Grace and Truth

Grace doesn’t minimize or ignore the awful reality of our sin. Grace emphasizes the depths of sin by virtue of the unthinkable price paid to redeem us from it.

A common Old Testament word expressing truth, emeth, speaks of a dependable reality that’s solid and binding. Truth is the bedrock of human relationships (Exodus 20:16), involving an integrity of thoughts, speech, or actions.

Some churches today embrace truth but need a heavy dose of grace. Other churches talk about grace but cry out for a heavy dose of truth.

On the one hand, we want to offer complete grace and understanding when we disagree with people’s choices. On the other hand, I’m one of those who sees a wedding as entirely different than for instance, attending a birthday party for a gay person. 

I loved this post from author and pastor Ray Ortlund. It’s a great reminder that we need to examine ourselves and correct ourselves. We who are truth-oriented, or in Ray’s words, “all certainty,” when it comes to every area of theology, need to go out of our way to affirm grace and choose humility. We who are grace-oriented, or as Ray says, “all openness,” need to go out of our way to affirm God’s revealed truth and anchor ourselves to it.

My son-in-law Dan Franklin is teaching pastor at Life Bible Fellowship in Upland, California. Dan is married to my daughter Karina, and the father of three of my grandsons, but that’s not the main reason he’s one of my favorite teachers. In this video, Dan talks about the problems behind the phrase, “Speak your truth.”  

This article by Greg Morse is vitally important. Its message, which has been on my heart a long time, is this: on the one hand, it’s true that we are sinners saved by grace, meaning for now we are still sinners. On the other hand, when we talk about how normal sin is, suggesting it’s inevitable that we as Christians sin, we are really missing something vital about Christ’s empowering grace.

Suppose a professor or inspirational speaker says, “What’s important isn’t finding the truth, it’s searching for it.” Try applying the same logic to your search for a life preserver when you’re drowning!

Left to myself, I don’t think straight. I believe the lies that are currently popular. God gives me His truth as a moral compass, a reference point to guide me.