The Beauty, Awe, and Justice in Divine Excellence
Let’s talk about something that’s often discussed but not always understood in day-to-day life: the nature and character of God. Sometimes, religious language can be hard to follow, full of big words and complicated ideas. So, let’s break it down into simple terms and explore what it really means when people talk about God’s “excellences” or “attributes”—basically, what makes God, God.
What Does It Mean That God Is Excellent?
When people say “God is a being possessed of every excellence,” what they mean is that God embodies every good quality you can imagine—wisdom, kindness, power, fairness, patience, and so on. Everything good and praiseworthy that exists in the world is just a small reflection of what God is like in full.
Think of it this way: Imagine you have a friend who is smart, generous, and funny. Now, imagine someone who is the absolute best at every good thing—not just smart, but all-wise; not just generous, but perfectly kind; not just funny, but filled with joy. If we take away any one of these qualities, even just one, that person wouldn’t be the same. In the same way, if God lacked any excellence—say, if God wasn’t just or wasn’t loving—then God wouldn’t be God. All these qualities work together to make up the true nature of God.
Different Divine Attributes Affect Us in Different Ways
Here’s where things get interesting: Even though we’re supposed to recognize that God has all these great qualities, they don’t all make us feel the same way. Some aspects of God’s nature make us feel happy and comfortable, while others can make us feel small or even a little afraid.
For example, God’s wisdom is amazing; it’s like seeing a beautiful sunset or marveling at how everything in nature works together perfectly. God’s goodness is like receiving a thoughtful gift or feeling cared for by someone close to you. These things make us feel grateful and joyful, and they draw us closer in appreciation.
But there’s another side: God’s holiness and justice. Holiness is God’s absolute purity and goodness—it’s being completely set apart from anything bad or wrong. Justice is the idea that God always does what is right, rewarding good and punishing evil. When we start thinking about these traits, it’s natural to feel a little uneasy. Why? Because when we compare ourselves to perfect goodness and fairness, we realize how imperfect we are. Suddenly, God isn’t just a loving parent or a wise teacher, but also a ruler or judge who takes wrongdoing seriously.
Joy, Gratitude, and Awe
When we focus on God’s goodness—how God provides for us, forgives us, looks after us—it brings out feelings of joy and gratitude. It’s easy to approach God when we think about these traits, like coming to someone who loves you unconditionally. We appreciate the gifts and blessings we receive, and we feel secure.
But when we start thinking about God’s absolute purity and justice, our feelings change. Instead of warmth and comfort, we might feel nervous or even fearful. This isn’t because God is cruel, but because perfect goodness can’t tolerate evil or wrongdoing. It’s like standing in a spotless room after playing in the mud—you notice all the dirt much more. As the old saying from the Bible goes, “God is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity.” When faced with such perfection, we recognize our shortcomings.
Why Justice Is Essential
People sometimes think that God should only ever be loving and forgiving, never strict or punishing. But this would be like having a police officer who only smiles and never enforces the law, or a judge who always lets everyone go free, no matter what they’ve done. That wouldn’t be real justice, and it wouldn’t work in society.
It’s the same with God. To be a true governor of the world, God must be both loving and just. Justice is necessary for governing intelligent beings—people who have choices, responsibilities, and the ability to do right or wrong. Without justice, there would be chaos; people could do whatever they wanted without consequences, and good would be no different from evil.
So, when preachers or spiritual teachers talk about God, it’s important they mention all aspects of God’s character—not just the ones that sound comforting. If they only talk about love and ignore justice, they’re not giving the full picture. God is the creator, the one who keeps everything running, but also the ruler who makes sure what’s right is rewarded and what’s wrong is addressed.
Why Is God’s Justice So Intimidating?
For most people, justice from other humans can be tough, but God’s justice feels even more serious. Why? Because God sees everything, knows every detail, and is always perfectly fair. There are no loopholes, no mistakes, no favoritism. For someone who feels guilty, the idea of facing such perfect judgment can be terrifying—like knowing you’ll have to answer for every wrong thing you’ve ever done, and there’s no hiding.
This isn’t meant to make us despair, but to help us understand how important it is to recognize the full character of God. Holy angels—beings who haven’t done wrong—respect and admire God’s justice because it shows consistency and strength. Those who have done wrong, though, naturally fear it. But in reality, justice is what makes goodness possible. Without it, goodness would have no meaning.
Truth Over Comfort
There’s a temptation to only talk about the comforting, pleasing traits of God—love, mercy, kindness. But truth matters more than comfort. If we ignore justice, we’re not being honest about who God is, and we risk misunderstanding or misrepresenting Him. The aim of any spiritual teacher or preacher should be to tell the whole truth, not just what people want to hear.
Some may say, “If God is truly good, He should never punish anyone.” But think about it: If wrongdoing is never confronted, there’s no real difference between right and wrong. A world without justice would be unfair to those who try to do what’s right; it would reward bad behavior and discourage good. God’s justice is what keeps the world in balance.
Balancing All the Divine Qualities
To sum up, God’s character is like a perfectly balanced scale—every good quality is present, and none can be missing. Wisdom, goodness, power, holiness, and justice all work together. If we leave out any aspect, especially justice, our understanding of God becomes incomplete. We end up imagining a version of God that’s not real, just a figment of our own ideas.
It’s important to recognize all of God’s qualities, even if some make us uncomfortable. God is loving and merciful, but also holy and just. It’s this combination that makes God worthy of respect, awe, gratitude, and sometimes even a little healthy fear. Facing the reality of God’s total character helps us see ourselves more clearly, understand the world better, and seek to live in a way that honors both His goodness and His justice.
Final Thoughts: Embracing the Whole Picture
So, don’t shy away from thinking about God’s justice, even if it feels intimidating. It’s part of what keeps life meaningful and helps us strive for what’s right. At the same time, celebrate God’s goodness and wisdom, and let those traits inspire joy and gratitude. By accepting the full truth about God—not just the parts that are easy—we grow in understanding, humility, and respect. And ultimately, that’s what helps us build a relationship with the real God—not just a comfortable idea, but a being of complete and perfect excellence.
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