From John Piper “Should a merciful person always show mercy?”
· Can a Christian be consistently merciful and yet be a parent who disciplines a child for disobedience?
· Can a Christian be consistently merciful and yet be an employer who pays good wages for excellent work but dismisses irresponsible employees who do shoddy work?
· Can a Christian be consistently merciful and yet be a legislator who enacts laws that give stiff penalties for drunk driving and child abuse?
· Can a Christian be consistently merciful and yet follow the biblical mandate for church discipline?
· A biblical parent will usually follow the wisdom of Scripture in discipline (Proverbs 13:24; Ephesians 6:4). But there will be times when a child's fault will be forgiven without punishment to teach the meaning of mercy and woo the child to Christ.
· A biblical judge will usually be scrupulously just by impartially sentencing criminals according to the grievousness of their crimes (Romans 13:4). But there will be times when he will dispense clemency for some greater good.
· A biblical employer will usually pay a fair wage and insist on good workmanship (2 Thessalonians 3:10). But there will be times when he will pay more than a person's work deserves, and go an extra mile, with a sick or aging or distressed or inadequately trained employee.
· And biblical discipline will be needed (1 Corinthians 5:1-13), but will also remember the parable of the wheat and the tares that teaches patience with the imperfection of the church till the end of the age (Matthew 13:24-30).
*John Piper