Letter to the editor: Grace and truth

To the editor:

There is a sharp political distinction between the majority of Christians in America. I believe the current major Republican/Democrat dividing lines are pro-life/abortion (women’s rights), traditional/gay marriage and transgender rights. There are and will be others but none that polarize like these three at the present.

Furthermore, I see the basis for this division as different interpretations of God’s grace. Interestingly, a similar division occurred in New Testament times between law and grace. However, the issue then was whether Christians must keep the Mosaic Law to be believers. I believe the issue today is whether Christians can live by grace alone or by grace and truth. John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”

Christians who insist on grace alone without truth are deceived. The account of the woman caught in adultery is one of many examples of the absolute link between grace and truth. In John 8:1-11, Jesus tells the woman, “Neither do I condemn you (that’s grace); go and sin no more (that’s truth).”  

The problem with making grace alone the message of the Gospel is that the issue of sin (or the truth of our human condition) is ignored. That is why Paul focused on Christ’s crucifixion (I Corinthians 1:23). The issue was and still is sin. We cannot ignore sin and the saving power of the cross to set us free from sin.  If we do, Christ died in vain. Christ came to set us free from sin (see Isaiah 61:1-3 and Romans 1:16).