By David ReayWednesday 7 Sep 2022LifeWords DevotionalsDevotionsReading Time: 2 minutes
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. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. (NLT)
Some of us may have had the unfortunate experience of being verbally assaulted by those who reckon we haven’t ticked all the right doctrinal boxes. We are warned about straying from the truth, though it is often the case that we are simply disagreeing with that person’s understanding of the truth! After such an attack we may feel like demoralised outcasts from the true faith.
Then again, we can be seduced by the soothing words of those who assure us that our faith is all about love. Jesus is all about love. All we have to do is love one another and put all those nasty doctrinal issues aside. That may leave us scratching our heads wondering if Christianity can be reduced to such simplicity.
Paul urges us to speak the truth to one another: after all it is no good holding passionately to a belief if it has no truthful foundation. Our faith is not like some gooey marshmallow with no substance. But he also urges us to hold on to such truths with genuine love for others. Some warriors for their particular faith tradition seem to love the idea of truth more than they love people. Which may turn people off whatever truth is being offered.
That wise author, John Stott, once said “Our love grows soft if it is not strengthened by truth, and our truth grows hard if it is not softened by love.”
Blessings,
David