The War Between Grace and Truth

By: Amecia Matlock

Fear Separates

Control Dominates

Love Consociates

A Road Paved with Good Intentions

Holy Spirit Fire. That burning within you to expose deception and bring about truth and justice is of God. As someone who has reconnected with her faith, I can attest to the visceral pull and tug at my spirit to share the good news and shout about the sovereignty of God.

He sat with me in the pit I had dug for myself and comforted me in the darkness. Then He placed my feet on solid ground and turned me into a version of myself that I never thought possible. My gratitude for that alone is unending. And the more He reveals Himself to me, the more in awe I am of our Lord and Savior.

He sat with me in the pit I had dug for myself and comforted me in the darkness. Then He placed my feet on solid ground and turned me into a version of myself that I never thought possible.

Discovering that this kind of loving grace and truth exists, and how accessible it is to all, is enough to make us very radical in our approach to sharing the good news.

Divided We Fall

Jesus says – “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat” – Matthew 7:13 (KJV). There is no possible way to spread the gospel without Him.

The Center for the Study of Global Christianity estimates that there are over 45,000 denominations of Christianity globally and the US alone has over 200 denominations. Yet we have 1 God who is coming back for 1 church without spot or wrinkle – Ephesians 5:27 (NLT)

The Center for the Study of Global Christianity estimates that there are over 45,000 denominations globally and the US alone has over 200 denominations. Yet we have 1 God who is coming back for 1 church without spot or wrinkle – Ephesians 5:27 (NLT)

We can see both sides of the spectrum. Those who are against the divides and those who see them as necessary to preserve the essence of Christianity that is considered to be paramount. This includes the “non-denominational” church itself. Sometimes being without denomination can be held as a sacrosanct tenet of a relationship with Jesus.

The Holy Spirit revealed to me that there are traps laid at both ends of that spectrum for extremist thinking. The word and Spirit of God must be our discerning force and anchor, keeping us from being tossed to and fro in waves of doctrine. – (Ephesians 4:14)

Checking Our Motives

There is a level of reverence and honor we must have for God to prevent slipping into the fuzzy feeling that is acceptance of “All Truth(s).” While this route is one of least resistance, and typically the chosen favorite of many flight and freeze responders, it removes the element of ultimate truth.

This Paradox-style of thinking that there can be more than one truth is fueled heavily on the sound philosophical concept of “love for all,” so let’s critically look at this by looking to our God, who is the very definition of love. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him – John 14:16 (NIV)

Just as we would not let a loved one drive off a cliff because they thought it was the right way to go, we are also responsible to wield truth in order to truly love our neighbors.

Claiming that watering down this truth is for the sake of loving our neighbor can sometimes be a lie that we tell ourselves in an act of self-preservation. We can easily slip into avoiding the un-comfortability of sitting in a space in which our declaration of absolute truth may be a cause for contention. God is clear that any teachings contrary to this absolute truth is not only a lie, but an anti-Christ gospel which is accursed (1 John 2:22, Galatians 1:6-9).

Just as we would not let a loved one drive off a cliff because they thought it was the right way to go, we are also responsible to wield truth in order to truly love our neighbors.

He Sat With Me and Then He Led Me Out

We are in an age in which pointing out the fact that truth being subjective is an objective statement, and therefore contradicts the argument, is not always received well. So, how do we reconcile this with God’s calling to make disciples?

For one, we can look to our perfect example, and His gift of free will. This gift has been weaponized by the enemy in an attempt to lead us astray, but it is a beautiful testament of the true love of our God. True love does not coerce, manipulate, or control. It sits in the darkness and messiness with you. It longs to bring you the fruits of the Spirit but does not force Himself upon you.

Sitting in the un-comfortability and loving in a way that is both honest and gracious is how God called me. I was pregnant, alone, broken, and bitter, and God held me. Of course, true love doesn’t stop there, holding and coddling you in your mess. That’s enabling you to remain in that broken place. True love challenges you to transcend that; it refines you to see all that is possible through surrender to Him. It gives you hope and a future – Jeremiah 29:11

How beautiful it is that we get to reflect this as we accept our call to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Examples

When an element of God’s character is removed, it leaves an area vulnerable to distortion. Let’s look at these common paths to fulfillment through the paradigms we’ve discussed and see how they play out.

A Graceful Jesus/ Devoid of Truth

• When I knew a graceful Jesus devoid of truth, I fell into all of the traps that the enemy laid to fill in that gap of truth for me. This was often found in the pursuit of the desires of my heart.
• However, the word says that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).
• Following this path hurts, because the enemy will simultaneously push you to find truth within yourself and your desires, while shaming, condemning, and keeping you bound to depression when you’re deceived
• This thinking pattern is also a paradox because it makes you out to be the problem and the solution.
• This paradigm makes you a slave to yourself and your own limited conceptions of truth, drawing you further and further from the One who is Truth.
• Often fueled by a desire to control our own lives, moral compasses, circumstances, paths etc. rather than submission to God and His ultimate authority

A Truthful Jesus/ Devoid of Grace

• When I knew a truthful Jesus devoid of grace, I fell into the trap of thinking that truth was found in a righteousness that I could work to achieve.
• However, the word says, “No one is righteous— not even one.” – Romans 3:10
• Following this path also hurts, because the enemy will enter this gap of faith with fear tactics keeping you bound to anxiety.
• The same paradox is present in thinking that we can be both the problem and the solution.
• This way of thinking makes you a slave to the law and keeps you on a hamster wheel of works-based faith, where you always seem to fall short of God’s true righteousness.
• Often fueled by fear that the Word of God, salvation, ourselves, or even others are not enough, rather than trusting in the full work of the cross.

Yes, our hearts are deceitful, and we are in need of the truth. We are still God’s precious creations whom He loved so deeply that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life – John 3:16

Open Doors to the Enemy

So, we see the mental health crises we are yoking ourselves to when we refute a piece of God’s Character. In removing a crucial element, such as truth or grace, we are giving the enemy access to fill in the blank.

The lack of truth can easily lead to rebellion, which is as sinful as witchcraft – 1 Samuel 15:23. And even actual divination and witchcraft that is normalized by the world that you are seeking truth in.

A lack of grace can lead to pridefulness, and the word says that goes before destruction. – Proverbs 16:18

These are pits we need God to dig us out of. Holes we dig for ourselves when we begin to lean on our own understanding. “‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5 NLT

Fear Separates, Control Dominates, Love Consociates

I leave you with this sentiment as I implore you to integrate all of God’s personality not only in your personal walk, but as you share your faith:

• Fear: Sharing through a lense of fear, which can occur due to a lack of faith in God’s grace, Separates.
• Control: Sharing through a lense of control, which can occur through a lack of faith in God’s sovereignty, Dominates.
• Love: Sharing through a lense of love which suffers and bears all things, but also tells the truth in a way that is patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and with self-control, Consociates.

Ending Prayer

God, I pray that our actions match our intentions to glorify you and share your love with the world. I pray you make more of you and less of us so that our humanness and fleshly inclinations do not distort the purity of your truth.

For anyone who is currently thirsting for Truth in a world that is constantly selling you smoke and mirrors, or maybe you’re new to the concept of grace but wonder if it may be available to you, I implore you not to stop here. Do your research and give Jesus a fair shake. We are in a spiritual battle, and Satan is the prince of the air, so there may be an unexplainable resistance to the things of God that you’ve faced. Know that you are not alone, and I’ve been there too. I’d like to pray for you – God, I pray that you would meet them in this moment and give them the grace to see and hear you, and that any yoke to an unclean spirit operating in them that prevents them from seeing or hearing from you clearly be loosed. As they pray in agreement, I bind, rebuke, and cast these unclean spirits out in the name of Jesus Christ. God, your word says that if we look for you wholeheartedly, we will find you. – Jeremiah 29:13. You did it for me when I was in my pit, and I have faith that you love the person on the other side of this screen and will do it for them. In Jesus name, Amen.

If you have never accepted God into your heart, but you are ready to take that leap, if you have but you’ve ran to do things your own way and you need Him back right now, or maybe you’ve been doing everything alone for so long and you want to allow Jesus to lessen your burdens and transform your life – the price for our salvation was hefty but is now offered freely to all who believe through Christ Jesus. If you want to be adopted out of the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of light, pray the below and your life will never be the same:

Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose from the dead, and is alive right now. I repent of my sins and ask You to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.

If you prayed that prayer and believe it in your heart, you have begun walking in freedom with our savior Jesus Christ, and the best is yet to come!

FRUIT OF THE DAY – PEACE

SONG OF THE DAY – RUN/ G.E.S

1. 

   To God be all the Glory Honor and praise! My life is His alone to use ❤️ May he bless…

2. 

   Thank you for sharing transparently. Our experiences and tripping stones are a path to not only our own stronger faith…

3. 

   wow!! 29Peanut Butter Dreams

4. 

   I pray for God’s goodness and grace for you and your family. Thanks for reading!

5. 

   Thank you for sharing this.