Love is the license to speak truth
Sharing the truth of God’s word is an important part of the Christian life. At some point in our lives we responded to truth and made a decision to follow Christ. Now we have a responsibility to share that truth with others so they will have the same opportunity that we had. With that new responsibility we should keep in mind the manner in which we deliver that truth.
Truth is received in the manner it is delivered. The Word of God is truth. It is also a sword, a double edged one at that. Truth should never be delivered with the intention of “straightening someone out,” or “correcting someone.” Scripture is profitable if it is delivered with the right heart. If it is delivered with wrong motives it can actually drive people away from God instead of drawing them to Him. This is a real problem in our generation.
Grace and truth came thru Jesus Christ (John 1:17). Delivering truth without grace is what Satan does when he comes as an angel of light, so let us not partner with him.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This passage is repeatedly misused to justify Bible bashing, finger pointing, and a judgmental approach to correcting people in the name of God. A self-righteous assault on people is a reproach on Christ and opens one up to the influence of religious spirits. Not to mention hurting the one we are supposed to be helping.
Notice that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God.” God is love according to 1 John 4:8.
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Therefore, all scripture is given by the inspiration of Love. When the Word of Truth is shared it should be inspired by Love.
If the delivery of truth isn’t inspired by Love it is NOT profitable for doctrine, it will NOT reprove, it will NOT correct, it will NOT instruct, it will NOT complete, and it will NOT equip. It just cuts, and it cuts deep. Love is the license to speak truth. If we don’t have genuine love and compassion in our hearts toward the ones we are speaking to, we have lost our license to speak on God’s behalf.
I really love a perfectly cooked rib-eye steak. It may be my favorite food in the world, but if it is served to me wrapped in a dirty diaper I am not going to eat it. It’s the same with delivering truth. The word of God is so powerful it can change a life, but it must be palatable, seasoned with salt, full of grace, and delivered in sincere love for it to be received.
If we are not imparting God’s grace, communicating God’s heart, and being a vessel of God’s love, we should remain silent. If we can’t correct that on the spot, we may need to stop and reschedule the conversation for another time, giving us time to pray or seek council from another leader.
“Don’t be pressured into speaking when you know your heart isn’t right.”
There is a simple rule that will keep us from a myriad of problems if we apply it.
“When we speak, lets be sure it’s an Improvement on silence.”
Following this rule does a few things,
- It slows down the conversation and keeps us mindful of the power and purpose of our words.
- It diffuses conflict that arises from elevated emotions.
- It teaches us the value and power of silence.
- It gives us greater control over ourselves and the entire situation.
- It allows us time to hear from our heart what the Holy Spirit is saying in the situation.
Personally, I believe this is what was happening in John 8:1-11 when Jesus was writing in the sand with His finger while everyone pressed Him for an answer to judge the woman caught in adultery.
Not being willing to speak until He heard from the Father is a lesson we all should take to heart. There are few worse feelings than knowing we have hurt one of God’s children with our words.
As disciples of Christ, we should think before we speak, selecting words that nurture and build up rather than tear down and destroy. When faced with hostility we speak gently to diffuse anger and emotions rather than feed them. When faced with uncertainty, we are slow to speak, letting silence do the heavy lifting while God speaks to us.
To really deliver truth that is living seed, we must give our hearts time to tell our mouth what to say.
Thank you for visiting truthpressure.com. I hope this has been a blessing to you.
JC
Truth Pressure Ministries 