Introduction

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know I often celebrate God’s glorious grace—both in these posts and in my daily walk with Jesus. After all, without that grace, I’d be unfit for a relationship with Him.

But this week, I want to focus on something that gets less attention: truth.
Not “my truth” or “your truth,” but God’s truth—the only truth there is.

Grace and Truth

In the opening paragraphs of his gospel, John the Apostle writes:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 (NIV)

I love that it says “grace and truth.” Jesus didn’t come to earth just to hand out grace as a “get out of jail free” card—He came to embody the truth that sets us free:

The Reputation Problem

In today’s climate of moral relativism, the idea of “God’s truth” (or absolute truth) can make some people roll their eyes. And sadly, people who don’t know God, Jesus, or the Bible well often picture Him as a stern rule-keeper—like a grumpy old high school principal obsessed with enforcing every regulation.

It’s not hard to see where that image comes from. The Old Testament contains the Ten Commandments, plus hundreds of other laws. Without understanding why they’re there, it’s easy to think God is just waiting for us to mess up.

Why So Many Rules?

Here’s the thing: God’s rules aren’t arbitrary. They’re not there to make life miserable or so He can “catch us in the act”—they’re there because He loves us. He wants to protect us and those around us.

For example:

• We’re told to worship only Him because giving ultimate control of our hearts to anyone or anything else will eventually harm us.
• We’re told not to commit adultery because it destroys relationships.
• We’re told not to murder because it robs someone of the life God gave them.

Even some of the old dietary laws likely had health benefits in their time—protecting people from dangerous foods before modern medicine or refrigeration existed.

The point is this: God’s commands are meant to protect and bless us, not control us.

Jesus’ Summary

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He boiled down hundreds of laws into just two:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:37–39 (NIV)

That’s it.
If we love God fully and love others as we love ourselves, we’ll naturally live in line with God’s truth. With the truth.

Imagine…

Imagine a world where everyone lived this way:

• Freedom from jealousy, anxiety, or insecurity.
• Freedom from addictions.
• Freedom from starvation, homelessness, or people being denied medical care they can’t afford.

That’s the kind of freedom Jesus was talking about. God’s truth sets us free—not just spiritually, but emotionally, relationally, and even physically.

That’s why He gave it to us.

God’s Truth Still Stands

So when Jesus says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” He’s not just talking about knowing facts—He’s talking about knowing Him.

The more we align with His truth, the freer we become. And the more we live in His truth, the more we experience the peace, wholeness, and joy He longs to give us.

Grace and Truth, in the End

So that’s it, folks.

In the end, grace welcomes us home.
And truth keeps us free once we get there.