Too often, I’ve heard professing Christians say, “I just lean more grace than truth.” This statement is used to simultaneously claim Christ while committing the sins that crucified him. Such statements ignore the nature of grace, which does not leave us to stew in sin but saves us from sin. Grace is not separate from or opposed to truth; grace is the mechanism by which we are conformed to the truth. By the costly grace of Christ, we are liberated to perceive, obey, and become remade according to the truth.
Put simply: grace does not turn a blind eye to sin but causes us to turn from sin.
I’ve been reading and dwelling in 1 John and would love for you to join me. The first two chapters, which I studied today, make it unavoidably clear: the love and grace of God are not permissive but restorative. Grace convicts us. Grace challenges us. Grace calls us to higher, better, more lasting pursuits and desires.
Grace is not permissive but restorative.
To be fair, there is an entire camp that is happy to “lean more truth than grace.” This is equally troubling and deserves its own post. For now, though, we must refuse to shrug and say, “I lean more grace than truth.” This line of thinking often leads to a rejection of both. Instead, we need to return to the heart of grace: restoration in, by, and to the truth of Jesus Christ and his Word.
A Bookish Charm 