Grace and Truth

Jn 1:1-14:
What is Grace?
Undeserved, unearned favor
Getting something we don’t deserve and haven’t earned
Goes above and beyond mercy
What is Truth?
Reality, the whole story
Frank – confrontational, offensive

Define and describe. How do they relate to each other?
What would Grace w/out Truth look like?
Ignorant Love
“Cheap” Love
Example
What would Truth w/out Grace look like?
Judgment, Hell

Is it possible to have one without the other?
Why not?
In order to understand Grace, you need to know you don’t deserve it
Why are we so afraid of the Truth?
Let’s take a look at it

Gen 3:
(Gen 2:21, Gen 3:7-13)

V7 – ashamed, humiliated, in hiding
Why did they make themselves fig leaf coverings?
Closest thing at hand
Desperate to cover themselves
What was their motive?
Shame, guilt
What do we use as “fig leaves”?
Avoid the issue with busyness
Avoid the blame/responsibility by making excuses and blaming others
Rationalize by comparing ourselves to others
Look at our good behavior
What would it have looked like for God to give them “ignorant love”?
Love them w/out fixing their problem
Allow them to stay in their fig leaves
w/out getting at the real problem – what was on the inside
Is this real love? Is this love at it’s most potent point?

V21 – What did they already have on?
Fig leaves
Their own clothes
What does God provide?
Not innocence, but clothes
What did God make them do to give them His coverings?
Strip them of their fig leaves
Expose them
Why?
Fig Leaves get in the way
What was His motive?
He wanted to show them Grace
What did this force Adam and Eve to acknowledge?
Their coverings were inadequate
Fig leaves weren’t enough – not for God and not for them!

What thoughts do you think went through their heads as they saw God make their clothes?
Horrified at death – up to this point no one had died
Adam and Eve had sinned they knew they absolutely deserved it (Gen 2:16-17)
God killing innocent animal to provide their coverings

Deep wonder of God’s mercy

Practicals:
So why are we so afraid of Truth?
Do we know by refusing Truth, we refuse Grace

What are ways that we can expose ourselves to the Truth?
Look at your heart – What is your motive?
If you didn’t drink last weekend b/c …. You’re girlfriend told you not to
Matt said it tastes bad
If you’re here b/c … You think it makes you a good person
You want to make us happy
Then it’s ALL “fig leaves”. It’s ALL a front. It’s ALL fake, and it’s ALL inadequate!

Challenge:
If you want Grace, in all its fullness, then you must take with the Truth. Stop robbing yourself of Grace.