Love and Justice

What's your first reaction when you hear the word God?

For many people, it's a mixture of fear and anxiety similar to what you might get when you see the flashing lights of a police car. The gut tightens and you wonder, "What'd I do now?" Having heard for years that "God is gonna get you" for everything you've done wrong, you feel noticeable discomfort at the idea of God.

Others have a very different reaction. The first word that pops into their minds is love. God is love, right? He's the good guy. The Man Upstairs. The big guy looking out for us. God doesn't punish people, we think. He loves everybody and accepts them just the way they are. To some, God is like a kindly old uncle. We're not exactly sure what he does all day, but he's always pleasant to have around. 

This week I'm working on a message on the holiness of God. This is the character trait that combines these two, seemingly opposite, characteristics--justice and mercy. I'd like to help people move beyond both stereotypes of God so that they will neither fear him nor take him for granted but have a deep desire to know him and become like him.

Which extreme is more common--being afraid of God or taking him too lightly?

Why do people always seem to gravitate toward one end of the spectrum or the other?

What will help people discover a more complete, balanced, view of who God is?

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