Grace & Truth

Truth without grace breeds a self-righteousness legalism that poisons the church and pushes the world away from Christ. Grace without truth breeds moral indifference and keeps people from seeing their need for Christ. [Randy Alcorn, "The Grace and Truth Paradox"]

I recently had a conversation with someone I know but don't often see from TCF. Certain issues came up, and eventually I quoted a sort of proverb that I obviously must of heard someone say before because it was too good to be mine! What I said was "Truth without grace is judgment; grace without truth is license." I believe Randy got it better than me, but the point got me thinking.

It seems to me that most Christians are either "Truth Christians" or "Grace Christians," and that we collectively lack the humility to be both. In North America we particularly have a lack of grace that leads many people being excluded from the church and us being labeled as hypocrites. Some seek to remedy this by ignoring sin, and but this as well doesn't work No one will come to Christ unless they are convicted that they are a terrible sinner.

Jesus would be the best example of grace and truth working together. For example, one popular biblical passage (John 8) discusses Jesus' response toth e religious leaders presenting him with an adulteress, who, according to Jewish law, should be stoned.

Jesus' response is intriguing. First, he draws some pictures on the ground. I have no idea why! But then he says "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." According to the biblical law, only those who were innocent of the sin being punished could participate in the stoning. In this case the sin was sexual, and you'd be hard pressed to find a man, any man, who has never lusted after a woman! So all the men disappear. Notably Jesus didn't deny the Jewish law, he just expected them to follow it all.

The only one there who could justifiably stone the woman was Jesus, but instead he shows her grace: he doesn't. But he also shows her truth: he tells her "Leave your life of sin." This simple statement is not necessarily as easy as it looks. Considering the laws of the middle east in Jesus' era, if this woman was sleeping around she probably wasn't married. Most likely she was a prostitute and made her living off of her body. She also (obviously) didn't have the best reputation. In order for her to "leave her life of sin" she would have to trust that she could make an income in another way (most women didn't work), but also she would have to fight to build a reputation as a good woman because everyone knew her as a whore.

So, her life was saved, but it would not be easy to live from now on. It is like being a Christian in every way. Jesus shows us the holes in his hands proving that our sin is forgiven and that we will go to heaven! But then he looks at us sternly and says "Leave your life of sin... take up your cross and follow me."

Have you?

That requires humility, that we be full of grace and truth, that we show the world God's unquenchable love for us, but also his wrath that is only quenchable by the blood from his son's veins. It is always a dichotomy. Fear and love, friends.

reflections

I am feeling drawn to a study of Ecclesiology (that is, the study of church structure). Mostly I want to look at the positions of Pastor, Elder and Deacon in the New Testament and compare it with how we are (and by "we" I mean my church body) structuring leadership in the church. Ideally I want to chart an effective plan for approaching the church with biblical leadership practices.

I will only be there for four more months, but I would like to make it count. I met with Pastor Norm yesterday and we discussed some of these matters. I offered myself, literally, for "slave labour" (e.g. all the jobs that no one else in the church wants to do that I will have time to do). He has some ideas, we'll see where we go.

After TCF I can't see myself in a teaching position for a while. I'm all "teached out" at the moment. I see this as a season of reflection and personal learning before I can enter into another teaching or discipling role within the body. We'll see how it goes, but the Lord may have other plans as he so often does...

Tags anyone?

Hmmm.... I am slowly realizing that I need to start work on the 3 assignments that are all due on March 30th or I'll be a sad, sad boy....

Listening to: Neutral Milk Hotel- Oh Comely AMG describes these guys as "a marching band on acid." Apt description. This song is more of a pseudo-ballad. It's long, like the American Pie of low-fi indie-rock. There singer reminds me of a less annoying combination of Violent Femmes' Gordon Gano and Jeff Suffering from Suffering and the Hideous Thieves. Highly recommended.

So I'm at Haaselton's because my Metaphysical poetry class was modified and shortened, and my facilitator job doesn't start til 6pm so I got some time. My BME belt buckle came in really fast, ordered it on Saturday and it arrived yesterday, talk about fast shipping. It's gorgeous too, 4 inches by 2 inches and excellent detail. I'm sure I will receive some comments on it (a picture of it and my toe here).

Read the first two sentences of Ephesians with Rachel yesterday... the sentences of Greek grammar tend to be long, covering at times 3-4 "verses" and entire English paragraphs. It's interesting ignoring those little superscript numbers and instead looking at the punctuation to guide my reading. That and Ephesians is the entirety of Christian doctrine summed up in 6 chapters. Very packed stuff, and since Rachel has the NKJV we got to discuss dispensationalism. We had a fruitful conversation about how to seek God, and how Christians need to be Godly in order to function as human beings.

Oh, I also plan to surprise everyone at the TCF Coffeehouse by doing something quite uncharacteristic of me...