The Grace and Truth Paradox

This book explores both grace and truth - we need to seek to balance both. Small but powerful. Will read it again.

This book is incredible at getting to fundamentals of grace and truth, the issues presented that Christians face and how to overcome them following the example of Jesus Christ.

What's the problem with most Christians today? Either they're gung-ho on Truth or they're gung-ho on Grace. What was wrong with the religious Jews of Jesus' day? Either they were gung-ho on Truth (the Pharisees) or they were gung-ho on Grace (the Sadducees). But John 1:14,17 says that Jesus Christ was full of Grace AND Truth. You can't have one without the other and be like Christ. Randy Alcorn does a masterful job at fleshing out what is probably the biggest problem with the church today - why we're not more like Jesus - and he does so with the smallest number of words (only 92 pages) in the smallest amount of space (only 6.5" x 4.75" size book). It doesn't take long to read, but there's enough meat there to meditate on for an entire year, and to spend the rest of your life trying to master. But it's really pretty simple: Grace + Truth = Christ-like love. If it's so simple, how come we keep missing it? Using examples from scripture, his own ministry, and popular as well as church culture, Randy examines this question and helps us come up with an answer that works. My favorite part of the book is his discussion of the song "Amazing Grace" - where it came from (a former slave trader) and the impact it's had on countless lives (especially blacks). This book will have an impact on your life as well. It's small enough not to intimidate yet loaded enough to satisfy even the most voracious spiritual appetite. Plus, it's inexpensive enough to make a perfect gift. This is one book that ought to be on every Christian's bookshelf, and its message needs to be in every Christian heart. Waitsel Smith

Randy Alcorn has written a small treatise on grace and truth, and while using Scripture and personal examples, he appeals to Christians to pursue balance between the both. In one chapter after another, he focuses first on grace and then truth, and contends that the balanced Christian life must have both, and with a truth-centered Christianity, one runs the risk of being legalistic, but in a grace-centered Christianity, one also runs the risk of being overly nice, with the truth taking a back seat. It is a nicely woven theme, and can be read in one sitting, although the reader might want to chew on one chapter at a time. A powerful treatise, though, and it's right to the point!! Highly recommended!!!

Randy Alcorn really gives you a great understanding of what it's like to be a "balanced" Christian. Not just full of Grace at the expense of Truth or vice versa but that it takes dependence on the Holy Spirit to provide discernment at that moment of decision to dispense truth and/or grace as required.Mr. Alcorn really cut to the heart of the matter in letting us know that being a Christian means dispensing Truth and Grace in the relativistic society that we live in.

This book does a good job of discussing the balance between Grace and Truth. As another reviewer pointed out, Truth can appear to be "Law" in this book, or maybe Grace is Truth. The fact is that Jesus repeatedly pleaded with His apostles to keep His commandments (Matt 28:20, MK 12:30, John 15:12) and He also said: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34)"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet,"and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself. "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Rom 13:8)Jesus said "If you love Me you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). (A good summary of love is 1 Cor 13:1-13) This cannot be overlooked. Grace is never an excuse to sin. That is why this book really useful. It helps show the line between grace and truth. Jesus didn't come to Jerusalem and preach only grace. If it were that simple, He wouldn't have condemned the scribes and Pharisees. They had no love in them. We are still commanded to love:You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (Gal 5:13)This book gives various circumstances were people (some christians and some non-christians) have needed to be reached in gentleness and love. Sometimes this is explaining the Truth about the law, so that grace can be preached:What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. (Romans 7:7)Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (Romans 3)The law does not save us. We are saved by the Grace of God and not by works, but this fact does not negate Christian responsibility.Again, this is a fine line that has been well thought out and covered in various ways by the author Randy Alcorn. I think this book should be a must read for every Christian. I only wish it were a bit longer. But I do like it as it is, (since you can read it in an afternoon if you want) it makes a great gift to pass around to fellow Christians and non-Christians alike.