Ephesians 4:15

" But speaking the truth in love, may grow
up into him in all things, which is the head
even Christ."

It's a few days before Easter and I think this is appropriate. Man this is really what it is all about. Speaking the truth in love. How many times have we seen or have we ourselves, spoke with a motive other than love? More times than I can shake a stick at. How many times have we seen the fringe groups of so called Christians, with signs declaring your gonna bun if you don't turn? All to often. A lot of the times Christians even get involved in a discussion and speak without careful consideration of what they are saying! I have done that a few times too many. The two things to consider are these. First: Speaking the truth. Does what we are saying line up with the bible? Does scripture back it up? Is it sound doctrine? If it doesn't, then we are in a precarious position with God. Revelation 22:18-19 says in a nutshell, if you add or take away from this book, speaking of the prophecy contained in Revelation, you will have the plagues mentioned in the book and your name taken out of the book of life! Pretty serious stuff. Also for pastors who teach false doctrine, Jeremiah 23:1 " Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord." How are sheep scattered and destroyed? By preaching any other message than the salvation through Jesus Christ. Of course there are other points that are important too, but that is the main one. The truth. John 14:6 " Jesus saith unto him, I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." The truth is Jesus Christ. No more, no less. Consideration number two: In love. When we witness or share with someone, is it to win an argument or to get our point across? Or is it so that we can look intelligent and smart? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:1 " Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I have become as a sounding brass or clanging cymbal." The kind of love described in that great chapter on love, is the love that Christ has for us. The word in the Greek is agape. It means unconditional love. It means that when we move to speak, there is no selfish motivation involved. We speak to glorify the name of Christ. We are removed from the picture and people are to see Christ in us and working through us. I have heard a few pastors teach about plugging our name into chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians every time the word love appears and honestly see how far we get. I'm still working on that and probably will be for the rest of my life. As will the rest of us. I don't have all the answers and don't claim to. I don't always speak in love. My desire though is that I would. I hope that is yours as well. Have a great Resurrection day and take the time to evaluate, do we speak the truth in love? Jesus said in John's gospel 13:35 " By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Be blessed.

Bob