TRUTH IN LOVE

One of the most important texts in scripture is to understand the role of the five gifts mentioned in Ephesians four: “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” (4:11-12) These are equipping gifts to help mature and form those who have decided to follow Christ.

“Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” (4:14-15)

It appears the process of maturation is to “speak the truth in love.” It has been my experience and observation that it is easy to emphasize ‘truth’ or ‘love.’ If it’s all truth, it can quickly become legal and ‘being right’ while others are wrong. If it’s all love, it can quickly become ‘everyone’s OK’ and nothing matters but love… it’s like drinking a grace smoothie. It is not one or the other… but both.

To grow in Christ ‘in every way’ is learning the delicate and needed balance of truth and love while trying to “speak the truth in love” without caving in to one side or the other. The equippers need to know how to do this.

“If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you.” Jesus