It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23 KJ2000)

Throughout Scripture God commands us to seek and walk in his way. What is his way? It is the way of mercy and truth. The ideas conveyed by these two words, mercy and truth,  express themselves in many synonyms in the Scriptures. For example, we see the ideas in various pairings of words translated  “righteousness and justice,” “lovingkindness and faithfulness,”  and “grace and law.” Ultimately these conceptions mean the same thing. We see throughout history and through all of his written word that God sets these two concepts beside and against each other. In fact, we could call this epic battle between these two concepts “God’s dialectic.”

According to Wikipedia Dialectic (also called dialectics or the dialectical method) is a method of argument, which has been central to both Indic and European philosophy since ancient times. The word “dialectic” originates in Ancient Greece, and was made popular by Plato in his Socratic dialogues. Dialectic is based on a dialogue between two or more people who may hold differing views, yet wish to seek the truth of the matter through the exchange of their viewpoints while applying reason. ^[1]

If you have attempted to teach or talk about the relevance of God’s Law to modern day Christians you will understand what I am saying here. For twenty years in the churches I was always accused of being “legalistic.” But, I am not legalistic. I honor God’s Word, including his Old Testament which includes his Law. Throughout my Christian life I have endeavored to understand this mystery of the co-existence of Law and Grace.

When I went to Bible School from 1977 to 1979 I remember that my professors taught that grace is defined as “God’s unmerited favor.” They taught that we did not deserve to be loved and saved by God, but “by grace we are saved.”  Because of God’s “lovingkindness,” or “grace,” he sent Jesus to die for our sins and reconcile us to himself. We did not deserve it, but he did it. I was also taught, and rightly so, that no amount of my good works could ever purchase my salvation. “Strict adherence to the Law cannot save you!” they taught in so many words. And they were right, insofar as our spiritual salvation is concerned.

But, most of the Bible does not concern itself with this aspect of our salvation. Instead, it deals with what Paul calls the “working out of our salvation in fear and trembling.” The overemphasis of grace by modern teachers has undermined this aspect of salvation. They have taught grace to destruction of law. Now we live under “lawless grace” in our churches and every perversion is accepted and applauded in some Christian church somewhere because of it.

The second to last straw of my leaving the organized Christian church occurred in 1998 or 1999. My wife and I went to a popular charismatic church (the charismatic church en mass is the Church of Thyatira of Revelation 2).  There the church head pastor preached for an hour on the man caught picking up sticks on the Sabbath. His ultimate conclusion and teaching was that Moses was legalistic, just a man who lived under God’s Law instead of under his grace. In that one sermon this “man of God” destroyed two-thirds of God’s Bible. He did not understand God’s dialectic of mercy and truth, grace and law. (to be continued)