Transitioning out of our mini-series, The Shoes of Readiness, of our overall series, Wonderfully Weird Armor, it is easy to see the metaphorical shoes of God. The shoes symbolize the Christian’s responsibility towards being prepared and ready to fight for The Gospel of Peace at all costs. It means Jesus’ soldiers are constantly training and moving forward to deliver God’s war plan through Jesus’s way, truth, and life (John 14:6), causing contentment to the people in their lives, including enemies (Matthew 5:44-46). Keeping in cadence with God’s Armor and Shoes, we looked at what they are, how they work, and when to wear them. Departing, let me share two things necessary to keep the shoes active and ready to go at all times — grace and truth.
Soldiers who wear God’s armor know their commander, Jesus, is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). They understand the importance of using these aspects to keep their spiritual shoes moving to win the battle. It’s these two elements working together that will advance God's goodness. Please understand it’s grace and truth working together that reverses the effects of a fallen world that wins the battle of peace. If these two natural elements of God live apart, mistakes and sin will triumph, dividing life where victory is never realized.
Grace comes to us through Christ (Gal 1:6) and is the main attribute necessary to be a mature soldier in Christ. Grace is unconditional love and acceptance. Such love is the motivation needed to drive God’s people forward to His saving Grace from their lostness to heal life. God’s grace in his worriers is the relational aspect of their character and shows itself in the unconditional connection with God and others. This compassion and relationship side of the struggle is necessary to win God’s battle for peace. However, truth is needed to guide God’s soldiers from repeated and needless trouble.
Just as grace is the relational aspect of maturity, truth is the structural side necessary to be a well-rounded, fighting person of God with integrity. total truth is the infrastructure that holds up God’s people to meet the challenges that come with the fight of living in a fallen reality. God’s truth leads us to what is real and what is accurate. Just as DNA contains the form of physical life, God’s truth configures our spirit to move forward our soul. Be careful here because truth without grace is nasty and nonrelational, leaving people dead in the wake of warfare.
Grace and truth are necessary to win the conflict between good and evil. They move God's peace forward when used according to God’s will. They are two elements seen in disciplined soldiers of Christ. It was Jesus who said when these two elements of God work together, they are true worshippers who win the battle of life “Shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” or The Shoes of Readiness (John 4:23-24 | Ephesians 6:15-16 [KJV]).
Next, “The Shield of Faith!”
Grace and truth,
Pastor Drake