--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth of the matter is that meeting…" description: "\"“The truth of the matter is that meeting God is either transcendentally wonderful, or utterly horrific. If God meets sinners—sinners like you and me—in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/d-a-carson-2-12097_justice_the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-meeting_901632.jpg" --- # The truth of the matter is that meeting God is either… ![“The truth of the matter is that meeting God is either transcendentally wonderful, or utterly horrific. If God meets sinners—sinners like you and me—in mere justice, in raw justice, the ultimate result is cataclysmic judgment; if God meets sinners in mercy and transforming power, the ultimate…” quote by D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/d-a-carson-2-12097_justice_the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-meeting_901632.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/d-a-carson-2-12097_justice_the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-meeting_901632.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/d-a-carson-2-12097_justice_the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-meeting_901632.jpg) > ““The truth of the matter is that meeting God is either transcendentally wonderful, or utterly horrific. If God meets sinners—sinners like you and me—in mere justice, in raw justice, the ultimate result is cataclysmic judgment; if God meets sinners in mercy and transforming power, the ultimate result is ecstasy.”” [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. God can appear as either terrifying judge or loving saviour, depending on whether He meets sinners with pure justice or with mercy and transformative power. **In simple terms:** God may be a judge or a merciful saviour. Key Takeaway Recognise the power of mercy over judgment. Themes faith divine nature judgment mercy spiritual experience Mood awe contemplative Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - worship - prayer - counselling - ethical decision making Key Concepts theology anthropology ethics Questions to Reflect On - Do you see more justice or mercy in your life? - How does divine mercy change your view of sin? A Different Perspective Judgment alone can alienate; mercy alone may be idealised. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [If you choose to be obedient to God, God meets you with divine enablement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/if-you-choose-to-be-obedient-to-god-god-meets-you-with-divine/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) > [I'm unfinished. I'm unfixed. And the reality is that's where God meets me is in the mess of my life, in the unfixedness, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-yaconelli/i-m-unfinished-i-m-unfixed-and-the-reality-is-that-s-where-god-meets/) [Mike Yaconelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-yaconelli/) > [God meets our needs one day at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/god-meets-our-needs-one-day-at-a-time/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“It is only when we meet the needs of the people around us that God meets our needs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/it-is-only-when-we-meet-the-needs-of-the-people-around-us-that-god/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“God loves to meet us in that messy middle of the tunnel. And at the end of the tunnel, as well as the beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-seefeldt-amodea/god-loves-to-meet-us-in-that-messy-middle-of-the-tunnel-and-at-the/) [Brenda Seefeldt Amodea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-seefeldt-amodea/) > [Love is the overflow of joy in God that meets the needs of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/love-is-the-overflow-of-joy-in-god-that-meets-the-needs-of-others/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [When you earnestly seek God, He meets you where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-roumie/when-you-earnestly-seek-god-he-meets-you-where-you-are/) [Jonathan Roumie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-roumie/) > [To make it really clear and simple, let's call this movement across history we see in passages like the ones we just looked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/to-make-it-really-clear-and-simple-let-s-call-this-movement-across/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“Nothing disappoints an atheist more than meeting God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srini-chandra/nothing-disappoints-an-atheist-more-than-meeting-god/) [Srini Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srini-chandra/) > [Our life is not given to us like an opera libretto, in which all is written down; but it means going, walking, doing, searching,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/our-life-is-not-given-to-us-like-an-opera-libretto-in-which-all-is/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [God is here. This truth should fill our lives, and every Christmas should be for us a new and special meeting with God, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josemaria-escriva/god-is-here-this-truth-should-fill-our-lives-and-every-christmas/) [Josemaria Escriva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josemaria-escriva/) > [Whatever you are doing, if there is contentment and a feeling that this whole existence is nothing but the manifestation of godliness, that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/whatever-you-are-doing-if-there-is-contentment-and-a-feeling-that/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“Prayer is meeting with God. It's checking in, saying I am here, You are here. It is the present moment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-rim/prayer-is-meeting-with-god-it-s-checking-in-saying-i-am-here-you-are/) [J.R. Rim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-rim/) > [“At bottom, for me, the act of writing is a sort of dialogue with God. I say with God, but I am not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/at-bottom-for-me-the-act-of-writing-is-a-sort-of-dialogue-with-god-i/) [Emil Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-cioran/) > [Everywhere I am hindered of meeting God in my brother, because he has shut his own temple doors and recites fables merely of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/everywhere-i-am-hindered-of-meeting-god-in-my-brother-because-he-has/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by D.A. Carson > [“again. Here is a sober lesson. Even after times of spectacular revival, reformation, or covenantal renewal, the people of God are never more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after-times-of-spectacular-revival/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Looking closely at what these young people believe, one discovers that they have evidently never been taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. The absence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/looking-closely-at-what-these-young-people-believe-one-discovers-that/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“If chastening were merely a matter of remedial education to morally neutral people, the timing and severity would not matter very much; we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/if-chastening-were-merely-a-matter-of-remedial-education-to-morally/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“The initial impetus to cross lines of race and heritage with the Gospel of Jesus Christ arose not from a committee planning world evangelization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-initial-impetus-to-cross-lines-of-race-and-heritage-with-the/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“The greatest intercessors have always recognized that far more connects them with the common lot of sinners than what distinguishes them—and in any case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-greatest-intercessors-have-always-recognized-that-far-more/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“we cannot imagine that the church gathers for worship on Sunday morning if by this we mean that we then engage in something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/we-cannot-imagine-that-the-church-gathers-for-worship-on-sunday/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Be patient; it is better to be a chastened saint than a carefree sinner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/be-patient-it-is-better-to-be-a-chastened-saint-than-a-carefree-sinner/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Where there is flagrant disavowal of the truths essential to the gospel, where there is persistent and high-handed disobedience to the commands of Jesus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/where-there-is-flagrant-disavowal-of-the-truths-essential-to-the/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“To appeal…to some ill-defined and sentimental notion of love as the ground for contravening Scripture may be a lot of things, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/to-appeal-to-some-ill-defined-and-sentimental-notion-of-love-as-the/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“In a world of finite gods (often supported by one pantheistic deity), cyclical views of history, sub-biblical understandings of sin, multiplied idolatry, dualism that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supported-by-one-pantheistic-deity/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“genuinely righteous people invariably become more aware of their personal guilt and need for forgiveness than those who have become so foul and hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/genuinely-righteous-people-invariably-become-more-aware-of-their/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“By the time of the Mosaic covenant, the peace offering (Lev 17:11ff.) was the divinely prescribed means of maintaining a harmonious relationship between God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/by-the-time-of-the-mosaic-covenant-the-peace-offering-lev-17-11ff-was/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Christians do not restrict their moral horizons to immediate results; they make their ethical decisions from an eternal perspective (p. 52).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/christians-do-not-restrict-their-moral-horizons-to-immediate-results/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Forbearance and genuine tenderheartedness are much tougher than niceness, and sometimes…tough love is confrontational (p. 54).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/forbearance-and-genuine-tenderheartedness-are-much-tougher-than/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“IN THE MOST CRUCIAL EVENTS IN REDEMPTIVE HISTORY, God takes considerable pains to ensure that no one can properly conclude that these events have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-the-most-crucial-events-in-redemptive-history-god-takes/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) [Explore all 56 D.A. Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) ## More Justice quotes > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [“Why do so many people do nothing? I think it’s because most of us look at the evils and injustice around us, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/why-do-so-many-people-do-nothing-i-think-it-s-because-most-of-us-look/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/) [Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/) > [Civilized nations are ones that simply can't endure wrongs or injustice except at home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-anderson/civilized-nations-are-ones-that-simply-can-t-endure-wrongs-or/) Joseph Anderson > [Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-p-ryan/time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-which-seems-at-first-unjustifiable/) Donald P. Ryan > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [At minimum, we must recognize that there are legitimate, unanswered questions about whether the Obama Justice Department involved themselves in a political project targeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/at-minimum-we-must-recognize-that-there-are-legitimate-unanswered/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [We need to incorporate that age-old concept of redemption into the work that we do in the criminal justice system in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/we-need-to-incorporate-that-age-old-concept-of-redemption-into-the/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [There is no freedom without justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/there-is-no-freedom-without-justice/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [“The absence of judgment becomes a catalyst and an enabler for greater injustice. Contrary to popular thought, judgment is a GOOD thing when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-chace-gordon/the-absence-of-judgment-becomes-a-catalyst-and-an-enabler-for-greater/) [J. Chace Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-chace-gordon/) > [The function of the law is not to provide justice or to preserve freedom. The function of the law is to keep those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-spence/the-function-of-the-law-is-not-to-provide-justice-or-to-preserve/) [Gerry Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-spence/) [Browse all 13,527 Justice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The truth of the matter is that meeting God is either transcendentally wonderful, or utterly horrific. 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