Jesus, sent by the Father, came in grace and truth. Through Him, we not only have salvation but guidance. His grace covers all our sins. Every sin that men have committed has now been washed away once we believe in the name of Jesus. When we are saved, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, meaning God now resides in us, and we have been marked with a promise.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).
To those who have been saved, this beautiful grace is understood and embraced by most believers. But what about truth? Yes, God’s grace through Jesus has covered us and paid the penalty of our sins, but why is the Truth part of “grace and truth” so important? Because Jesus is full of grace and truth!
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
As John says, Jesus is the Word of God who speaks grace and truth to us. It is only by the grace of God that we can receive the truth. God’s grace covers all of our sins, past, present, and future. A life of grace is a life of truth. Because Jesus has made us new creatures, we can now walk in truth to escape the lies and deception of this world. Grace and truth work together. It is grace that allows us to walk in truth. As we see in Titus 2, it is grace that allows truth to guide our future steps.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:11-12).
The Truth is God’s truth spoken through the very Word of God. The grace of salvation gets us to heaven. It is the truth that allows us to continue to walk in grace as we live on earth, following God’s will. When God’s children get to heaven, we will be walking in truth because we exist in truth. God’s presence in heaven is ALL-consuming. Both grace and truth work together for those who have been called according to God’s will.
Men, we need truth much like a car needs a battery. The battery is the heart of the engine; without it, the car won’t start. For the battery to work, it must be continuously charged. When we are saved, we are given a new battery. And yes, our batteries only stay charged if we charge them through the very Word of God. Jesus not only wiped away all our sins, but He doesn’t just leave us to figure out our future steps. In grace, He gives us the very Word of His Father to guide us in our future steps. This is grace and truth working together.
Unfortunately, many may be saved but not walking in truth! This is why so many believers are walking in failure. Without God’s Word abiding in us, we will bear no fruit. Even Jesus, the very Son of God, only did what His Father had Him do.
So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me (John 8:28).
Without grace and truth working together, we either live as saved individuals in failure, or we live by rules but with no heavenly destination. When we live in both grace and truth, we become lights and guides to those around us. As men of God, we must remember that our salvation through Jesus covers our path, and His truth guides our future. If we don’t spend time alone in God’s Word, then we become like dull, dead batteries. Jesus gives us a glimpse into dull batteries in Matthew 5:13: You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. In contrast, Jesus also gives us a glimpse in Matthew 5:14 of the powerful light that charged batteries can make: You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. This is a simple yet profound truth: as men of God, like Jesus, we need to regularly stay in the Word of God. Jesus stayed connected to the Father, and so must we. His grace sealed our eternal destination while His Truth secures future steps. He didn’t leave anything out! It’s a good journey that He’s prepared for us, as Red Truck Men!!
Happy New Year,
Stephen L. Thomas RTM