“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. – Matthew 7:13-14

In the days of a watered-down Gospel message whose two pillars are inclusivity and inoffensibility. The true Gospel of Jesus in contrast can be defined to be based upon exclusivity and offensibility. The truth is that there is one and only one exclusive Way to eternal life (John 14:6). And truth by nature has to be exclusive – meaning all other “truths” are wrong. And the offensibility that this truth can bring is revealed in its non-affirming, non-conforming nature to all sin it confronts within us (Romans 3:10, 23). Equally, the alternative Pharisaical and gate-keeping way of gospel presentation also hinders people from even approaching the narrow gate (Matthew 23:13). People whom I have heard being described as: “Those who seek to make the narrow way narrower.” Therefore this highly-sensitive balance of grace and truth (John 1:14, 17) which we are to practice is seen in the example that Christ laid out for us in His own life. Christ Himself being the most narrow-minded yet wide-hearted person to walk this earth.

And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me. – Matthew 11:6 

Maybe the most famous definition of grace that you have probably heard is ‘unmerited favor.’ And we’ll stick with it for this reflection. Here’s a more contemporary take on the illustration of grace, based on Matthew 18:21-35 (similar parable in Matthew which is based on themes of forgiveness and mercy). Say a man who runs a business has accrued a huge, unpayable debt. Solely because of his own mismanagement of funds and slackness in running the business. Come the time for his debt to be repaid, the banks want to take away everything he has and throw this fellow in jail for life. But a greatly benevolent bank manager decides to forego all his outstanding debts and approves a fresh lease of loan for him to continue his business. But this businessman does not change but continues in his former ways, showing no remorse nor willing to learn from his past actions.

In the above illustration, the bank manager forgiving the debts is mercy and the fresh lease of funds is grace. Mercy is God forgiving us – through Jesus on the cross – for the unpayable debts we have accrued in our names because of all our sins (Romans 6:23). Grace is the fresh investment into our lives by God – through Jesus Christ – to leave our former sinful ways. As one Greek lexicon perfectly defines it: Grace is of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. In other words, mercy lifts the burden of sin off of us and by grace we can continue to walk unburdened by sin.

Why are we doing a word-study on grace? Well because the false Gospel or a false understanding of the Gospel propagates a counterfeit grace – one which cannot not save our souls. This counterfeit grace does not lead us to the righteousness of Christ. But instead merely becomes a license to freely continue living in sin (Romans 6:1-2). In the illustration before, what would we say of such an unrepentant man? As someone who is undeserving, abusing kindness and having not understood the value of his debts. This is exactly what grace does to a person when the truth is blatantly ignored or neglected.

Only a false grace can exist without the whole truth. And false grace leads to the hardening of our hearts in sins.

Grace without the truth is only a cheap, useless and deceiving counterfeit. 

And they *sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. – Matthew 22:16

And maybe we have already seen the importance of the truth in truly being graceful to someone. But why has the proclamation of the whole truth of the Gospel become a rarity today? Because we have people, unlike Jesus, who care about people’s opinions and are partial to sinners. The word defer actually means to care about. And this is what Paul writes in Galatians 1:10: For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. And how can someone be partial? In the context of Matthew 22:16, it means the selective presentation of the truth as they seem fit. In proclaiming the truth, we must remember we are mere heralds of it. Like the ancient herald who carried with him the king’s edict and would stand in the public places and read it aloud for all to hear. The herald’s duty was never to alter or read a part of the edict. But in its wholeness proclaim it. Believing in the Gospel’s inherent power unto salvation.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…- Romans 1:16

On the opposite end of this spectrum is the presentation of the truth without grace. This is essentially reverting to the old testamental covenant of Moses. Grace came through Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24) and is only a new covenant tenet. The 10 commandments which begin as such: ”You shall not..” and “You shall…” are a call to man’s vain effort unto righteousness. Grace in contrast is a gift or an offering from God to those who believe (Ephesians 2:8). And grace always points not to man’s many failures but instead to God’s perfect sacrifice – Jesus Christ on the cross. The truth without grace can only condemn a man in his failures and ensures he never leaves his slough of despondency. But grace does not cast stones on someone when they have fallen in sin. It instead picks them up and then speaks the truth in kindness and boldness: “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more” (John 8:11).

So let us not be a people who are giving out false directions – that which lack the truth – leading to the wide gate. And let us not be like the Pharisees – using the truth to condemn others – preventing them from entering the narrow gate. But imitate Christ. Following Him in His compassionate acts of showing grace and in His impartial proclamation of the truth.

This very stand for the truth that would lead Him to be crucified on the cross, so that we can have grace freely today.

Truth is always costly, grace is always free.