Man's spiritual state is most dire and in itself, hopelessly without solution. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23. The sinner cannot, it appears, escape hell's damnation. If mercy is exercised, then justice will suffer. There is here a great difficulty indeed. It seems as if God's justice bars the way to God's mercy. One attribute of God wars against another and the sinner must remain unpardoned. But God has found a way! A way of atonement by which mercy and truth have kissed each other. A way by which mercy and justice are reconciled, whereby the law of God is satisfied even though the guilty go free. That way is the only way by which the sinner may be saved from wrath to come. The way into heaven has been opened for poor sinners and the insurmountable barrier of divine wrath has been removed.