Binary Truths

Binary truth refers to an approach where truth is understood in a binary manner, meaning it is seen as either true or false, with no middle ground or a gray area. This concept is often associated with logic, mathematics, and computer science. In these fields, statements or propositions are commonly represented using binary logic, which can be expressed using Boolean algebra or truth tables.

In binary truth, a statement is considered true if it aligns with reality or corresponds to a fact. In contrast, it is considered false if it contradicts reality or goes against a fact. This binary understanding of truth is foundational in many aspects, such as logical reasoning, problem-solving, decision-making, and programming.

Grace and Truth

John 1:14 reads, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (emphasis added). John lists first grace and then truth to describe what he and others saw when they laid eyes on Jesus. First, they saw grace, and then—and only then—they saw the truth. They saw truth in all its glory, but it was a mere illusion if they did not first see grace. The sequence in this passage was paramount; it was not only the words in the Bible that were inspired but also the order in which they were laid out. This told us that Jesus came prepared with the only thing that could connect to sinners: grace. Only through His graciousness could a sin-ridden world encounter a thrice-holy God without compromising His holiness.

Grace and Truth in Action

Jesus came to earth full of grace and truth so that He could put His gracious words into action. As He interacted with others, we see Him showing grace to those who didn't deserve it—like the adulteress woman caught in the act, the Samaritan woman at the well, and even Judas Iscariot. Jesus didn't allow sin to dictate how He acted toward people; instead, He chose to love and treat them respectfully. In addition to showing love and kindness towards those undeserving of it, Jesus was also a Healer, Miracle Worker, Teacher, Comforter, and much more. Jesus' actions were pure grace-filled truth in action! As followers of Jesus, we are also called to practice the grace and truth that He modeled. We can do this by showing kindness and compassion to those around us, being peacemakers, and engaging in acts of love and mercy.

What Is Grace?

Grace is an undeserved and unmerited gift from God. It is the free favor of a loving God expressed to sinners. Because we are all sinners, grace is available to everyone who will accept it. By grace, believers are welcomed into a relationship with God and forgiven for their sins.

What Is Truth?

Truth is God's word (Jesus was the word), the absolute standard of what is acceptable in God's sight, and applies to all areas of life. We cannot be saved by our efforts or anything other than accepting God's truth as the basis for our lives and faith. Jesus said we must "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind," which means obeying His truth is paramount (Luke 10:27).

All through the gospels, we see Jesus comfortably welcoming sinners and being welcomed by them. Oddly enough, except for most religious leaders, no sinner ever failed to connect with Jesus. His compassionate identity was unmistakable to all who had fallen deeply into the depths of sin. They were captivated by an indescribable sense of warmth generated from His presence, demonstrating a powerful force that could not be denied. The more wretched one felt, the stronger the magnetic pull to Jesus; there was no commonality or fellowship considered taboo between Him and them.

Zaccheus, arguably one of the biggest crooks at the time; the Samaritan woman at the well; Mary Magdalene, the adulterer caught in the act; and even the thief on the cross would often find themselves feeling accepted before ever having uttered a single word. Grace told them without speaking piercingly through their consciousness that embracing rejection was unnecessary when they had seen in Jesus a fountain of acceptance and love.

Thousands of sinners were irresistibly drawn to Him, intoxicated by the grace radiating from His face like a lighthouse beacon. In Luke 9:51–53, we learn that had the Samaritans seen His countenance, they would have been captivated; its visage read gentle welcome in unmistakable letters of grace. But despite this alluring warmth, His truth was delivered with an exacting rigor that could have chilled even the most vigorous souls—had it not been presented within the comforting fires of unconditional love and acceptance.

Reversing the Order of the Components Presents a Different Jesus.

Today, we have completely reversed the order of the components in the grace-truth binary set. Rather than showcasing Jesus first as a fountain of grace and acceptance, we present Him as a truth that people must understand, accept, and obey as a precondition to obtaining His grace. We may not be setting out to do this deliberately; it is just our standard practice. When preaching to sinners, we usually spend most of our time on their wickedness and the deservedness of hellfire. We dedicate only a tiny fragment of our speech to presenting God’s grace—usually at the very end.

The result? Sinners often feel rejected before they ever have an opportunity to experience Christ’s love for them. This approach does not lead sinners to repentance or renewal as Jesus did with Zaccheus, the Samaritan woman at the well, Mary Magdalene, or even the thief on the cross. Instead, it hardens hearts by making people feel too far gone for Jesus to save them and unworthy of His love. This creates fear instead of hope and breeds resentment rather than gratefulness toward God.

To create an atmosphere where sinners can find solace in Christ’s presence without feeling unwanted or considered hopeless, we must reorder the grace-truth binary set according to Christ's example—grace then truth. Instead of introducing people to Jesus with warnings of destruction if they do not repent, we must first captivate them with His beauty and tender mercy that makes them feel beloved and accepted despite their sinfulness. This approach will enable sinners to accept the gospel within an atmosphere of grace rather than be discouraged by its harshness (Matthew 11:28-30).

This is not about minimizing sin; instead, it is about allowing sinners to experience God's love and compassion before teaching them how to live devoted lives for Him. As John Newton said: “Though I cannot see you now/I know your mercy flows/Your arms are open wide/Though I be far astray/Your love will never change/So I will come back to you today." When the grace of God is placed before truth, people can come to understand the truth and be transformed by it rather than rebuked by it.

Tension Between Acceptance and Approval

To effectively communicate the gospel message to sinners, it is crucial that we first show them compassion and acceptance rather than judgment or rejection. The Bible teaches us that our God is both a God of truth and compassion (Exodus 34:6), and through this lens of grace, Jesus preached salvation and forgiveness to those living in sin.

By being compassionate in our interactions with sinners and understanding their plight, we can create an environment where they feel safe enough to truly hear God’s message of redemption. This way, when they come face-to-face with the reality of sin, they will also come face-to-face with God’s mercy (2 Corinthians 7:10).

We Must Lift the Right Jesus

As Christians, we must always be mindful of how Satan seeks to manipulate Christianity’s binary truth—that God is both just and loving. Satan uses this binary truth to keep many Christians from praying for the felt needs of the unsaved—health, work, prosperity, etc.—unless they first become Christians.

Satan would like us to think that if prayers go unanswered, God does not answer them. He wants us to believe that if a believer gets sick or a business venture fails, it is due to a lack of faith in God or bad timing. However, we must remember that sin affects not only our external circumstances but also our internal mental state and emotions. Sin is a blinding condition that eventually perverts the mind, causing sinners to become spiritually insane and self-destructive.

Rather than rejoicing when an unbeliever’s business goes bankrupt, hoping such failure will cause them to come to Christ, we should be ready with compassion and help instead. We need not succumb to Satan’s lies and forget what Jesus said: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…teaching them all I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20).

We think they are old enough to know better. Are they? Those who crucified Christ were religious leaders with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, and yet Christ absolved them, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

The Power of Forgiveness

Truth without grace kills. So often, when we look at the lost, we focus on their sinfulness and its manifestation through destructive behavior, and we fail to draw from our God-given deposit of faith to pray for what God has in store for them. Instead of praying the promise—God’s promise—we end up praying the problem—the problem that Satan created to hurt them.

We also must confess that God will use everything the devil has intended for evil for good and that nothing is impossible for Him. As we do this, faith will rise, and we will soon find ourselves seeing and touching things hoped for (Romans 4:18-21).  This faith-filled outlook can open our hearts to an entirely new way of looking at our own lives as well as the lives of others.

By relying on Christ’s power to bring hope to all situations, believers can extend grace to others and invite them to experience the same transforming power that has worked in our lives. We must keep in mind the promises given us by Jesus Himself: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain move from here to there, and it will be done” (Matthew 17:20). We know with absolute certainty that if we have faith, nothing is impossible—no matter how desperate or overwhelming a situation may seem.

With this unwavering belief, we should not fear ministering to desperate and broken people. Instead, let us reach out with an open heart, reminding ourselves often that redemption is only ever a prayer away (Ephesians 3:20). As Christians, it is not our job to judge or punish but rather show mercy and love like Christ did before us (Luke 6:36). By offering grace instead of condemnation, by opening our arms instead of turning away, we can become living examples of what it looks like when God restores His lost children.