Showing Grace and Truth

For the past few weeks, I have been pondering how to work with at-risk youths, as God called me to my current new role here, working with at-risk youths; something which is very new to me. Following home visits, God has helped me to see a side which I never have expected to; how both youths and their parents are usually people who are hurting in their own ways. Similarly, I have recently also been asking God how I can increase in my capacity to work alongside with people to facilitate restoration and healing in ministry.

I thank God for an answered prayer as He brought me to Borders yesterday, since I had time to spare in between a planning retreat and another appointment. I had just intended to just go and just browse some books but had never thought that I would be blessed by finding a book, that helped me answered both my questions above and yet also teach me something about a spiritual matter I have been wanting to get some insights on.

As I browsed the shelves of Borders, God brought me to a book that looked old and dated; a book with a cover that had some defects as well. But the title caught my attention: "Changes that Heal" by Dr Henry Cloud. I picked up the book and started reading there and found myself getting quite a lot from the initial few chapters.

The first chapter spoke about how in wanting to help others to be helped in a sustained manner and to grow into the person who God has intended him/her to be, we need to first examine and understand two major qualities of God's character: Grace and Truth. The book started with an unlikely but powerful story which really sets one thinking about our view of God.

Once upon a time in a faraway galaxy, there was a highly advanced people. They had everything they could ever desire: technology to solve every problem, and more leisure than we get in a life time. But they were bored. Bored to tears. They needed something new-something exciting-to liven up their planet.

A committee was established to look into the matter. They discussed coming up with a new sport. Or developing a new amusement park. Finally, an alien named Beezy proposed the winning idea. "How about creating a god?" he suggested.

Everyone agreed it was a wonderful idea. "It will give our people something to do Sunday," one said. "And it will be great for conversations," said another.

So they tried to invent a god. But to no avail. Beezy, who had been placed in charge  of the research and development of a new god, called the committee members together.

"Look, this just isn't working," he said. "What good is a god we can invent ourselves? We're smart enough to know that's not a real god. Why don't we find us a god instead--like the God the earthlings worship?"

The committee agreed, and soon afterward Beezy took a business trip to the Planet Earth.  Under his invisible cloak, he visited dozens and dozens of churches and religious institutions. He took copious notes and spent hours writing up his report.

When he returned, the committee gathered, eager to hear of his findings. "Fellow aliens,"  he greeted them.  "I have returned not with one god, but with two."

A gasp of astonishment rippled through the room.  "The name of the first god, or should I say goddess,  is Grace.  A very attractive Goddess she is. She talked about love often. "Get along,  be friends, be nice,  she would say. 'And if you can't be good, I'll forgive you anyway." Beezy looked perplexed.  "The only thing is, I'm not sure what she would forgive, since they didn't seem to have any rules to break."

Beezy went on. "I especially liked the things the followers of Grace did, like feeding poor  people, and visiting prisoners in jail. However"--he shook his head--"these followers of grace seemed so lost. They kept doing the same bad things over and over, and they never seemed to know where they were going.

"Then there's the other god."  Beezy took a deep breath. "This god is definitely a man, a his name is Truth. Truth is just as mean as Grace is nice. He kept telling the people all sorts of things about them that made them feel very bad, and his followers did the same thing. But there's a good side to Truth,"  Beezy reassured the committee. "He campaigns against some very nasty enemies, such as lying, cheating, adultery, abortion, and drunkenness. He's like a big religious street sweeper, sweeping away all his enemies. The only trouble is, he not only sweeps away bad things; he also sweeps away the people who do the bad things. As for the smiles you see on the followers of Grace--forget it.  All Truth's followers do is scowl and scream."

Needless to say, after hearing Beezy report, the committee were ready to opt for the new amusement park because they didn't like either god. But Beezy had on last suggestion.

"We have all this wonderful technology for mixing repelling elements, like oil and water," he said. "How about if we try mixing Grace and Truth?"

As I read this part of the chapter, it forces me to think about how we view our God. Do we recognise the two aspects of God's character or do we just "invent" a god we are comfortable with, focusing only on one aspect?

With the first god of Grace, there is compassion and relationship and her followers did all kinds of loving things, both for one another and also for those in pain. The only problem is that they heard little truth spoken and keeps falling, again and again, into same old bad situations and patterns. They needed directions to prevent this from happening.

With the second god of Truth, the followers receive a lot of direction, knowing what if right and what is wrong, knowing what they can do and cannot do. The only problem is that the god "seems" uncaring and mean and not to care about the people who were violating the standards; wiping them out.

The fact is...

• Our God is a God full of grace and truth (John 1:14) and grace and truth came through Jesus (John 1:16)
• God gave us the truth in the form of the law which provided a blueprint of life to offer us guidelines and limits but 
• ... no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Rom 3:19-20, NIV)
• The law was added so that the trespass might increase.(Rom 5:20, NIV)
• Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.(Rom 7:9-10, NIV)
• For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. (Jam 2:10)
• You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. (Gal 5:4)
• God gives us Grace which is unmerited favour of God  towards us because we have not earned it and do not deserve it; the unconditional love and acceptance God gave to us but
• What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!(Rom 6:15-16, NIV)
• The acts of the sinful nature are obvious... those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.(Gal 5:19-21, NIV)
• You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature. (Gal 5:13, NIV)
• Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.(Col 3:5, NIV)

According to Henry Cloud, Truth without Grace is judgment and Grace without Truth is License (to sin). Both are essential as seen in John 8:3-11, where Jesus addressed the Pharisees who brought a woman caught in adultery and asked how she should be dealt with. Jesus showed grace and yet also emphasised the truth "Go now and leave your life of sin" (John 8:11).

In similar way, we will sometimes cross paths with hurting people in the body of Christ. But how do we work with them to help them be liberated and grow to be the person God intends him/her to be? Some of us may have experienced it ourselves or even seen how some would come from the angle and may say things like "they are in sin", "they don't have enough faith", "they are not obedient", "they don't spend enough time in the Word" etc, sort of like the friends of Job. According to Cloud, while they may contain some elements of truth, it does cause more pain; "the pain she originally had, plus the guilt over not being able to apply the answers she was given". If not handled well, those struggling would either learn to fake healing to remain in church or leave church, deciding their faith provides little solace. In the same reverse way, we have also heard know how grace without emphasis on the truth rarely helps, as in parenting. The bible does clearly says that:

• He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.(Proverbs 13:24)
• "...because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son... God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. ." (Hebrews 12:6, 10-11)
• "...because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.  (Proverbs 3:12)

Grace and truth goes together in helping people we come across with to heal: an atmosphere of grace to help the hurting cope with guilt and shame and feel the love of God, beginning the process of healing and truth to help facilitate growth as we grow in Christ-likeness.

This is of course the part we play in extending a hand to those who need healing in the Lord and on the other end, whoever is receiving help from us would also need to respond by allowing the real self (rather than the portrayed front) to come forth to receive ministry. For some, it might take some time, a community and God for that to happen and for growth to take place, just as a plant takes time to grow. The plant needs to be anchored, rooted, receiving nutrients and it does not grow in a vacuum but receives sunlight and water from the outside, doing its part of photosynthesis to grow under the heavens.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6)

I hope this would bless you as it blessed me in thinking how to go about blessing others. I believe God will bring into your path someone who you can help heal.