To my thinking, there are basically two ways of understanding the character of God. The first is to see God as a God of requirements and rewards. Much like an all-powerful king, God sets down a series of laws—Thou shalt and Thou shalt not—and it is up to us either to comply, or suffer the consequences. In its most extreme form, this would be somewhat akin to how God is portrayed in the best-selling series of “Left Behind” books; the God who stands ready to render judgment at the end of time—rescuing some, and destroying all the rest. In its less extreme form, this is the God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins. The only catch is that you have to believe that in order to be saved. Those who do not believe it—including those who, for whatever reason, have never been given the opportunity to—will find themselves forever shut out from salvation. Simply put, if you wish to receive God’s reward, then you must first meet God’s requirements.

The second way of understanding God’s character is to see God as a God of love, who stands ready to accept everyone—not just those who profess the faith, or who have been “born again,” or who regularly worship in a Christian congregation. God’s acceptance of us is unconditional—meaning that it is not dependent upon the doctrines we proclaim or the deeds we perform. Anyone who preaches a gospel of grace, but insists on adding an “if”—as in, “God will love and accept you, if you do x, y, or z”—has completely missed the point. The unconditional acceptance of God is a love that has no ifs, ands, or buts!

Another way of picturing this is to think of a God of works (requirements and rewards) versus a God of grace (unconditional acceptance); and depending on which side of that spectrum you happen to land, the Christian message will be heard as “bad news” or “good news.” The “bad news” version is that there will be a final exam (either at the end of our individual lives or at the end of history), and you had better study up and be ready for it, or else you’ll be in a whole heap of trouble. The “good news” version is that God is not the least bit interested in testing us, trapping us, or tripping us up. Instead, God wants to transform us.

A common misperception is that these contrasting understandings of God’s character represent the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament, or if you like, the difference between Judaism and Christianity. However, scriptural evidence for both points of view can be found in either Testament and in both religions.

The real difference is in how you wish to proclaim the gospel, and what you want people to hear. Is Christianity about requirements? So that folks get the message, “Here’s what you need to do to be saved.” Or is it about transformation? “Here’s the path that will change your life: follow it.” Make no mistake; both messages involve imperatives. It’s just that one is a threat, and the other is an invitation!