THE GLORY OF GOD’S GRACE & TRUTH
The Most Important Study anyone can pursue is Theology (The Study of God). Proverbs 9:10 says: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (see also John 17:3). Thus everything in life becomes understandable as we gain the true knowledge of God. I will better understand myself, the meaning of Life, and My purpose in this World.
In this study we look at one of the most important aspects of God’s Glory: GRACE. Moses prayed to God: “I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.” And God graciously responded: “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy” (Exodus 33:18-19). Moses both Heard & Saw the Glory of God. “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Ex 34:6).
THE GRACE & TRUTH OF GOD
These Scriptures make it clear that Grace and Truth are two of the Key attributes of God’s Glory that we must know and experience in order to make sense of life. It is interesting that these same 2 attributes of God were two of the main attributes of Jesus that the Apostle John emphasized in His Gospel:
“The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14; Lk. 2:40).
What is GRACE? God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
Grace is the Glorious Goodness of God that causes Him to bestow countless blessings on the undeserving. Because Jesus Christ is God we experience God’s grace in Him. Christ’s death on the Cross has removed all barriers that would keep us from experiencing God’s Grace (Eph. 1:5-7).
Grace is not a substance as Catholicism teaches. Grace is not some sort of impersonal force, like electricity, that you can receive by “plugging into” the sacraments like a battery.
GRACE is the personal activity of God operating in love toward us.
What is TRUTH?
For this study we will define truth simply as the facts of all reality as revealed in God’s Word and in Jesus Christ. For God’s Word is Truth (John 17:17; Eph. 1:13; Ps. 12:6KJV; 2 Tim. 2:25-26) & Jesus is The Truth (John 14:6; 1:17; I John 5:20; Rev. 19:11).
The Importance of Balancing the Glory of Grace & Truth
Grace without truth breeds moral indifference. It will Keep people from seeing their need for Christ. (This is being radically liberal).
Truth without grace breeds self-righteous legalism. It pushes people away from Christ. (This is being radically conservative).
If you overemphasize God’s Grace and neglect God’s Truth people will wrongly think: “God will forgive me no matter what.” Attempts to “soften” the gospel by minimizing truth actually keep people from truly coming to Jesus.
If you overemphasize God’s Truth and neglect God’s Grace people will wrongly think: “There is no way I can live up to God’s standard.” Attempts to “toughen” the gospel by minimizing grace also keep people from coming to Jesus.
Illustration: “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” by C.S. Lewis:
In the story the balance of Grace and Truth is captured in a scene where the children see a bright white lamb, speaking in a sweet soft voice. Suddenly his snowy white lamb flushed into tawny gold as He transformed into Aslan himself. The Lamb of Grace is also the Lion of Truth!
Keeping a healthy Holy Spirit led, Balance of both Grace & Truth will be one of the constant struggles of the Christian life. Some churches downplay the seriousness of sin. They replace truth with tolerance. They lower God’s standard so everyone can feel good about themselves.
Some churches downplay the Biblical realities of Grace. They make God’s moral standard so high no one believes they can live up to it
The failure to Balance Grace & Truth leads to a Denial of the seriousness of Sin & Reality of Hell. When grace and truth are out of balance Hell seems out of proportion to the sins we have committed. We will fail to grasp the seriousness of sin because we will fail to understand the greatness of the good God we have sinned against.
Grace without truth deceives people & ceases to be grace.
Grace without truth degenerates into deceitful tolerance. Truth without grace crushes people & ceases to be the truth. Truth without grace degenerates into judgmental legalism.
We are only able to keep the fine life-changing Balance of Grace and Truth by fixing our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:2). When we try to live by Grace & Truth – some will think we are to radical; some will think you are not radical enough!
GRACE & TRUTH ARE PERFECTLY BALANCED IN JESUS’ MINISTRY
Jesus’ 1st miracle was at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11). This was a great revelation of God’s Grace. In Contrast, the next thing Jesus did was cleanse the Temple of those using God’s house as a means to make money off God’s people (John 2:12-22).
This balance of Grace and truth was evident in the early history of America. Over 90 of the first 100 colleges in America were founded by Christians to train ministers and teach God’s Truth. Most American Hospitals were built with the vision & funding of Christians.
Today grace is lost in a culture of permissiveness & indifference and God’s Truth is lost in a culture of Relativism
that believes there is no Absolute Truth
Without truth we lack conviction to speak. We won’t take a stand for God’s Standard of Righteousness. Without Grace we lack the compassion to help people.
Our Culture views truth as something inside us. I decide what is true (this was prophesied in 2 Timothy 4:3). The Word of the Almighty, Omniscient, Creator God is the source of Absolute Truth (John 17:17). Jesus is the truth (John 14:6)
We can believe God’s Truth or not but we cannot Change the reality of God’s eternal truth
Illustration: Eric Liddell: Grace & Truth in Balance
Liddell manifested God’s TRUTH in 1924 Paris Olympics
When he would not run the 100 meter on the Sabbath for His own personal glory. They move him to run the 400 meter on a different day and he set a world record!
Liddell manifested the GRACE of God in a Japanese internment camp in the 1940’s in China. Then he was willing to serve the Children of the Camp on the Sabbath by refereeing their sports games. He did not fall a victim of legalism when he saw a legitimate need he could help meet on the Sabbath.
GRACE & TRUTH IN THE SALVATION OF SINNERS:
Truth Required a Perfect Sacrifice to pay the Penalty of the Law we earned by sinning against God.
God’s Grace supplied the perfect sacrifice in the Perfect Person of Jesus Christ – “The Lamb of God”
The more I realize the greatness of my sin the more I will glory in the greatness of God’s Grace (I Tim. 1:14-15). God Doesn’t offer Grace to Good People any more than a Doctor will operate on a healthy person! (Lk. 5:31-32). John Newton shortly before he died at 82 said: “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember 2 things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.” He wrote the Hymn “Amazing Grace.”
Illustration: “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo is a brilliant story about the power of Grace to transform lives. If you never read the book, or the play, or the movie – do it as soon as you can. What a blessing it will be!
The Wonder of Life Transforming Grace
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness & worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, & godly, in this present world (Titus 2:11-12). True Grace Never lowers the standards of holiness but raises it. Grace does not give us excuses to sin but empowers us “not” to sin!
TRUTH hates sin & GRACE loves sinners. When we are full of Grace & truth we do both!
THERE ARE ONLY 2 RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD
Basically, every Religion teaches you how to work your way to God: How to “earn” your salvation with good works. Hopefully, your good works will outweigh your bad works. No religion that teaches salvation by “works” can guarantee your salvation! A Typical Example is Egyptian Religion. They believed your heart would be weighed against a feather on judgment day. If your heart weighed more than the feather it was eaten by the god of damnation. Impossible Hopelessness!
Then there is Christianity. The only religion that Teaches salvation is by “GRACE ALONE” apart from any works (Eph. 2:8-9).
No System of Justice Compares your Good works with your Crime (sin). Justice is blind. It just wants to know if you are guilty of breaking the Law (sin). God’s TRUTH reveals that every one of us is Guilty of Falling Short of the Glory of God. There is none good, no not “1.” (Rom. 3:9, 23; Eccl. 7:20; Gal. 3:22). I am a hopeless sinner. I need a Saviour. Hallelujah! Jesus died to save me from my sins!
Truth posts warning signs & guardrails at the top of a dangerous cliff. But people suffer & die by ignoring the warnings. Grace responds with ambulances & doctors at the bottom of the cliff. Truth Warns, Grace Saves. We must keep a healthy, Biblical, Holy Spirit led, Balance of both Grace & Truth.
We need the directions of TRUTH to know where we are going and how to get there. We need the empowerment of GRACE to help us get there safely. By God’s Grace we can make it to Heaven If we will believe His Word, repent of our sin & trust Jesus alone for Salvation.