I believe this is a huge distinction that needs to be made. I believe it was in reading one of Francis Chan's books that I came across the statement along the lines of this, Many Christians have been told that God created us because He was lonely. But how can the creator of the universe, who is totally sufficient in his own glory, be lonely? Or as I remember Matt Chandler putting it, "So His solution was to create a bunch of glory thieving rats to satisfy His loneliness?" God does not want to be lenient. In fact, the price that it cost Him shows this. No, but the debt has been paid. His justice has been satisfied.
This is important because it creates a perspective on who God is. In one case, he is a friend, buddy, pal, who has a weakness for human companionship. The word co-dependent comes to mind. So much for His holiness, majesty, etc., He is really just one of us. A god, but not the God of the universe. In the other case, He retains everything the Bible says about Him. His is holy, just, God above all, and yet can still be loving and merciful.
If God wants to be lenient with us, then He is the parent who spoils their child, you know, the one who grows up to be a total brat. But if He forgives because His justice has been satisfied, that is a completely different take. That is more like the parent who says, "This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you." That is the parent who suffers with the child, not for the child.
So what kind of a God do we serve? One who is just like us, or one who is the almighty creator and ruler of the universe?
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