Wednesday, November 30, 2011

"Grace and Truth"


"The Gospel... is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth" (Colossians 1:5; 6).

We can never rightly consider God's grace apart from His truth. "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Our Lord's freely given gift of salvation and subsequent relationship with Him must be experienced always in the context of rightly believing His Word. It is not just any God, or any grace we receive by faith, but rather the God of the Bible, and the grace of reality. "He that believeth on Me as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38; emphasis added).

A proper emphasis on grace must always be accompanied by a no less important emphasis on truth. This presses us to know God's Word as the entrance into assimilating the "unsearcable riches" freely given to us in Christ (Ephesians 3:8). The Bible can be likened to a key that opens the treasurechest whereby we relate to God in a manner that makes realized grace an ongoing experience of wonder. Seeking God's favor apart from His truth keeps the treasurechest locked at best, or at worst we end up with a distorted and deceived view of a grace that does not exist.

James wrote, "Ye have not because ye ask not." He also added, "Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss" (James 4:2-3). Seeking God's truth in Scripture helps us to avoid the neglect of "ye ask not" because "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Thereby are we enabled to avail ourselves of "those things freely given to us of God" (Romans 10:17; I Corinthians 2:12). The Bible also enables us to ask aright rather than amiss, keeping us from a false worship and spiritual practice. The Psalmist closes our consideration, calling us to seek grace always in accordance with truth...

"The Lord is nigh unto them that call upon Him, that call upon Him in truth."
(Psalm 145:18)

No comments: