Growing in God's Grace; Truth, Peace, and Knowledge

At our Staff Conference, the speaker focused on 3 key elements of God's Grace: Truth, Peace, and Knowledge. I am also reading Changes That Heal, by Henry Cloud, who also addresses this topic. Here are some points that really stuck out to me.

Grace is the unmerited favor of God toward people. We don't deserve God's grace, but God gives it to us because of His unconditional love and acceptance. Both love and grace are characteristics of Christ. Romans 5:8 says " God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Truth is what is real; it describes how things really are. Just as grace is the relational aspect of God's character, truth is the structural aspect of God's character.

Grace without truth has not power. Just like truth with no grace has no compassion. There needs to be a balance between grace and truth to display God's love, and law. Together, they have the power to bring people to God. John 1:14 says "and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory; glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

A good example of how Jesus lives out both grace and truth is in the story of the Samaria woman at the well (Read John 4).

Peace is not the absence on conflict, but the presence of whole relationships. Peace with God can only be received. Peace with others must be pursued. Peace of the heart is experience by walking in the spirit. In Ephesians it says " For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility...and he he came ame preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near" (2:14-18).

Knowledge is another aspect of grace: "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity" (2 Peter 3:18). God gives us the truth (sharing in the parables-Matthew 25: 14-29) and resources (Mark 4: 21-25) so that we can be his witness. We are told in the Great Commission (Mark 16: 14-18) to share the knowledge we have about Christ with others.

I think that all of these are very good points that challenge me to grow in my relationship with the Lord. I hope it does the same of you as well.