“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14
I am sure that all of us have met people who are straight-shooters. They tend to say it like it is, with virtually no room for misunderstanding. Now, generally, they are not gracious people, because they concern themselves only with the truth! On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who are very sweet and gracious, but, deep down, you wonder if their grace is an act to cover up what they are really thinking. You can’t help but wonder if there is any truth in what they are saying.
Often grace and truth seem opposed to one another, and yet Scripture identifies Jesus Christ as being full of grace and truth. Jesus did not compromise the grace of God, but nor did he compromise the truth. Our great Saviour who split history into BC and AD by His incarnation, revealed in a clearer, fuller, richer way – the majestic glory of our heavenly Father. It was at the cross that the full wrath of God against sin was revealed. It was at the cross that the perfect justice of God poured out the exact punishment that the totality of sin against His infinite holiness deserved. The truth of God was not compromised at the cross! And yet, it was also at the cross, that grace and love like mighty rivers poured incessant from above! Truth and grace found their ultimate fulfillment in the centrepiece of human history – the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
May God enable us increasingly to stand uncompromisingly for the truth of God’s Word, in a generation that is determined to sacrifice truth on the altar of expediency. But may the rich grace of God that saved us, also rule and reign in our hearts and minds, to the end that a watching world may see Jesus Christ in us, and may come to Him for salvation and for life! May God continue to use Newcastle Fellowship Baptist Church for His eternal glory!