What is the difference between God's mercy and justice?A Scripture-grounded answer about God's mercy and justice

God's justice means he gives what is deserved — punishment for sin, reward for righteousness. God's mercy means he withholds deserved punishment and extends compassion instead. The tension between these attributes is one of the deepest questions in theology: how can a just God let sinners go free? The answer, according to Paul, is the cross. Romans 3:26 says God set forth Christ 'so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.' At the cross, justice was fully satisfied and mercy was fully extended.