Episode Details

Whether it's on social media or around the water cooler, it's becoming harder than ever to love people we disagree with. In this message, Duane Calvin talks about how we can use grace and truth as guiding principles to do it best. 

Message Notes:
“How do I love people I disagree with? How do I respond with love to people that don’t like me or who deeply conflict with my Christian beliefs?”

It’s easy to love the people who are easy to love, but what about the people who are not that easy to love?

The best guiding principles on how to deal with confrontational or uncomfortable situations are found in God’s Word.

• Grace: 
  • God’s undeserved favor
  • Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
• Truth: 
  • Anything that is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory and Word of God.
  • Having complete reliability, reliability linked to the dependable, unchanging character of Jesus
  • John 8:32 (NIV)

Jesus was and is the ultimate example of Grace and Truth, and they are linked to the very character of Jesus.

• John 1:14 (ESV)
• John 1:17 (ESV)

John 8:1-11 (NIV) This is an example of Jesus demonstrating Grace and Truth.

Practical examples of how we can love people who disagree with us:

• 1st - Recognize that Jesus has enough Grace and Truth for everyone, even them. 
  • John 1:14 (ESV)
  • The word “full” in Greek is plḗrēs, which means “filled up, thoroughly complete; lacking nothing.”
• 2nd - Lean into what we lack.
  • Truth apart from Grace often produces a sense of legalism where we value rules and punishment and fairness more than we value forgiveness and relationship and people.
  • Grace-oriented Christians at times can struggle with Christian truths like obedience because it feels too restrictive and because they don’t want to be seen as being judgmental.
• 3rd -  Live in the tension of Grace and Truth because the Tension is where love of Christ is shared.
  • If we offend everyone, we are emphasizing Truth at the expense of Grace; but if we offend no one, we are probably watering down Truth in the name of Grace.

What will really make a difference in exercising these three truths in our lives is for us to put down the rocks.

• James 5:16 (NIV) “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

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