As an evangelical Christian in 21st century America, the constant challenge I find myself in is learning to balance grace and truth. As followers of Christ, we know that both of these are equally essential and mutually reinforcing. The Gospel of John says that Jesus came as “the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
In a practical sense, this means we must never shy away from holding on to our Christian convictions, namely those derived from the Bible. But on the other hand, we are to always be sharing this truth with openness, love, and empathy. If I was to guess, I’d say that Christians have historically known what it means to proclaim the truth about God, what He expects of us, and what He has done to rescue us. However, grace is a concept that has often befuddled people, both religious and irreligious.
I remember being taught in Sunday School that grace means “unmerited favor.” Sounds pretty good, but what does that look like? Of course, the chief example of grace from the Bible is God’s far-reaching love for those who have rejected Him, even to the point of being willing to come as a human and die for their sins. Again, this helps to fill out what we’re talking about when we use the word grace, but what does it look for us to show grace to others? After all, I cannot die for the sins of my neighbor, and they certainly cannot die for mine.
I think for starters we have to consider ways we can follow Christ’s example, such as the way He warmly embraced and unconditionally loved those who were considered spiritually and morally inferior. Jesus showed acceptance for people of every political stripe. For example, among His twelve closest companions was a former tax collector employed by the Roman Empire (Matthew) and a member of the Zealots (Simon), a group committed to dismantling Roman rule through guerilla warfare.
Jesus’ radical love for social outcasts even earned him the nickname “Friend of tax collectors and sinners,” a label the religious elite intended as an insult. At the same time, Jesus never downplayed the significance of repentance, costly discipleship, and the need to commit ourselves wholly to Him as both Savior and Lord. He called people to leave their sin behind, even while He embraced them in their sin.
A distinguishing feature of grace is not merely to show love toward those who don’t deserve it, but especially to show unconditional love and forgiveness toward those who have wronged you. Grace doesn’t hold a grudge in silence or seek to get even openly. Instead, it is the third option of accepting the one you would more naturally be inclined to disdain.
Both truth and grace are essential, but if I had to guess, Christians today are known less for their gracious attitudes than their willingness to stand for the truth. Many who have recognized this deficit have made the equally egregious error of sacrificing biblical truth on the altar of good public relations. However, I believe there is a far better way to show the world both of these necessary, Christ-like qualities.
One recent example I read about involves American pastor Tim Keller. Keller is known for his remarkable ability to communicate the relevance and beauty of Christianity within a secular culture. In 2017, Keller was given the highly esteemed Kuyper Prize at the Abraham Kuyper Center for Public Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary – that is, until it was abruptly taken away. Keller was well-deserving of the award for his leadership and ministry. In fact, he was even named among Fortune magazine’s “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” in 2018.[1] Nevertheless, when word got out that Keller would be the recipient of the Kuyper Prize, several students and faculty objected that Keller was unfit to receive the award, citing his conservative views on marriage, sex, and women’s ordination.
The incredible thing is that while the award was taken away, the Kuyper Center asked Keller if he would still be willing to speak at the conference where the Kuyper Prize would be given to someone else. Instead of harboring resentment, Keller gladly accepted the offer.
Whatever your opinion of Keller’s convictions, no one could deny that Keller exhibited remarkable humility in doing this. Because of Keller’s trademark graciousness, many spoke out in his defense. In an op-ed piece, Katherine Alsdorf, the co-founder of New York’s Center for Faith and Work, even had this to say about Keller:
“We partnered in the establishment of the Center for Faith and Work, which may have done as much as any church in decades to honor Abraham Kuyper’s vision of humble, respectful engagement in a world of many faith perspectives. His teaching combines a deep confidence that the gospel can change everything from our hearts, making us more humble and generous, to the institutions and society around us. While he would never have sought a “Kuyper award,” I can’t imagine anyone more worthy of it. Like some of the women who have objected and instigated the withdrawal of this award by Princeton Theological Seminary, I do not share Tim’s complementarian views. However, I am deeply saddened by the tone of these objections, more so by the final effect.”[2]
What I love about this is that Keller’s response allowed him to have a far greater impact on his detractors than any act of retaliation would have. There are many times when it is easy for us to want to tear down our opponents for some scathing remark made about us. But how much more effective – and more importantly, how much more like Jesus – it is to “turn the other cheek.” To allow ourselves to be insulted, if only that will mean we can have an opportunity to put both grace and truth on display. Because in doing this, we will be putting Jesus on display.
Feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
[1] Fortune Editors, “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” Fortune, April 19, 2018, http://fortune.com/longform/worlds-greatest-leaders-2018/.
[2] Katherine Leary Alsdorf, “OpEd: Tim Keller Hired Women in Leadership,” Journey Through NYC Religions, March 29, 2017, www.nycreligion.info/oped-tim-keller-put-charge-train-men-women-leadership/.
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