A local house church of Shandong posted in its WeChat account that one of its core values lies in "grace first, then truth" rather than truth preceding grace, claiming that the two produce totally different results. The former value builds up lives while the latter one destroy lives.
The article proposes that it is necessary to have both grace and truth because Jesus is "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Grace -- his death for sinners, and truth, which refers to what he teaches, are indivisible. Grace without truth will be indulgence, while on the contrary, truth without grace remains as rules.
Meanwhile, it says that the name of God has the attributes of both grace and truth: "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." (Exodus 34:6)
Why should grace go first then truth? The post explains the reason from three aspects:
When grace conflicts with truth, Jesus chose to show grace then teach truth. Faced with the teachers of law and the Pharisees, who wanted to trap Jesus with how to deal with a woman caught in adultery, "he gave her grace at the expense of the risk and trouble to save her." He showed grace to her first, free from condemning her; and later, he taught her the truth, commanding her to leave her life of sin.
There is another example that proves this action. Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai for forty days while the Israelites made a golden calf to worship. Knowing this, his anger burned; but God, "who is gracious, told Moses to chisel out two stones tablets like the first one and commanded the people to obey the Commandments again." Therefore, God gives grace first then truth.
In addition, God said, "Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you." (Exodus 25:21) The design of putting the cover over the ark represents that grace is above truth.
Translated by Karen Luo
