"Grace AND Truth", not Grace VERSUS Truth
Posted: Friday, September 12, 2008
by Jack Hager
http://midlandjack.blogspot.com
It usually doesn't take long to find out what offends an individual Christian, or an individual church, or an individual ministry/organization. Picket, boycotts, letter-writing campaigns and rather ferocious oral comments clearly define lists of offending activities and/or people.
Believers seem transparent regarding what offends us. And those outside the faith seem well aware of what believers in Christ are against. Shouldn't they rather know what Christians are for?
Scripture defines Jesus Christ as a "Rock of Offense" (Romans). As His representatives indwelt by His Spirit would it not be logical that our very lives should be offensive to some? That offense does not come because we are trying to "legislate morality" or are "imposing our narrow-minded bigotry on others."
The offense of Christ, the offense of the Gospel, is that it describes us as hell bound, Satan-slaved sinners. But the age of tolerance, "huggy wuggy feel goodism," and "gee, I wouldn't want anyone to feel badly-ism" has invaded the Body of Christ. Churches take the ancient symbol of the faith out of the church and off the pulpit, for fear the cross will offend! Helloit will, and it should! In essence the cross is not only a tremendous illustration of God's love, but it is more a sobering depiction of God's hatred of sin, and the horrific result of sin.
"Ah," says the "seeker-sensitive" extremist, "There you go using that offensive word sin'. Let's instead not alienate our audience and call it character defects,' or difficulties' but not sin."' Excuse me; you call it whatever you want to call it and have a therapy session, I'll find a preacher who calls a spade a spade.
John reminds us that "The Word became flesh and make His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Grace and truth. That's Jesus! That's what we ought to be full of! Maintaining balance between the two is crucial, for as Randy Alcorn points out, "Truth without grace has no power to change, it only has power to punish. Truth without grace degenerates into legalism, a means of self-righteousness fueled by judgments against others. Grace without truth degenerates into undiscerning tolerance, low standards, and moral apathy."
May God help us to balance these two key ingredients, and if offense comes, let it come. Just bear in mind that grace without truth deceives; truth without grace destroys.
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