Share the Truth in Love

Share the Truth in Love

After the apostle Paul states what the purpose of the church and its members are in Ephesians 4:11-14 and how we are all to come to a unified understanding of the truth, he says in verse 15 that we are to speak this truth in love. Now, how do we do that? We don't bludgeon people with bible verses and demand they change, right? We wouldn't berate our family and friends that they're wrong in all sorts of ways. That wouldn't exactly be the right kind of love, so what is?

That word for love there in Ephesians 4:15 is agape, which may be well-known in some circles, but what does agape love look like? Well, God knew we may ask that so He had it defined perfectly well in 1 Corinthians 13. We like to read those verses at weddings and with good reason. A husband and wife are making this choice to love each other no matter what may come, that they may be united and likeminded in all things (Phil 2:1-2). Agape love is a willful choice to love no matter what. To seek the goodwill of anyone, including your enemies. It's what God did for us in loving us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us, while we were yet His enemies.

Romans 5:6-11

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

So share what the truth is and let God bring the change. God's word says that we are saved through faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary (Eph 2:8-9, Rom 10:9, 1 Cor 15:1-4, etc) and that alone is what saves. There is no work or any show that we have to do. Simply believe and your eternal destination is changed from hell to heaven. You are transformed from sinner to saint. You are sealed with the Holy Spirit so that your salvation can never be taken from you (Eph 1:13-14, 2 Cor 5:5, Rom 8:38-39 etc.). You are blessed with all the spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph 1:3). All of this happens in that moment of belief and trust in Christ alone. But God will not force your choice, so every person is still free to choose their eternal destination. What choice have you made?