What I’m currently reading

I’m reading The Grace and Truth Paradox by Randy Alcorn.  This is the second book I’ve read from Mr. Alcorn, the first being The Treasure Principle, and he has quickly become one of my favorite authors.  His writing is very concise and piercing.  The compactness of his writing fits perfectly to the LifeChange Books produced by the Multonomah publishing house, spanning less than 100 pages.  That amount also happens to be the average mental capacity of my brain.

As the title suggests, Mr. Alcorn explains the tension and apparent contradiction between Grace and Truth.  More importantly, he suggests that many Christians live their lives marked either by Truth-only (grace-less, legalistic) or by Grace-only (lack of essential truth, fearful of truth) qualities.  Instead the Christian life is marked by both Grace and Truth, not one or the other.  He explains how Christ in His incarnation was revealed to be the One who was full of Grace and Truth.  He illustrates this using John 2 with the first miracle of Jesus when He turns water into wine.  Alcorn asks why was Christ’s first miracle turning water into wine?  He claims that it was simply to show grace by preventing the host of the wedding from being embarassed for running out of wine – allowing the people to enjoy themselves at the party.  But immediately following, Jesus offers truth when he whips those who have turned His Father’s house into a house of merchandise.  This illustration displays the balance that Jesus had when he walked this earth.  He epitomized Grace and Truth in all that He did.

I appreciate his pithy introductions especially when defining What is Truth in chapter 4.  He explains that Truth is like the guardrails in life that protect us and that it hedges us in for our own good.  However in order for Truth to be able to protect us, it must produce moral decisions.  Truth provides moral bearings and expects moral decisions.  Truth, therefore, is not simply a set of neutral facts, but facts that demand change. Alcorn says, “Truth is more than mere facts.  It’s not just something we act upon.  It acts upon us.  It sanctifies (sets us apart) from the falsehoods woven into our sin nature and championed by the world.” This is exactly what Jesus defined the power of truth to be that which sanctifies or purifies His followers.

Sanctify them by Thy truth, Thy Word is truth (John 17:17)

Jesus describes Truth as that which changes us but also exists outside of us.  If we were to find truth, we would not start with ourselves, but must go outside of ourselves.  According to Jesus that place to begin is God’s Word.  God’s Word is truth – not the ideas, the culture, or the philosophy of man.  If truth was found within ourselves, then a Savior would not be required.  If truth will set us free, than we can look to ourselves to set ourselves free.  One does not have to look very far to see how man is so incapable of freeing himself from sin.

Another point he makes about Truth is not only is it ouside of us, but truth is confused with what we want it to mean versus what it actually means.  So not only is truth outside of us, it is objective and cannot be held under our subjection, rather we are held in subjection to it.

What about Grace?  Alcorn emphasizes what many people miss about Grace.  He shares his experience with far too many people saying how they’ve, “failed God so many times that [they] no longer felt worthy of God’s grace.”  If one was worthy to receive grace, it would not have been grace!  It would have been a payment.  I appreciate his explanations on Grace because Grace can only be understood in the context of the Law or of Truth.  If we are to talk about Grace we cannot begin with Grace, but must begin with God’s Law or Truth.  The truth of God’s holiness and His righteousness must be explained before we can understand the value and shock-factor of Grace.  Alcorn illustrates this perfectly by using John Newton’s testimony of how the once slave-trading ship captain experiences the saving grace of God and pens the most beloved hymn, “Amazing Grace.”  Newton is quoted to have said on his death bed, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”  Amen and Amen.  The picture of how Newton understood the truth of his sin and the grace of Christ the Savior.

This book is one that I’m sure I will read again and again to be reminded of how to balance my life with Grace and Truth.

[Updated 1/27/06 - finished the book and wrote second part in grace]