — clearly, repeatedly, and without apology — that
God opposes
all sin and shows favor only to those who obey his commands. And we saw that
Paul echoes that same point with equal clarity and force. Yet we also saw
something else: both Christ and Paul say, just as plainly, that
God welcomes
into his favor as heirs of eternal life all who believe the good news Christ
announces. Put side by side, those statements can sound like a contradiction — and
that tension is what we need to face now.
Because the New Testament teaches both truths so strongly,
we cannot accept any “solution” that weakens either one. The first claim is
demanded by the supreme authority of the moral law, which will not tolerate any
violation of its rights. The second is just as necessary, because only full
pardon can meet the deep need of guilty and helpless humanity. So we now look
for the underlying harmony between the claims of justice and the message of
mercy.
