Grace and Justice

I completely agree that one of the most common ways for people to misunderstand God or Jesus's teachings is to take an anthropological perspective and yet we really have no other choice because we have to understand things through our own perspective which comes from experience while realizing that is limited.

I disagree with the way we normally error when taking this unavoidable anthropological approach. One of the major underlying themes of all Jesus's teachings was that God doesn't punish and is not interested in or even condone retribution. The father wants to heal and redeem only and we continually misunderstand this because we try to use God for our own ends.

Now people might say that God only wants to heal and redeem but he can't make us turn to him to do that. that seems to be true in ways for this earthly life (although if totally true would be inconsistent with saying it is all Grace.) If ECT is true though God either is not the God Jesus taught who only wants to heal and redeem or He is not very powerful, letting that get set up and not being able to change it.

Crazy as it seems I'm certain He has overwhelming mercy for all aka Grace. It makes no sense to say it is all Grace and then say some should be punished for not having received that Grace. And those who have received that Grace and are not doing everything they can to share it with others (especially since if you have received It you will know it is mostly transmitted by those who have received it acting graciously) are the most guilty of something, including me who lives a very spoiled life.

It would seem that I am discounting the value or importance of justice and I guess In a way I am, as an end in itself. Justice is extremely important, but this is because without a common struggling for justice among people here on earth doing God's work will mostly lead to being exploited rather than successfully sharing God's Grace. The parables of the prodigal son and the vineyard owner demonstrate that justice for its own sake is not important. They basically say all God is interested in is bestowing Grace and placing justice on the same level often blocks us from that Grace rather than help us embrace It or share It.