Put on the Bowels of Mercy

By becoming the victim of sin, Christ took control of judgement. He is able to choose whether or not to offer forgiveness.

“Or a victim may choose to forgive a violator who accepts responsibility and commits to making amends. A victim may drop claims if the violator remedies the problem or pays damages. … If they develop an agreeable strategy, the wrongdoer may avoid legal sanction and undertake reparations instead.

A very different meaning arises when it is someone other than the victim who offers a way to bypass the workings of the law. Then forgiveness and law seem quite incompatible.” – The Law of Forgiving, by Martha Minow

 Because we suffered for the sins of others against us, we, like Christ, are also victims of sin. While Christ is able to offer forgiveness, he has not taken from us the right to demand justice. This means that we also have a choice and can decide to forgive or not. 

One of the goals of the atonement is to bring about in us the bowels of mercy that overpower our demand for justice.

“And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.” – Alma 34:14-15

By bringing about in us the bowels of mercy, we become like God. Before the atonement was completed, God was perfect and His bowels of mercy were already filled. The atonement wasn’t intended to change God and make God more perfect, more loving and more forgiving. Man is flawed, not God. Man lacks mercy, compassion and love, not God. The atonement was intended to bring about the bowels of mercy in us, not in God.

“Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.” – Alma 26:37

God didn’t need to be persuaded to have mercy for us as He already had mercy for us, even before the atonement was finished. But He was still obligated to fulfill the demands of justice, even though His desire was to extend mercy. 

The atonement was intended to bring about the bowels of mercy in us so that we could learn to forgive and thereby become perfect like God.

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” – Col. 3:12-13

After all Christ has done to forgive us, can we still demand that justice be done against those who need our forgiveness?