Grace and Truth

came through Jesus Christ....John 1:17

This amazing verse, spoke to me this weekend through the "guest" pastor at church. I say "guest" like that because Jordan was one of the founding pastors of our church and we used to have the privilege of hearing him speak on a regular basis. Since he and his family moved away two years ago to plant another church in New York, we have not heard him as often.

He made the comment that he had not become a better preacher in his time away, only a longer one. He was obviously making a joke, but I have to say, I don't know if he is better or not - he was always a wonderful speaker, but I could have listened to him all day long! He is obviously letting the Holy Spirit speak through him when he brings a message, and what this black and white gal likes the best is that he is not afraid to say the things that hit you right between the eyes! His focus is on Truth -- the undefiled, pure Truth of who Jesus Christ is and what He longs to do in and through your life -- and mine.

We walked out of that service, thoroughly chastised and my husband said, "Now I remember that feeling of conviction that I felt so regularly when Jordan lived here." Friends, it is ok to feel that feeling. It means that God is stretching, pruning, and changing you into a bold warrior - one who is not afraid to proclaim Truth in a world that is so terribly out of kilter.

However, even though I am a black and white kind of person and grace is not my specialty, thanks be to God that He is perfect in all His ways and He can dispense grace and Truth with equal measure. Otherwise, we would all be doomed.

John 1:17 says, "The law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
Our pastor pointed out that because the Law could not save us, Jesus came, bringing us the two things we needed the most - and those two things haven't changed - they are still the things our lost and dying world need the most.

First, we need grace - God's unmerited favor on our behalf. Favor that we did not earn and do not deserve. Grace. Without it we are lost, forever separated from the God who made us and loves us. Forever doomed to a real place that the Bible calls Hell.

Next, we need Truth. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6 Truth is a distorted word in our society and it was in Jesus' time as well. Just today I was reading in the book of John and in Chapter 19, Pilate asks the question to Jesus, "What is truth?" Do you get the irony of that? He asks this question to Truth in the flesh. Today, Truth beckons you as well. Truth does not change; it is as solid as the Maker of all things- unchanging, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Truth is absolute and it is real.

We need this foundation of truth in our lives. Your children need a foundation of truth. Nothing else in our world is absolute, nothing else is unchanging. As our economy falters to the breaking point, as people lose their livelihoods at alarming rates, as stocks crash and burn and businesses fall, as fathers walk away from their responsibilities and young people turn to drugs, sex, and alcohol to dull the pain -- Truth is the ONLY thing we can count on. It is the answer to every question. Jesus -- the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Will you respond to His call today?