The Truth about Grace (and Mercy)

Grace and truth are two integral pieces of the gospel.

Grace: "For it by Grace that you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

Truth: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

We often do not notice the epidemic of the separation of grace and truth in our culture: they are co-dependent! It is a common message among youngins that you aught to give yourself grace: "You did the best that you could. That is good enough." To be honest, this makes no sense for several reasons.

Here's a list:

1. This is not Grace, but Mercy

Grace - The act of giving a free gift to someone who does not deserve it. Example: Giving an ice cream cone to someone who does not have money to buy one themselves.

Mercy - The withholding of the punishment that someone deserves. Example: Someone rear ends your car, but you pay for the damages yourself, and tell them to go on their way.

2. Grace can only come from Truth

So, you want to give somebody grace and bless them even though they do not deserve it? You can only use the concept of Grace with support of Truth. Without the Truth that someone is undeserving, a kind act does not classify as Grace. Grace and Mercy do not exist unless we agree on an absolute set Truths and morality.

3. That is NOT good enough.

God has standards which are based on Truth. We do not meet them. Our failures are not "good enough." Luckily, God provides Mercy which does not make our failures acceptable, but He does fill the gap.

What happens if Grace and Truth are not balanced?

Well, bad things. If we only speak truth, everyone is damned to hell (I mean this in its literal sense, not as a figure of speech). But if we go around showing mercy (without the truth spoken first) no one will understand the gravity of their sins or be pushed towards righteousness and God's Mercy.

I (like most of the younger generation) lean on the side of Grace and Mercy farther than I should. I often forgive someone, "suck it up" and get over it. As a result, my feelings, hurt, and disapproval of the action or situation are not communicated and often the scenario will repeat itself. All of this in the name of avoiding hurting someones feelings. The truth will fix this!

Volkswagens, Truth, and Grace

Truth - My bug damaged, broken, and unfit for the road.

Grace - I will clothe her in new parts that are shiny and clean to make her whole. She will be restored to the image in which she was created. God does the same for us.

Be bold. The truth is the truth! It must be spoken in grace with love, but, we must be direct with the truth. This is a task that I need to work on in my marriage, relationships with various leaders, coworkers, and friends.

Grace and Truth are closely tied, therefore, must not be separated: they were brought to use through Christ. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)