Hi how are you all today? I am well and have gone back to work after my holiday. I had a great time and experienced a lot. One of the things I did was listen to a Christian podcast I was sent by email. On the podcast one of the men said that Jesus operated in grace and truth. So I thought we might look at that statement a little more closely.
We all know what truth is and that is what has been stated in the Bible. If we are talking to people and speak truth only, we can get very religious. But on the other hand, if we don’t speak truth at all, our words contain no power of God. So how do we balance truth? The answer is with grace,
Grace in the Bible can mean Gods unmerited favour but I believe another definition is more relevant to use in this context. That is that grace is the love and mercy given to us by God. If God gives us love and mercy then He expects us to pass it along to others. Speaking truth to others without love and mercy attached will only turn people off. Often people want us to care before they allow us to speak.
Let’s look at a couple of examples in the Bible. They both involve Jesus and women. The first is the woman caught in adultery. The men were trying to get Jesus to apply the law (truth) with no love. But Jesus turned it around and spoke not only to her sin but to theirs. “He who is without sin, you cast the first stone”. Jesus was the only one who could cast it, but He didn’t. The men walked away one by one until only the woman was left. Jesus doled out to her both grace- neither do I condemn you and truth- go and sin no more. The woman went away empowered to change her life and not condemned.
The next woman was at a well. She was drawing water in the heat of the day to keep away from the other women in her village. But this day she met Jesus. After talking for a while, Jesus asked her to go and get her husband. The woman replied she didn’t have a husband. Jesus said I know- you have had five husbands and you are living with the sixth. Jesus told her truth but He said it in such a way that love and mercy were attached. The woman didn’t go off pouting and offended. But ran into the village to get others to come and meet Jesus.
Likewise with us, before we were saved, Jesus met us with the love and mercy of the cross (grace). We repented of our sin, He forgave us and put us on the path of discipleship (truth). This is how we must treat others – with grace and truth.
This week, check your conversations and make sure they have a balance of grace and truth. Watch then and see your words have power as they will be empowered by God. Have a great week and keep living the life God intended for you.
Bless you heaps
Karen
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