People—those who are far more ignorant of the Scriptures than they care to admit—love to claim that the Bible presents two contradictory images of God. They point to the loving Jesus who embraced sinners and then to the wrathful God who commanded Israel to wipe out entire nations in Canaan.

“How can these possibly be the same God?” they shriek, as though they’ve uncovered a theological inconsistency that has somehow eluded two thousand years of church history. But the issue isn’t with the God revealed in Scripture. The problem lies in the faulty, sentimental worldview they’re using to judge Him.

They—whether professing Christians trying to sanitize the Bible for modern sensibilities or unbelievers intent on dismissing it altogether—base their conclusions on a worldview that is profoundly deficient at its core. It assumes that human beings are fundamentally good, and inherently deserving of kindness, affirmation, and endless second chances.

This is the same worldview that produces the belief that God’s role is simply to ensure everyone’s happiness and self-fulfillment. In this line of thinking, God exists to affirm whatever choices people make, to pat them on the back and tell them how special they are. But the God of the Bible doesn’t conform to such naive fantasies.

The Bible couldn’t be clearer about the true condition of humanity. From the very moment of conception, we are stained by sin (Psalm 51:5). We are wicked, rebellious, and spiritually dead (Romans 3:10-18). The heart, far from being a reliable compass as modern culture would have us believe, is described as “deceitful above all things and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Despite what some modern-day church leaders teach, sin is not a series of unfortunate mistakes—it is the defining characteristic of fallen humanity. And the result? We are separated from God (Isaiah 59:2), and apart from Christ, we are “dead in trespasses and sins” and “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1-3). This isn’t the feel-good message people want to hear, but it is the truth.

So when someone with this syrupy, human-centered worldview picks up the Bible, it’s no surprise they find themselves offended. They aren’t looking for God as He has revealed Himself—they’re looking for a god who aligns with their assumptions.

They come to Scripture expecting a god who conforms to their preferences, who exists to make them feel good about themselves. And when they encounter the God who is holy, righteous, and just—who doesn’t hesitate to judge sin—they recoil. They cry “contradiction” not because the Bible contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them.

This is why it’s vital to approach Scripture on its own terms. The Bible presents a unified view of God, but it does so within its own worldview, not ours. Psalm 34:15-16 states:

“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
    and His ears toward their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.”

At first glance, someone with a humanistic lens might see two opposing portrayals of God. On one hand, He’s kind and attentive. On the other, He’s harsh and vengeful. But the supposed contradiction vanishes when you consider to whom God is kind and to whom He is unkind.

The “righteous”—those who belong to Him—experience His favor and love. The “evildoers”—those who reject Him—are the recipients of His righteous judgment. This is not a case of God being inconsistent. It is a case of God responding justly to two entirely different types of people.

And this is the fundamental error of the humanistic interpretation of Scripture. These people assume that God’s actions should be the same toward everyone, as though He is obligated to treat the righteous and the wicked alike. But Scripture reveals a God who is perfectly consistent in His nature and actions.

God’s love is not blind tolerance nor is His justice arbitrary and cruel. Rather, His character is displayed in how He deals with both the righteous and the wicked. As Hebrews 13:8 declares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” His actions may differ, but His nature never changes.

The key question, then, is not whether God is loving or wrathful. The question is: Which type of person are you? Are you among the righteous, or are you among the wicked? The answer to this question determines how God will deal with you. And here’s the sobering reality, no one is righteous on their own. Romans 3:23 declares that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Left to ourselves, we are all objects of God’s wrath. But this is where the gospel provides hope.

Romans 3:21-26 says:

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

This passage reveals that our standing before God can be changed. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can move from being children of wrath to being recipients of His love and grace. God’s justice and mercy meet perfectly in the cross of Christ, where He deals with sin fully and offers redemption freely. For those who receive Christ, there is no contradiction in God’s character—only a perfect harmony of justice and love.

So to those who find themselves troubled by the “wrathful” God of the Bible, the answer isn’t to twist Scripture to fit their sentimental ideals. The answer is repentance. Fear the wrath of God, as the unbeliever should, but let that fear drive you to the cross.

For those who receive Him as He reveals Himself in Scripture, there is no contradiction—only the consistent, perfect character of a God who is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus.

This article was adapted and updated from an older article.