The Meaning of Grace and Truth

by Barbara Latta

I'm thrilled to welcome Barbara Latta today to share an excerpt from her new book, Redemption, The Heart of the Christmas Story. If you're looking for a book to supplement your Advent observance, I recommend this one. There is more to the Christmas story than we are traditionally taught. Discover new truths and deepen your faith this season. Find Barbara's bio and contact information below.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Barb's book. I'll make sure you have it by the beginning of Advent.

Now, here's Barbara...

Superballs were a new and coveted toy when I was in elementary school. This ball was constructed of material that caused a higher-than-normal bounce if dropped. When rainy weather forced us to play inside the schoolroom during recess, our teacher laid down the law as she left the room for a few minutes. "Play quietly until I return, and don’t play ball inside."

A group of my friends and I gathered and carefully pushed my new toy back and forth to each other. The pre-teen mindset told us if we only rolled the ball we wouldn’t be breaking the rule the teacher just gave us.

When the ball spun out of my reach I picked it up, but it slipped out of my hand and zinged to the ceiling with lightning speed. CRASH! Shards of the overhead lights clinked to the floor.

The teacher walked back into the room, glared at the mess on the floor, and asked what happened.

“It…it…was an acc..accident, I struggled to spit my confession out. I waited for my punishment, but nothing happened.

I can only surmise that because I had never made trouble before, the teacher extended grace and mercy.

God’s Grace

God’s grace is favor toward us when we have done nothing to earn His blessings.

Christ, who is grace, came to offer forgiveness for the fallen heart condition (Ephesians 2:4–5).

Centuries after Yahweh gave the Law to Moses, some Jewish rule keepers lost the meaning of the commandments. They honored the ceremonies, festivals, and rules, but their hearts were dark (Matthew 23:23).

Obeying the rules couldn’t save anyone. No one could keep them perfectly except Jesus. Salvation was given because of faith in the God that the commandments represented (Romans 3:21–23).

The Lord’s grace doesn’t mean He excuses sin. Sin must be judged and Jesus was born to pay that price. The difference in heavenly grace and my lack of retribution for the classroom accident is that the teacher absolved me of punishment and showed mercy. No one else took my place. But the sin of the whole world had to be judged and the Father’s Son took the chastisement.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. (Isaiah 53:10 NKJV)

The Knowledge of Truth

The Son of God came so He could fulfill the Law and show us His grace. But the doctrine of grace alone may lead people to the misunderstanding that sin has no consequences.

Grace brought mercy instead of punishment because Jesus was punished in our place. Truth brought revelation instead of confusion because Christ shed light on what the commandments meant. We need the right balance of grace and truth to lead a healthy spiritual life.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

The infant body of Jesus housed the benevolence of His Father. Heaven extended the message of the Father’s love to earth wrapped in linen cloths. The package opened at the cross and grace poured out toward the human race. Truth released at the resurrection with each fulfillment of prophecy.

Redemption opened the way for us to receive truth and live in grace. What does this mean to your life?

Giveaway: Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of Redemption. Wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving season.

Candyce

Barbara Latta Bio

Barbara Latta is an award-winning writer who has contributed to multiple anthologies, online magazines, and devotional sites, and has earned a one-year certificate from Charis Bible College in Colorado. She completed the Power Speaking Course through the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, co-led a women’s conference at her church and leads a weekly ladies Bible study.

Her book, Redemption, the Heartbeat of Christmas: What the Birth of Christ Means to the World released in October 2025.

She writes about living in our identity in Christ at www.barbaralatta.com. You can follow Barbara on Facebook: Barbara Latta, author; X @barbaralatta; and Instagram blatta2.