Sunday, November 7, 2010

The Grace and Truth Paradox

by Randy Alcorn
Multnomah Books, 2003, 92 pages

Imagine if this Sunday the service ended right after the reading of the Ten Commandments. You’ve just been confronted with the Truth that you’ve offended God with your many sins and deserve eternal punishment… and then that’s it, the service is over.

Wouldn’t that be dreadful? In his 92-page The Grace and Truth Paradox author Randy Alcorn notes that this is what Christians do too often – we present the world a graceless Truth. Or, if we remember to be Gracious, we do so by minimizing the Truth. For example, some graceless Christians are eager to shout out the Truth about homosexuality. But if that Truth is presented without Grace then instead of prompting homosexuals to ask us Who they can turn to for help, they are sure to run from us. Other Christians, determined to act with more Grace, do so by downplaying the sinfulness of homosexuality – Truth is sacrificed. Once again, instead of leading homosexuals to repentance, our interactions with the world lead to the furtherance of sin.

Alcorn’s little book packs a huge wallop - this is undoubtedly a book everyone should read. It is a book I have bought (and will continue to buy) repeatedly to give away.

Discernment label
(For more on this, see "Discernment labels" in our article section)

CONTENT: While Jesus came into the world full of Grace and Truth (John 1:14), Alcorn illustrates how Christians too often present the world a graceless Truth or a truthless Grace. Take homosexuality as an example: some graceless Christians are eager to shout out the Truth about this sin. But if that Truth is presented without Grace then instead of prompting homosexuals to ask us to Whom they can turn for help, they are sure to run from us. Other Christians, determined to act with more Grace, do so by downplaying the sinfulness of homosexuality – Truth is sacrificed. Once again, instead of leading homosexuals to repentance, our interactions with the world lead to the furtherance of sin.

CAUTIONS: None for this book, though because the reading of this book will inspire many a reader to seek out his other works it may be worth noting that Alcorn has described himself as a four-point Calvinist. While he differs with Reformed readers on the matter of limited atonement, this doesn't impact the theme and thrust of this book.

CONCLUSION: This short book would be of great benefit to young and old. Recommended for anyone who has problems presenting a Graceful Truth, or in other words, recommended for everyone!

You can pick up a copy of The Grace and Truth Paradox at Amazon.com here and Amazon.ca here.

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