Grace or Truth?

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:33-35 Matt 28:19 - Go & Make Disciple - Maghteuw: To Cause one to become a pupil of. Or To Cause one to become an apprentice. We have been called to win people.

The Way Jesus Loves Can make conservatives to be judgemental. Can make non-conservatives to be mushy/loose. Conservatives are afraid that people will get away Non-conservatives are afraid that people will feel bad about themselves, or judge There is a temptation to resolve this or even to Balance this. But when you do, you lose something. When you try to resolve, Something is missing.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 14 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)

There’s an apparent conflict there: Grace: Don’t worry about it. Truth: You better worry about it. Grace: You’re fine Truth: You’re wrong Not the balance between grace and truth But the full measure of both

16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17 Not the Balance between …. But The Full Measure of Both… Jesus is the embodiement of Grace & Truth.

Example of Jesus John 4 – Woman at the Well. Matt 9:9-13 – Matthew – The Tax Collector – Called to be a disciple. John 8:1-11 – Woman caught in adultery. Luke 23:43 – Criminal on the Cross.

Luke Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Parables of The Lost Sheep “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety- nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? Then He told - Parable of The Lost Coin

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

If you want to know What Jesus meant, Watch what Jesus did – Watch How He Loved. He called “sin,” sin. He paid for it. Then he declared, “I don’t condemn you. Now leave your life of sin!” Even If you don’t – I Love you * If you find yourself so broken from your sin or someone else’s sin against you, that you aren’t sure you can break away, I love you. That’s how WE have been called to love Full of LOVE & GRACE

Full Measure – Grace & Truth Dare not lose truth, because sin has a “gotcha.”. You don’t want it to “get ya.” Dare not lose grace, because sin has already gotcha. You need a way back to God.