God is BOTH a God of GRACE. He is merciful, loving, and full of compassion. AT THE SAME TIME, He is a God of JUSTICE...He judges the evil, He vindicates and punishes the wicked. The Biblical view of God is that He is ALL of those things. The tendency is to emphasize one to neglect the other. Or to relegate one of them to the "end of history" at some time far in the future. God is the God who acts IN HISTORY. He does hear the cries of His people. He delivers. He overcomes evil. And at this time in history, it is critical that we embrace the FULLNESS of who God is.