The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 (NIV)

 

Following Jesus is more than a Sunday thing. It has to do with a whole way of life and worldview. It is about building a mindset anchored in Jesus. The challenge is not to be one-sided in how we understand the gospel. Some are so focused on the truth that they overlook grace, but others accentuate grace while ignoring truth.

Both truth and grace are necessary. Though both are distinct, yet they are not mutually exclusive. One without the other leads to faithlessness and superficiality. Truth is like pointing out someone’s filthy feet, and grace is washing them clean. People often go into two extremes when they focus on one without the other. They either believe in a “gospel of grace without truth" or a “gospel of truth without grace".

Grace without truth pampers. Truth without grace hammers. Grace without truth is love without correction. Truth without grace is correction without love. Grace without truth is mercy without justice. Truth without grace is justice without mercy. Grace without truth is soft and spoils people. Truth without grace is harsh and crushes people. Grace without truth is freedom without accountability. Truth without grace is accountability without freedom. Either extreme neither represent Christ or the gospel.

Jesus is the perfect personification and embodiment of grace and truth. And He dwells in us. As such, Jesus is more than a good example of what it means to live in grace and truth. He is the very source who provides all we need to live a strong and healthy Christian life.