Paradox of Grace and Truth #1

Attempts to soften the gospel by minimizing truth keep people from Jesus. Attempts to toughen the gospel by minimizing grace keep people from Jesus. It’s not enough for us to offer grace or truth. We must embrace both because Christ is both. Some churches are seeker friendly. They never offend anyone. They make their churches as comfortable as possible by hiding or watering down the truth. Other churches are the opposite of “seeker friendly” and have become “seeker hostile” – grace violators, emphasizing truth while forgetting grace. Something is wrong if all unbelievers hate us. Something’s wrong if all unbelievers like us. Yes, the Gospel is offensive but that does not mean we have to be offensive, speaking without kindness. We must embrace, as Randy Alcorn says, “the paradox of grace and truth.”