Speaking Truth in Love

​Ephesians 4:15 ~ “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”
 
There are many who will read a verse such as this and then surmise that they are commanded to say whatever they have upon their minds, believing that it is a truth to be told. I have known, and I am fairly certain that you have too, those who bring harm by speaking their opinion—though they believe that they are speaking a truth that must be communicated. It is a dangerous practice to harness a text to some personal persuasion without comprehending the full measure of what it says. So, as we venture into our text for today, let us not stray from the context in which it is provided. So let me encourage you to take a moment and read Ephesians 4:11-16 before we venture further together.
 
There are two key statements in the verses that precede our text for today. In verse 13 it states, “of the knowledge of the Son of God,” and in verse 14 we read, “carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” In the context of our passage today, we discover that the truth to be spoken is the truth concerning knowledge of the Son of God—that is, the LORD Jesus Christ. And, thus, to be avoided are those other winds of doctrines that are based not upon Christ but upon the cunning and craftiness of man which distort the truth of Christ.
 
It is imperative in the church that there is unity—but that unity is to be in the knowledge of the Son of God (see Ephesians 4:13), and to find that unity, the church is given the responsibility of speaking the truth of Christ in love. And this is the first thing we need to see today—that the truth we are to speak, is the truth concerning Christ. There are many opinions of Christ. Jesus asked the question to the apostles concerning that very thing. Matthew 16:13 reads, “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’” There were many observations concerning Christ, but none of them were based on Divine revelation but human speculation (see Matthew 16:14). Several will talk of subjective experiences, but do those experiences hold the same authority as revealed truth? They must not, for it is only in the Scriptures that the truth of Christ is revealed. Even Peter, with all of his supernatural encounters in his walking with Christ, made this observation in 2 Peter 1:19, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
 
So, as we speak the truth, we come to the next thing we need to see—what is the qualifier of speaking the truth? Simple: we speak the truth in love. Understand, this love is not human sentimentality or worldly agreement. Many believe that there is no love where people disagree. But it is not disagreement that we must avoid, but hostility against another. There is no room in the Christian heart to hold the truth with anger or hatred toward anyone. We speak the truth with the same love that Jesus spoke the truth. We offer to those who are around us the very truth that Jesus offered to us. It does not mean that the truth won’t hurt, or even offend the one who rejects it. But we must not pursue speaking the truth with the intention of causing harm but bringing life.
 
It is a tremendous grace to have in your life those who are willing to help you avoid the ledge of sin by speaking the truth in love. Let us be thankful for those times when we have been lovingly chastised by the truth of God’s word. Many times, the simplicity of a reminded Scripture has prevented me from slipping into some danger. Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” And beyond warning of the dangers of sin, such truth spoken in love can be that lift of encouragement that someone else needs in order to press further in faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
 
And finally, let us briefly see the results. There is a maturity that comes when we speak the truth in love. As our text states, “we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” We are to grow up—that is, we are to see an increase in our conformity to Christ. There is a family resemblance that God is creating in each of His children, and that resemblance is to bear the image of His Son. We are to be like Him, in character and conduct, in all our views and values, we are to become more and more like Jesus.
 
Let me encourage you, dear Christian, to speak the truth—but do so in the qualifying condition of love. Have in your heart a true desire to see the one to whom you speak grow Christ.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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