Can We Handle the Truth – with Grace?

“You can’t handle the truth!” This classic line from the film, “A Few Good Men,” resonates today because it seems many people have problems handling the truth – or even recognizing what it is.

Truth faces uphill battles these days. We hear claims of “fake news” or “fake facts.” (And that’s just from kindergarten classrooms!) Politicians point to each other, and the mess – I mean, mass – media with accusations of fabricating falsehoods or intentionally distorting the truth. Entire websites are devoted to propagating fictitious news stories, sometimes disguised as satire. Outrageous “reports” get posted on social media, and darned if hundreds of people don’t fall for the hoaxes. It’s increasingly hard these days to distinguish truth from fiction.

The old quiz show, "To Tell the Truth," recently revived,
capitalizes on the transitory nature of "truth."

In the midst of this “truth crisis,” the quiz show “To Tell the Truth” has been revived. It originally ran from 1956 to 1968, featuring guests with unusual occupations or personal distinctions, as is the case with the newer version. In each segment, one guest is telling the truth. The other two are imposters, posing as the person to be revealed., By asking a series of questions, panelists seek to discern who’s telling the truth and who’s not. Sometimes, the charlatans appear more truthful than the real deal.

Believers today are also wrestling with truth, but in a different sense. The truth has always been bedrock to Christianity. Jesus Christ claimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). We are convinced as well that the Bible is God’s inspired Word, His truth about who He is, who we are, and how we should live. Jesus prayed for His disciples, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

Because of this, we assert the truth is non-negotiable. At the same time, God didn’t call for us to bludgeon others with the truth, wielding it as a spiritual club in our attempts to persuade others to understand and accept it. Because inherent to the truth of the Scriptures is His unconditional love and His grace, the Lord’s unmerited favor extended to all who will receive it. This leads to a tension – the struggle to balance God’s revealed truth with His grace, which no one can earn or deserve.

Because it can feel awkward to present both at the same time, many of us tend to lean toward one or the other – black-and-white, unyielding truth, or grace, which often seems more welcoming. But as pastor J. D. Greear recently noted (and others before him), we haven’t the option of choosing one or the other.

Greear stated, “Truth without grace is fundamentalism; grace without truth is vapid sentimentalism.” Both are indispensable to the gospel message. But it’s a great tension – presenting the truth in a gracious manner, as well as discussing grace in the light of God’s truth.

I’ve wrestle with this often. I’m inclined to be blunt, speaking the truth from the Scriptures as I’ve come to understand it, firing from the hip. To borrow Greear’s terms, none of that “vapid sentimentalism” for me. However, a 100 percent dose of truth, without the softening effect of grace, can come across as harsh, legalistic, judgmental, rigid and insensitive. When I was first confronted with God’s truth, thankfully it was offered with an equal portion of grace.

Jesus never minced words about the truth: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Many of us have experienced this in our own lives, finding the teachings and principles of the Scriptures are not restrictive, as some would contend, but liberating, affording us the joy of becoming what God has intended for us to be.

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus made bold, seemingly outrageous claims that if untrue, would earn Him status as either the greatest liar in the history of the world, or insane. He was neither. At the same time, the gospels often show His interactions with others as being filled with love and compassion. He sought to relate to people exactly where they were – not where He wanted them to be or thought they should be. Our approach in presenting His truth to others should follow His example.

This is why 1 Peter 3:15 admonishes: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” We’re to hold fast to the truth – that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord, the only way to God. But we’re also to respond to those who inquire about our faith with grace, “with gentleness and respect.”

Another of my favorite evangelistic verses expresses it this way: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). Just as Jesus always responded with the right words for the right occasion, our prayerful desire should be to do the same whenever opportunities arise. Then, others may be able to handle the truth they hear from us.

‘Your Truth’ and ‘My Truth’

Truth has taken a beating lately. Everyone apparently knows what it is – but no one agrees on “it.” But before you let that truth spoil your day, take heart. Society, in all its wondrous ingenuity, has found a solution:

We now have “your truth” and “my truth.”

Happily, the intelligentsia of Celebrity-ville are leading the way. Pop diva Rihanna, for instance, informs us, “I just live my truth.” We find consummate wise man and constant center of controversy, actor Charlie Sheen, telling all who will listen, “All I can do is speak my truth.” And maturing actress Dakota Fanning has described life as a quest for “finding her truth.”

Isn’t it wonderful? Just decide what you want “your truth” to be and there you have it. And no one can tell you differently. No one-size-fits-all. Choose whatever size you like. Very convenient.

But Hollywood, courtesy of Jack Nicholson in “A Few Good Men,” also gives us this insight: “You can’t handle the truth!”

The problem is, truth in real life isn’t always accommodating. In the physical realm we refer to truth as “physical laws.” Suppose I’m in a small plane and on a whim, elect to jump out sans a parachute. Based on “my truth,” I’ve decided I don’t believe anymore in gravity. Sadly, that won’t stop me from impersonating a pancake once I converge with terra firma.

Similarly, suppose “my truth” objects to the physical law that states two objects can’t occupy the same space at the same time. Despite my objection, if I step in front of a moving bus, “my truth” will be overruled.

But that’s physical law. When people say “my truth,” they’re referring to beliefs, especially as they relate to morals and ethics, right? OK. In the 1930s and early 1940s, Adolf Hitler, an avowed Darwinist, determined to give evolution a boost by exterminating millions of Jews. We call this the Holocaust, and rightly so. But that was Hitler’s “truth.”

In the 1800s, thousands of slave owners operated according to “their truth” in owning slaves, treating and using men, women and children as little more than animals. It took courageous individuals of conviction like William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln and others, who held to a different “truth,” to abolish this horrendous and inhumane practice. These “truths” collided and could not coexist.

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, convicted of sexually molesting numerous boys over many years, apparently adopted a “truth” that such behavior was not wrong.

We could cite numerous examples of business leaders, politicians and sports figures who also acted according to “their truth,” engaging in all manner of morally and ethically scandalous behavior for their own ends. 

Therein lies the problem: Do we have the option to select truth according to our personal preference? Society would say yes – that is, unless society disagrees with “your truth.”

When I’ve engaged with some people in spiritual discussions, they’ve conveniently responded with, “Well, that’s your truth.” In one sense, they’re right. It’s what I understand as truth, but not because that’s what I want it to be. I hold to biblical truth because I believe that’s exactly what it is.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). That’s His words, not mine. Heck, if it was up to me, I’d probably go with the mantra, “any way’s the right way – as long as you’re sincere.” But it’s not up to me.

He also stated, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). We talk a lot about freedom these days, but do we really know what it is? Jesus promised freedom in the broadest and grandest sense. And from experience and observation, I’ve discovered truth really can – and will – set anyone free that’s willing to embrace it.

To me, the issue is not “your truth” or “my truth.” At issue is…God’s truth.