The Weight of Grace and Truth
We need to learn from Jesus, the Master of grace and truth
Some years back, I worked in an organization that required a high moral standing of its employees. It was a Christian organization and every employee was a born-again Christian.
During my tenure there, I observed that certain behaviors seemed to be tolerated and there were no visible consequences for the staff. Whilst junior staff were held to a high standard of truth, the management was not held to those standards and had abused the grace given to them. This bothered me so much that I had to ask my friend for his opinion. He attributed it to the organization culture. He was right.
We were operating in a culture in which too much grace was given at the expense of truth. A culture that turned a blind eye to the moral integrity of its leaders.
This culture contrasted with another Christian organization where top management kept a keen eye on the lives of their staff and walked with them when they faltered. The second organization was more proactive in balancing grace and truth. Both were given in equal measure, to the staff, and to the community that the organization served.
That comparison helped me understand why the Body of Christ is ineffective in certain communities or parts of the world. It is because we often do not get this balance of grace and truth correct. Or we believe that each is mutually exclusive. Often, our human nature causes us to fall onto one side of the scale.
1) A lot of truth, a little grace
Speaking the truth requires courage and is commendable. But when we believe in all truth and have no room for grace, we unintentionally hurt others. When this happens, we become Christians who speak God’s Word with conviction but show no grace to our brothers and sisters who are growing in the faith.
We are quick to draw hard-line stances on what one is supposed to be and are quick to condemn people for mistakes and their ignorance. We strike the gavel and proclaim “Guilty!!” for minor offenses and are very slow to forgive.
When we fall to this side of the scale, we show no grace in upholding God’s truth.
2) A lot of grace, very little truth
Grace is beautiful because we have all been apportioned some grace by Jesus Christ. However, we can become ineffective Christians when we exercise too much grace at the expense of truth. More often than not, we fall onto this side of the scale when we are very pleasant, accommodating, not demanding, and when we cut others a lot of slack.
Often, we become tolerant, are complicit in a lot of things, and fail to draw a defined boundary of right and wrong. Our inability to vocalize strong convictions that align with God’s Word makes us appear cowardly and undecided. We also appear comfortable with the status quo when we don’t speak the truth that exposes darkness around us.
Jesus, the Master of grace and truth
The Word became flesh and made 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. (John 1:14, NIV)
Jesus used both grace and truth in His ministry on earth. Scripture is laden with examples.
We find both grace and truth applied in Mark 8. It begins with Jesus feeding a crowd of 4,000 who had stayed with him for 3 days with nothing to eat (verse 3). He did this out of compassion. In the same chapter, Jesus exposes the truth to the Pharisees who had come to ask for a sign from heaven. He responds by saying that no sign would be given to that generation and leaves them there.
Other pointers of this grace are in the:
- Beatitudes (Matthew 5)
- Healing ministry of Jesus (Matthew 8:3-7,13, 14–17, 28–33; 9: 1–7, 18–33);
- Miracles (Matthew 8:23–27)
- Teachings and encouragement such as rest for the burdened (Matthew 11:28–30)
- Comforting Lazarus’ sisters (John 11:33) and His disciples (John 14)
- Serving ministry where He washed the feet of the disciples (John 13)
Jesus taught and rebuked with a lot of truth. Much of that rebuke was towards Pharisees who studied the Word but still mocked and accused Him of blasphemy for claiming that He was the Son of God. Jesus spoke the truth to those who:
- Caused children who believed in Him to sin (Mark 9:42)
- Did not receive the gospel (Mark 9:15; John 6:26,35–40)
- Questioned His authority (Mark 11:27–33)
- Wanted to stone Him (John 10:31)
- Arrested Him (Mark 14:48)
- Sought wisdom from Him (John 8:12; 10)
Learning from the Teacher
In exacting truth or grace, we must always remember that as Christ’s ambassadors, we have been called to the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18).
It can be difficult finding that balance between grace and truth using our own effort. Only Jesus, our Teacher, can train us into disciples who uphold both in equal measure.
Where we have been too lenient with grace and mean with the truth, we need to:
- Commit to speaking the truth at all times (2 Corinthians 6:7). Our call is to expose fruitless deeds in the world using the light of Christ (Ephesians 4:11,13).
- Be vocal about our convictions and ensure that they align with Scripture.
- Begin speaking out against injustices and wrongdoing in the body of Christ. Like Apostle Paul, we should speak out when our brothers and sisters engage in sinful nature (Galatians 5:13, 19).
- Remind ourselves not to receive God’s grace in vain (2 Corinthians 6:1)
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. (Ephesians 4:25, NIV)
Where we have been too strict with the truth and mean with grace, we need to:
- Exercise tolerance and patience, especially among the weak and timid in the body of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
- Be quick to forgive. We are called to bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:1-3).
- Exercise gentleness and love when restoring our brothers and sisters who have been caught in sin and to carry their burdens in fulfillment of Scripture (Galatians 6:1).
- Control ourselves so that we do not come up with man-made rules that put a stumbling block in others’ paths (2 Corinthians 6:3). We need to exercise caution lest our “minds puff up” and lead us to sin (Colossians 2:18).
- Be wise when teaching and admonishing others (Col 3:16) and exercise the grace that we have received from Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:7).
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15, NIV)
In conclusion, truth and grace are not mutually exclusive. The beauty of it all is that we are blessed with a Teacher who can help us know how to live in truth and grace in equal measure.
We may fail when our personalities and upbringing come in the way of our ability to show grace or speak in truth, but growth is a process. With consistent submission to His teaching, we “will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). We will become a community of Christians who not only speak the truth and shine light into the darkness but also exercise the same grace that was apportioned to us by Christ.
