MercyorJudgment.com Who is God? What is He really like? Do you really know for sure or is it just a matter of conjecture? A lot of times our perception of who God is and what He's really like is clouded by two fallacies which now permeate society. One of these is the fact that people sometimes base their ideas about God on information they have heard from others or what they conclude themselves. This information, however, can be erroneous. Why? Because as human beings, we're not perfect and sometimes the information we use to make a judgment about a particular subject can be inaccurate. This includes our perception of God's character. For example, some people say, "How could a loving God send anyone to Hell?". While it's true that God is a God of love, He is also a God of justice, and these two attributes of His character cannot be separated. "God is just..." (2 Thessalonians 1:6) "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) We all appreciate the fact that God is a loving God. The Bible tells us that He is. However, God is also a God of judgment, and I would be remiss if I didn't share that with others. Sharing the gospel online, I've heard the outcry before: How could a loving God send anyone to hell? (I ask, "What do you base that information on? None of us have ever met God in person, so how do we know He wouldn't do that? We've never asked Him."). The Bible is the only source of information which can accurately tell us about God. God does punish sin. He's a Holy and perfect God, and He demands righteousness. We've all sinned, and God must punish that sin. God gives us a choice: we can accept Him and what He has done on our behalf, or we can reject Him and go our own way. If we choose to reject Him, then we've made the decision to send ourselves to hell, and God, being just, has to administer the penalty for that sin. If He didn't, God would no longer be just. So...when the gospel is shared, both aspects of God's character have to be presented. To give one without the other is not a true representation of who God really is. To tell others that God is only loving but not just makes God appear unconcerned about truth and justice, therefore, man can live his life anyway he wants without consequences. Accordingly, to tell others that God is only just but not loving and merciful gives a distorted view of a Creator who pronounces judgment on mankind without offering him forgiveness beforehand. Neither statement is correct. Most of us all know John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life". That's God's mercy. God's judgment is two verses down though, in John 3:18: Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. If you haven't accepted Christ, then you are already under God's judgment. You've already made the choice by not making the decision to accept Christ. See also John 3:36 below: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. The good news is that, although God is just and does punish sin, He is also loving and merciful, and has made a way for mankind to live with Him. This is done through the death of Jesus Christ, who paid our sin debt. These dual aspects of God's personality can be seen in what happened at the cross. God the Father poured out His wrath and judgment for sin on Jesus Christ so we wouldn't have to experience it. Jesus, as God in the flesh, demonstrates His mercy by giving His life for the sins of mankind. God was able to show His mercy and judgment simultaneously. He didn't have to violate one to express the other; the two parts of His personality work in unison. So...how do we escape God's judgment and embrace his mercy? By accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. God never wanted us to be objects of His wrath. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:9) Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! (Romans 5:9) The choice of where we spend eternity is left to us, not God. God gives us free will, so we are free to decide what we want, even if that means making wrong choices. God does not choose where we will spend eternity, but rather honors our choice of our eternal destination. God wants us to love Him because we want to, not because we have to. Another fallacy which can obstruct our understanding about God's true personality is the belief that the Bible is either totally written by man or that is is partially in error. God's ways are not our ways, so we should not base our ideas of who God is on our own human reasoning or understanding. God does want us to know who He really is, so He has provided that information for us in the Bible, so we won't be "left in the dark", having to guess about His true character. We can get an accurate representation of who God really is because we're dealing with facts instead of opinions. How do we know that the Bible is a valid source in showing us what God is really like? Click HERE to learn how God shows us how we can know with certainty that the Bible is indeed His Word, free from error. It's all up to you. God's mercy or judgment. Which one will you choose?