A Religious Culture

We live in an extremely religious--spiritual--culture that has little understanding of what God is like. The problem is: Who has been given the responsibility to show them what our God and Savior is like? You and me. Some Christians, I'm afraid, have revealed only the God of truth and failed to reveal the God of love. Oh, they claim "God loves you." But live lives that give no credence to their claim. Some Christians, I'm afraid, reveal only the God of love and fail to reveal the God of truth. But love that is outside the perimeters of truth is not love at all--it's fairly close to being hateful. Jesus, God our Savior, was "full of grace and truth." Read the Gospels again. Often. He never hid the truth--or even "watered down" the truth--for anyone. Yet, He never failed to act compassionately toward all those with a need and the humility to admit it. And often, even if they didn't admit their need. And often, even if they never said "thank you" for His act of compassionate love toward them. Of course, the love and grace of God and the deep hatred He has for sin were revealed undeniably on the cross. "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they do." May God grant His people the steadfastness and the gentleness to live lives "full of grace and truth." What our culture doesn't know, will hurt them.