The God of Both

Reconciling Mercy and Justice, Relationship and Obedience

When Mercy Meets Justice...When Relationship Meets Mission

With careful study, historical and cultural insight, and striking personal vulnerability, John Iiames invites us to consider the God of power and presence, mission and relationship, judgment and mercy, obedience and intimate partnership. He asks us to examine the lens through which we see God while sharing the ways his own understanding required rebalancing.

Perhaps you have tried to serve God faithfully while wondering whether he actually enjoys being with you. Perhaps you have known the security of rules but struggled with emotional intimacy. Perhaps you have emphasized mercy because authority has been used painfully against you. Perhaps you have been told that questioning God reveals weak faith, or that lament should quickly give way to praise.

John Iiames shows us another way: becoming acquainted with the God of both. One whose majesty does not diminish his tenderness, whose mercy does not compromise his justice, whose authority does not threaten relationship, and whose grace does not excuse us from faithful obedience. 

—From the foreword by Jeanie Shaw