4 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
John 1:14 (CSB): “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
John 1:14 is an incredible verse! It identifies the Word (logos) mentioned in John 1:1 as Jesus. Just as we speak words to make our thoughts known to others, God sent Jesus (the Word) to make Himself known (and knowable) to us.
But as incredible as that theological point is, I want us to focus on the last part of John 1:14. There, we learn that Jesus was filled to the brim with two specific things: grace and truth.
Grace is the underserved “good things” that come from God.
Truth is the undebatable “right things” as defined by God.
Jesus was not filled with just one. He was filled with both. And this is SO important to understand and strive for if we are to be a serious Jesus-follower.
There are plenty of people who claim to be Christians (and they very well may be) who get these out of balance. There are some people who focus on grace and don’t take truth as seriously. And there are some who focus on truth and don’t take grace as seriously.
But if these two are out of balance, we distort the balance that must be present in the Christian life.
Truth without Grace = Legalism
Grace without Truth = Liberalism
What is a “legalist?” Just look at the New Testament Pharisees. They focused on truth (at least external behavior) but cared nothing for others. When someone was caught in sin, they wanted to pick up stones to kill them. They focused on Truth but had no Grace.
What is “liberalism?” It’s when someone doesn’t take the truth of God’s Word seriously. They make up their own truth and often presume upon God’s grace. They celebrate God’s promises to forgive and overlook God’s principles to believe and commands to obey.
So, we dare not slip into either ditch. We need to walk down the middle of the road, being filled to the brim with both truth and grace.
What’s it look like to walk in truth and grace? Just look at Jesus! He took God’s law seriously and encouraged others to see that God was serious when He gave us His commands (what to believe and how to behave). But Jesus was also kind, and patient, and quick to forgive. He never apologized for the truth, but He also never failed to give grace to someone who desperately needed it.
Let’s strive to be like Jesus! Let’s take the truth of His Word seriously, and let’s take grace just as seriously. Let’s not err by emphasizing either attribute at the expense of the other.
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to help you grow in your understanding of biblical truth and biblical grace.
- Ask God to help you live out both of them, in balance, in your life.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into the relationship between grace and truth, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
“What is the relationship between grace and truth?”
Sharing
If this post has been helpful to you or if you think it could help others, please consider tapping one of the social media buttons below to share it on your favorite platform.
____________________
Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)
Matt’s Musings 