Is God’s way a moral way with absolute standards of right and wrong? Of course. This is why he first taught us to obey Moses’s law. But, he taught an even higher truth than this, a truth that does not teach us to throw out and disobey God’s law, but a truth that provides grace to the lawbreaker. He taught the truth of mercy.

Jesus said, “Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy , and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13) No man yet, except Jesus, is totally righteous. But, the Pharisees and many pharisaical Christians since (not to mention the radical adherents of all the other world religions) have thought themselves righteous. Nevertheless Jesus is saying, “You who deem yourself righteous because you believe you obey God fully must learn to have mercy upon those who do not yet so obey God.” Why? Because God is calling them too. God is working in them just as he is working in you, and he has called you to bring his will to earth by allowing you a chance to show them mercy, even as He has shown you. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13) The mark of elohim is mercy!