This post is written by Katie Orr and is published as a companion to Unit 15, Session 2 of The Gospel Project for Adults Vol. 5 (Fall 2022): From Rebellion to Exile.
Back in the day, the Build-a-Bear Workshop was all the rage. In case you missed the memo, this toy store achieved exactly what its name sounds like—providing children an opportunity to build their own stuffed bear or other type of stuffed animal. Each child got to choose the doll they wanted to build from among dozens of colors and types of animals. Having the “shell” of the character selected, the child had the option to add sounds and scents, chose a name and a heart, then step on the pedal that controlled how stuffed they wanted their new buddy. Lined with a choice of outfits and additional accessories, the workshop walls provided the child with even more choices to complete their furry friend’s identity. At the end of the journey, the child may have created a cotton-candy perfumed, happy birthday singing, firefighting frog or a giggling, strawberry scented, ballerina bear.
We Can’t Pick and Choose
It is tempting to give in to a pick-and-choose approach when it comes to our view of God. We might wholeheartedly affirm the characteristics we are comfortable with—the “nice” characteristics of God we see in the Bible. But when it comes to less desirable ones, if we’re honest, sometimes we’d prefer to keep them hidden in the often skipped over obscure Old Testament passages. We fill Instagram with pretty Bible verses proclaiming God’s love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and good plan for our lives, not His jealousy, wrath, or judgment. We tend to focus on what we deem as the positive parts of God—and keep the supposed negative characteristics of who He is in the shadows.
Part of this phenomenon is a reaction to the ubiquitous “hell, fire, and brimstone” sermons that dominated the pulpits of yesteryear. While the tactic of scaring people into heaven has been rightly and mostly left behind, perhaps the pendulum has swung too far. Perhaps our mind’s-eye is looking at a portrait of God where essential parts of Him have been airbrushed away.
God is Both Gracious and Just
God’s salvation of His people and God’s destruction of His enemies are two sides of the same coin. The graciousness of God that leads to the forgiveness of sins and the holiness of God that leads to the punishment of sins are two sides of the same coin. The sovereign power that guards and protects and the righteous rule that judges and condemns are two sides of the same coin.
We cannot have one side of the coin without the other. Nor are they different and sparring sides of who God is, as if He were Dr. Jekyll one moment and Mr. Hyde another. God is not at odds with Himself. Every action God takes is in harmony with every facet of who He is.
If we claim to be a Bible-believing people, we must be careful not to pick and choose the parts of God we want to keep and those we want to leave behind. God is not a Build-a-Bear God. He is the Creator; we are the creations. Worshiping God rightly requires we embrace all of who God is and adore Him for every one of His attributes.
So, let’s not be afraid of those obscure and hard-to-swallow passages in the Bible. God inspired all of Scripture, and all of it is profitable for our journey toward becoming more like Christ—not just the places we readily understand and easily agree with. As we embrace every word of the Bible, we will see God more clearly, empowering us to know and worship Him for who He truly is.
Katie Orr is the author of Secrets of the Happy Soul: Experience the Deep Delight You Were Made For, seven FOCUSed15 Bible studies, and is the creator of the Bible Study Hub community where you can receive training, encouragement, and accountability to enjoy God’s Word. Katie, her husband, and their three children live in central Florida. Learn more about and connect with Katie at katieorr.me.