I was recently reading a post over at Wade Burleson’s blog and saw this gem of a quote by a commenter:
Pharisees fought for propositions…Jesus died for people.
In response, many started fretting and trying to illustrate the error of such a comment. Two very good replies of those opposed to such a comment was this:
Jesus died for all who will believe in Him. In that statement is proposition and relation. Don’t separate the two, they aren’t enemies, but friends that show the depth and beauty of the Gospel.
You cannot elevate Truth over relationships, or relationships over Truth. To do either is destory the foundation of the Gospel.
This is something that I often think about because I take seriously our commission to be ministers of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, and the call to unity. John 17:20-26; Romans 14:19; Ephesians 4:3; Hebrews 12:14; 2 Peter 3:14; Ephesians 2:14-22 (and so many more). I think we are called to the ministry of reconcilation toward God and toward one another. And there are billions who are dying and going to hell because the Church isn’t demonstrating the truth about Jesus because they would rather fight over propositions and what they call doctrines than actually follow God’s word and follow Jesus. John 17:20-26.
As I thought about that second statement above, which in effects makes a blanket statement that relationship and Truth (however they define what truth is) are binary truths that cannot be separated (like the song about love and marriage), I had this gut reaction, and I am not saying it is gospel truth; it was just my reaction, and I am writing it here to test the waters among bloggers/readers because I often get some great iron sharpening here.
Many things about God definitely are binary truths, and you are right to say that as to binary truths you cannot have one without the other, but God made the one who had no sin be sin for us, in spite of the Truth, so that He could restore a relationship with us. I’m not sure, but in that moment, he may have well put relationship over truth. All in the name of love.
What do you think?