Grace and Truth

Grace and Truth

Since the gospel is grace and truth, we can call grace half of the gospel. But grace consists of pardon together with chastening grace (helping grace, grace to overcome sin), and when only pardon or covering grace is preached and not chastening grace, then one does not even preach half the gospel but only one quarter, or perhaps more accurately expressed, one thousandth of the gospel! Heb. 4:16; Tit. 2:11-12.

There is only one gospel; it is a gospel of full victory over all sin, and this includes pardon through the forgiveness of sins, the light of life and truth, together with a helping or chastening grace to live according to this light and this truth—in other words, grace not to commit sin (consciously transgress the law) and covering grace that covers indwelling sin over which we do not have light.

Jesus came to destroy sin (the works of the devil). He did what He came to do, and He still does it in the hearts of those who believe.

Peter says, “This is the true grace of God in which you stand.” 1 Pet. 5:12. There is also something that could be called false grace. True grace gives us true, genuine victory over (redemption from) sin. False grace does not possess the true strength to save us from the power of sin.

When people speak about sin and grace (thereby meaning that you have to continue to sin), it is false. To such people you cannot write, “This is the true grace of God in which you stand.”

However, as long as we acknowledge that we need grace, this implies that sin must be present, for absolute righteousness (purity) excludes the need for grace. For the sake of indwelling, unconscious sin, we all need grace in all its aspects. However, having indwelling, unconscious sin is something totally different from sinning.