Home Pastors Articles for Pastors Keep the Front Door Open: 3 Keys for Your Church

Keep the Front Door Open: 3 Keys for Your Church

3. Truth and Grace.

Finally, we must convey both truth and grace in our proclamation.

Jesus accepted people but didn’t affirm the life they lived in rebellion against Him. Jesus didn’t condemn them for what they did, but He didn’t condone what they did, either.

Grace and truth went together.

This is very, very important.

If you have truth without grace, you are left with nothing but condemnation.

If you have grace without truth, you are left with licentiousness.

Both are needed.

As John noted, “[Jesus] came … full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, NIV).       

Grace and truth; raw and unfiltered, powerful and vibrant, flowing and free. If you are the “woman at the well,” it would mean sitting down at the well and being radically accepted, but then getting asked about your sex life.

If you are the woman “caught in adultery,” it would mean having Him come to your defense when you are about to get stoned, but then hearing Him tell you that you really need to stop sleeping around.

Here’s our goal: Talk and act like Jesus. Somehow, some way, He spoke prophetically against sin but was still invited to keggers.

That’s what Jesus was about.

And what we should be about.

An atmosphere of acceptance, cultural translation, all served with truth and grace.

And yes, every weekend.