Randy Alcorn - The Grace and Truth Paradox: Responding with Christlike Balance

THE GRACE AND TRUTH PARADOX
published by Multnomah Books

2003 by Eternal Perspective Ministries

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from:
The Holy Bible, New International Version 1973, 1984
by International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House Other Scripture quotations:

New American Standard Bible ( NASB ) 1960, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. The Holy Bible, New King James Version ( NKJV ) 1984 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Alcorn, Randy C.

The grace and truth paradox / by Randy Alcorn.

p. cm.

Contents: A two-point checklist of ChristlikenessEssential and inseparableWhat is grace?What is truth?A closer look at graceA closer look at truthThe grace we long forThe truth that sets us freeGrace and truth together.

eISBN: 978-0-307-56469-6

1. Christian life. 2. Grace (Theology) 3. Truth (Christian theology) 4. Bible. N.T. John I 14Critricism, interpretation, etc. I. Title.

BV4501.3 .A519 2003
248.4dc21

2002014114

rh_3.1_c0_r2

Dedication

To Laura Libby,
who lives now
in the Land of
Grace and Truth

The author wishes to acknowledge his friend and editor, Larry Libby:

Thanks, Larry, for being a better editor than anyone deserves and for being a man so characterized by grace and truth.

Late one rainy night, my wife and I were leaving a movie theater when Nanci noticed an older man in the parking lot leaning on a walker, struggling. I helped him get into his car. Since he was so exhausted, I asked if I could drive him home.

He declined, but I said wed follow him home in case he needed help. As he pulled out, driving erratically, we prayed he wouldnt find the street. Our prayers were answered when he got trapped in a fast-food drive-through line. I opened his door and asked him to move to the passenger seat so I could drive him home, while Nanci followed.

As I pulled out, two men jumped in front of the car, waving their arms and a cell phone. One shouted, My wifes having our baby, and I have to get home. Can you drive us?

Well, I said, this isnt my car, and I dont know this man sitting next to me.

Sounded pretty lame, dont you think?

I asked Nanci to drive the older mans car and follow me while I took those guys home (wherever that was). After dropping them off, I hopped back in with Georgeby now I knew his nameto take him home (wherever that was). When we reached his place, I helped him to his room.

I found out George had been a political science professor at San Francisco State University for twenty-eight years. I realized that most people of Georges background would not count Bible-believing Christians among their favorite people! George asked me why we had helped him. I told him we were followers of Christ. I left him my book In Light of Eternity. I prayed God would touch his life and hoped wed hear the rest of the story in eternity.

As it turns out, we didnt have to wait that long.

Two months later my assistant Kathy woke up in the middle of the night experiencing a strange medical problem shed never had before and hasnt had since. The next day she went to her doctor, bringing with her a copy of In Light of Eternity. When the doctor saw it, he said, One of my patients was carrying that book the other dayand he told me he wished he could talk to the author.

Kathy returned to our office with Georges phone number. I called him and asked if he wanted me to drop by. He did. George was full of questions. He wanted to know the truth about Jesus Christ. He couldnt get over the idea of grace, that God could really forgive rotten people. He said it sounded too easy.