Truth Versus Grace

   Imagine this happened to you: one day you are in church. Suddenly a couple comes in who you haven’t seen before. The pastor greets the couple just like any visitor at the church. You go to sit in your normal seat and try not to stare at them too much. You want to make them feel welcome but you don’t know what to say.

   A few weeks pass and the couple is still coming to church. They have become increasingly involved in the church. You are glad that they want to be involved in furthering God’s kingdom. But, the couple is also becoming more touchy feely in church. They have begun holding hands and putting their arms around each other’s shoulders.

   Normally, you would not have much of a problem with this; except for the fact that the couple is lesbian. You are on the council at church and it has come up that something needs to be done about how physical this couple is getting. The problem is your church is a non-denominational church and there is no membership. You do not want to kick this couple out of church; but you know that they are outwardly sinning.

   Rather than state your opinion at the council meeting. You just sit and listen to the other people talk. It seems like most people fall in two courts. One is that the couple should be kicked out because they are not repenting of their sin. The other is that we are all sinners and we are all in the church. So, we should let them stay in the church. More arguments are thrown back and forth; but you start to realize that the arguments come down to two key components truth and grace.

   If the church leans too much on the truth side then everyone may as well leave the church because they are all sinners. But, if the church leans too much on grace then everyone would be in the church. That is good because everyone could hear about Christ; but then the church would not be the church. It would just be a club. You are not quite sure what the church’s answer should be; but you know the church cannot lean too much on the grace or truth side otherwise they are not following Jesus’ example.

   This is a problem many churches are facing today. And, many churches do pick a side: truth or grace. But, what those churches do not realize is that they are essentially splitting Jesus Christ down the middle. If Christ is our example we will do our best to follow him. But, if we choose only one aspect of him to follow then we aren’t really following him.

   Churches must have a proper balance between truth and grace. Above all we must remember that everyone sins; and that, to God, all sin is equal. The issue is that people have made some sins seem worse than others. And, some sins are more visible than others. For example, people may know someone who murdered a person; but they may not know that a person who gossips to everyone.

   One final thing I want to say about this topic. Some people may say that a gay person is not repenting of sin so that person should not be allowed in the church. You do not know that person at all. You do not know what that person is going through. And, if that person is kicked out of the church then that person may never hear the gospel message. Now you may say some gay people know what they are doing is wrong. But, who are you to say that? And, if you push them away how are they ever going to change?

   So, which side do you lean on when it comes to this argument? Do you need to find more of a balance of truth and grace when it comes to the way you look at certain sins?

   1 John 1:8-10, Romans 3:23, 1 Corinthians 10:13

   Disclaimer: Please do not try to misunderstand what I am saying here. I am just saying that people tend to blow this argument way out of proportion; and I am upset that this argument has destroyed so many churches, families, and people. I tried to keep my opinion hidden a little in here and state the facts. I also have to give credit to one of my professors at Lancaster Bible College for the little scenario at the top of this blog.