So many of us have a hard time finding a balanced perception of God. Or put another way, we struggle to find an all-encompassing view of Him. Some of this has to do with the finite nature of our minds grappling with the magnitude of an eternal God. A lot of it has to do with our personal life experience. Out of our own struggles, hurts and environments we form ideas about God that are generated from our own insecurities, if we’re not careful. 

So, on one hand we have a struggle of not being able to fully comprehend who He is because of our small minds. This is okay. In fact, if we let it, it can contribute to the awe and worship we have of Him. 

On the other hand if we make our view of Him even smaller than our small understanding, we are generally doing so willfully, for selfish motives. This is the part God labors so hard with us throughout our lives to eradicate. And not just throughout our life-times. He spent millennia raising up men he could speak through in order to compile what we now consider a canonized book called the Bible. 

This Bible is a big book that repeats a lot of the same principles and ideas over and over again in different ways. It covers a lot of different angles of the character of God in different ways. It seems the Lord is trying so hard to give us the best chance possible to discover the whole truth as far as He is willing to reveal it to mortals—and to be free. 

Opposite Characteristics

One example of what I’m referring to is Jesus shown in Scripture as a Lion and as a Lamb. (Gen. 49:9-10, Rev. 5:5, Jn. 1:29, Isa. 53:7 and 1 Cor. 5:7 are a few examples of this.) 

Lions and Lambs have natures opposite of one another. One is aggressive and bold. The other is meek, gentle, and submissive. And it seems many people will simply pick one of these attributes of Him and make Him that without the other. 

Sometimes it seems to happen based on personal preference or our own personalities. Many who are born with mild dispositions enjoy seeing Jesus as a Lamb and think they must be a lot like Him. Many who are licentious also enjoy seeing Him this way, for surely a gentle Lamb will overlook their sin. 

 Then there are those who are naturally aggressive, stern and firm. Or those who have a chip on their shoulder against people who have harmed them with their sin. Their default position is to seek justice in all things (with the exception of themselves sometimes). 

Perfect Balance

But somehow Jesus is able to have both of these characteristics in Himself without allowing one or the other to weigh too heavily on the scale. He has perfect balance in all things. 

Romans 11:22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. – ESV 

This is written in the context of Jewish branches being broken off of the olive tree and Gentiles being grafted in. In this case, God’s judgment was manifested against His own people, because of their rejection of Messiah, and His mercy to gentiles who had no natural heritage with God at all.

We see God’s mercy and His judgement all throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament and in the New. He has perfect balance and all of His characteristics work together. They are not mutually exclusive. 

Times & Seasons

However, there are seasons when one of His characteristics are predominant while the other plays a secondary role. 

For example, Jesus came as a Lamb and so began an era of unprecedented grace. His patience and forbearance is tremendous in this time. There are many people in open rebellion against Him and He endures their rebellion and persecution for many years in hopes that they repent and enter life. And yet, His judgement is still poured out in limited measures even now, according to His sovereign will. And of course in great measure at the end of peoples’ lives.

But even as these sins and entanglements grow in this world—and seem to go unanswered for the most part—there will come a time when they have reached the fullness of their measure and God will endure them no longer. They will fill the bowls of His wrath which will be poured out on the world in full measure as seen in Revelation 16. 

This is at the time or season when Jesus returns as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. And the Lion in His nature will be foremost. Thus we see that at the end of it all, God will still keep perfect balance. It is we who have a hard time keeping the balance of our perspective of Him in our hearts. But it’s entirely possible with honesty and the Spirit’s enlightenment.