Santa Claus Salvation

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God is not Santa Clause.  He doesn’t weigh our good works against our bad to determine whether we will go to heaven or not.  Before our salvation our righteousness is worthless.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.  – Isaiah 64:6

After salvation our good works have nothing to do with keeping our salvation.

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.  – Galatians 2:21

Salvation is a free gift of God that I’m so glad I didn’t have to earn, because I could not.

Love vs. Justice?

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Jesus death I used to see as simply the only resolution between God’s love and God’s justice.  God’s infinite love desired that all men be saved, but God’s infinite justice required a payment for sin.  This sounds right, but it seems now as inaccurate.  God’s love and justice would both have been served by sending sinners to hell without hope of redemption.  It is God’s mercy that provided a way of salvation through Jesus Christ.  It is the only way God’s love, justice, and mercy could all be satisfied.  God’s love does not require his mercy.  God is love whether or not he extends mercy.  It makes his extension of mercy even more great because it was not required for his love.