Scripture References: John 1:14, 17; John 8:1-11; Titus 2:11-12; Matthew 18:21-35; Romans 6:1-2, 14
Intro: Good morning. Today we explore a foundational tension for Christians and for Radiant Church: living full of grace AND full of truth, as John 1:14 describes Jesus. Often, we emphasize one at the expense of the other, falling off the horse into either harsh legalism or compromising niceness. Jesus perfectly held both. How can we live in this vital, biblical tension?
Key Points:
- The Tension Defined: Christian life involves holding seemingly paradoxical truths together (e.g., God's sovereignty/our responsibility, kingdom now/not yet). A key tension is Grace AND Truth. Jesus embodied both fully.
- The Ditches to Avoid:
- Truth without Grace: Leads to self-righteousness, judgment, legalism, crushing others. Focuses only on rules and condemnation.
- Grace without Truth: Leads to moral compromise, deception, avoiding hard conversations, minimizing sin ("cheap grace"). Lacks clarity and conviction.
- Grace Explained: Unmerited divine assistance.
- Requires Truth: Receiving grace means acknowledging the truth of our need for help and our sinfulness.
- Upholds Standards: Grace doesn't lower God's standards; Christ met the standard for us at great cost.
- Empowers, Not Excuses: Grace trains us to say "no" to sin, not enabling it (Titus 2:11-12; Rom 6:1-2).
- Truth Explained: Accord with reality. Essential for freedom (John 8:32). Jesus is the Truth. We must love, believe, speak, and walk in truth.
- Jesus Models Grace & Truth (John 8:1-11): The woman caught in adultery:
- Truth: Jesus didn't deny her sin or the Law. He exposed the accusers' hypocrisy.
- Grace: He refused to condemn her ("Neither do I condemn you").
- Transformation: He commanded, "Go now and leave your life of sin." Grace empowers change aligned with truth. He offered transformation, not just tolerance or condemnation.
- Harmony in Tension: Holding grace and truth together creates spiritual harmony, like a well-tuned instrument. It avoids the muddiness of compromised grace and the harshness of graceless truth. This beautiful tension reflects Jesus.
Conclusion: Jesus calls us to live like Him – full of both grace and truth. This means upholding God's standards and speaking truthfully while extending unmerited favor, compassion, and forgiveness. It's living in the dynamic tension that leads to true transformation and reflects Christ accurately to a watching world.
Call to Action: Examine your tendencies: Do you lean towards grace at the expense of truth, or vice-versa? Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and courage to hold both together. Practice speaking truth in love this week. Look for opportunities to extend grace without compromising truth, just like Jesus did.
*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI.
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