Years ago, I heard a quote in a Sunday School article that defined the difference between justice, mercy, and grace. Justice is God giving us what we deserve; Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve; Grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve. The purpose of the Old Testament law is to shine light on evil and expose sin. And wherever sin abounds, grace always abounds more.
Jesus was perfect, did not sin, and had no deceit in His mouth. He said that He is the truth, making it a personal thing. We can rely on what Jesus said and unconditionally trust Him. He did not come to condemn the world but to save it.
We need to be honest and gracious, just as He was. The truth sets us free. Walking in the light means walking in honesty and integrity. Everything exposed by the light becomes visible, and everything illuminated becomes a light. (Eph. 5:13)
Once, I was with a group of people touring one of the caverns in central Texas. When we were in a deep part of the cave, they turned the lights off, and it was absolute darkness. Then they turned a small light back on, and it was amazing how much you could see with just a little light. Jesus told us that we need to let our lights shine so others can see our good deeds and glorify our Heavenly Father. (Matt. 5:16)