*** SHOW NOTES (not a transcript) ***

Lead:

In a culture marked by decreasing tolerance in both the camps of liberalism and conservatism, Jesus calls us to a higher standard. Oh, and we begin with a Monty Python quote.

Intro:

Then did he raise on high the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, saying, "Bless this, O Lord, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." ~ Monty Python, scene in Holy Grail

I’ve always wanted to use that bit, and it doesn’t really have anything to do with anything. And since Antioch is where we’re at in our Bible reading, I thought about telling you about Antioch and how it was the third largest city in the Roman empire with about a half million resident, but…

The Lord put on my heart today’s All Our Minds topic of the paradox of grace and truth — one thing to consider when it comes to thinking Biblically when it comes to liberalism and conservatism. Spoiler alert: what I have to say probably is going to poke you in the thinker whichever side of the aisle you’re on.

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Bible:

Passage: Acts 11-12
Translation: HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 55
Words: ~1282

All Our Minds:

Today I’m going to share with you an aphorism, give you a biblical perspective, and then tie it into culture.

Truth without grace leads to legalism. Grace without truth leads to lawlessness.

Consider this from Randy Alcorn’s website on a page that promotes his book, The Grace and Truth Paradox(1) which is a book about Christian living, not politics:

Jesus’ very ministry began with a poignant juxtaposition of grace and truth. He turned the water into wine in an act of grace. But immediately afterward he took a stand for truth, driving the corrupt merchants from the courtyard of the temple.
Obviously, both of these elements are important, but just what is the balance, the proper relationship, between the two?
Truth without grace leads to legalism. Truth is good advice, but people need more. They need the good news of grace. Perhaps that explains the enduring popularity of Les Miserables, for it is a story of Jean Valjean, a man transformed by grace.
Grace is not mere tolerance. It is not a lowering of the standard. It makes us more, not less, holy by raising the bar—and then gives us a boost. To avail ourselves of that grace, we must first renounce our self-righteousness.
“When you boil life down to the basics, there are two kinds of people: sinners who admit their sin and sinners who deny it.”
(ROGER: Alert! Apologetics thought immediately ahead)
Those who maintain that all religions are the same have not taken grace into account. In a conference on comparative religions British scholars debated if there was one belief totally unique to the Christian faith. When C. S. Lewis happened by, they put the question to him. "That’s easy," he replied. "It’s grace."

Grace without truth leads to antinomianism…the four dollar word meaning ‘lawlessness.’

John 1 tells us that Jesus was full of grace and truth. John 2 shows us. In successive scenes Jesus changes the water to wine and then storms through the temple, overturning the tables. This, not the modern, mythological Jesus, is the authentic version. Today we too often confuse Christlikeness with niceness.
Christians are now waffling on the reality of hell, trying to be nice. But true love tells the truth. Instead of asking why God sends people to hell, we ought to be asking why He would save any of us. The answer is grace. And grace is cheapened if there is nothing from which to be saved.
Grace and truth can, should, and must co-exist. But even in today’s political arena we are often forced to choose between the two. Liberals want grace at the expense of truth. Conservatives insist on truth but often come across as heartless. But why can’t we oppose injustice to minorities and to the unborn, or fight both New Age environmentalism and industrial irresponsibility, or condemn immorality—while reaching out to AIDS victims?
Grace is a scandalous concept. It seems too easy, too cheap. The problem is that our pride drives us to insist on doing something to merit that which we don’t deserve. All God really asks of us is gratitude and a heart willing to show grace to others as freely as we have received it.
“People thirst for the real Jesus... We show Jesus when we show them grace and truth. Anything less than both is neither.”

The bottom line

Here’s the kicker in the form of two questions:

One, is the problem “out there” or is “in here?” If our first response is that it’s out there, I pray that God will help us see our own sin and use it to produce the humility of Christ in us.

Two, how many laws ever fixed the problem of the heart?

Grace and truth found their perfect union in Christ, but the rest of us tend to gravitate toward one or the other. Truth without grace breeds self-righteousness and legalism. Grace without truth breeds deception and moral compromise. The key to true Christian spirituality is to integrate these two qualities into life, imitating the character of Christ.
Our ability to be gracious flows from recognizing how much God has done for us and how little we deserve it. Truth acts upon us, helping us to see reality according to God’s perspective. As we learn to apply the truth in a gracious manner and to be gracious within the bounds of truth, we will indeed reflect Christ to a world clamoring for authenticity.

Truth without grace leads to legalism. Grace without truth leads to lawlessness. And it’s likely that as the political season heats up, learning to love and lead like Jesus will challenge you regardless of whether you’re liberal or conservative.

Wisdom:

Passage: Psalms 99-100
Translation: HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 14
Words: ~230

Love you!

-R

ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.

Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.

Sources and resources:

Thank you for supporting this ministry should you choose to use the Amazon affiliate links below.

(1) Randy Alcorn, The Grace and Truth Paradox: Responding with Christlike Balance (New York, NY: Waterbrook Multnomah, 2003). Excerpts above are from the book’s promotional page.

#909: Acts 11-12 | Grace & truth paradox | Psalms 99-100