“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.” — 2 John 1:3 (NIV84)

What will be with us in “truth and love”? God’s grace, mercy and peace! Just stop for a minute and ponder that. Who of us couldn’t use a little more grace, mercy and peace in our life? We all could! These are things we cannot get in this broken world, although our hearts seek them. God grants these qualities to us as we draw closer to His truth and love. Throughout our study on the concept of truth, truth has always been linked to love. Truth isn’t some abstract thought. It starts at the very heart of God. It is rooted in His love for us. It is love and truth that moved Him to send Jesus into the world to save our souls. Truth is real and tangible. It can be seen and felt in the actions of Jesus. Wherever Jesus is, grace, mercy and peace will also reside. Because the love and truth of Jesus reside in us, we are blessed with His grace, mercy and peace.

This is why we need to be defenders of the truth. The further we get from understanding God’s truth and love, the further we get from having grace, mercy and peace in our lives. Just look at our society today. Where is grace? Where is mercy? Where is peace? These qualities are not present in our society as a whole because they are not in the hearts of those who make up the society. And that is because they do not know the love and truth of God. The two are interconnected. You can’t have one without the other. We, as a society, will continue to flounder until we recognize that absolute truth exists, and that it has a heart. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” is how John 3:16 reads. We need to see that God’s truth is not suffocating, but rather is life-giving. We need to share with the world around us that turning to God’s love and truth will provide them the grace, mercy and peace they seek to have in their lives.

Today, may grace, mercy and peace flow through us because we cling to God’s truth and love.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church