I think the best illustration of the distinction between justice and mercy is the good thief Christ forgave on the cross. He was still justly put to death for his crimes, but was given eternal life through the mercy of Christ. We live in a world where frequently justice is discarded in the name of mercy, often by those who claim to support "social justice." Of course the real social injustice is criminal evildoers being freed to terrorize the innocent. Those who prattle on about "social justice" pretend the punishment of criminals is unjust, while the punishment of innocents that comes from freeing criminals is not.

The heretical denial of hell guts the meaning of Christianity by disposing of justice in the name of mercy, where Jesus is a magic man who frees us from any consequences for our actions while telling us to be vaguely nice to each other. Christ did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill the law, calling us to be merciful beyond mere justice, but this does not mean justice no longer exists. The other criminal went on blaspheming and mocking God even to his death, and there are many evildoers who follow in that example today who will likewise inherit eternal fire.

The true Christian is to be merciful because of the reality of divine justice, and the horrible punishments that await those who reject Christ's mercy. We must be willing to forgive and pray for divine clemency even for the most wicked, even as we oppose their injustice in the worldly realm, because divine justice is an inevitable given. The repentant must confront the costs of their sins before entering paradise, while the unrepentant must pay the ultimate penalty. Thus we can neither be the accuser who discards mercy in the name of justice, nor the heretic who claims "mercy" in order to get rid of justice.

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