Speaking the Truth in Love

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.” Ephesians 4:25

If something is true, it is correct, factual, or genuine. There is no deception in it. Likewise the opposite of truth, lying, is done to cover up one’s mistakes, faults, or to mislead, or to spread evil about others that isn’t true.

When a person goes before a court or judge, they are “sworn to tell the truth.” Each and every word that they speak should be 100% truthful and accurate. No evading the truth, making things up as they go, but completely true.

We are called as Christians to love one another, and if you really love someone, you will tell them the truth. And sometimes the truth can hurt, but it needs to be said. 

When Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, it was not because He didn’t love them. Jesus loves each and every person. It was so that they would know the error of their actions, and would have the opportunity to change. He told them the truth, that the things that they were doing was evil. They were conspiring to kill Him, and He warned them of the error of their ways. He told them the truth, that they were sinners, and they needed to believe that He was the Son of God.

“But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.” John 8:40

Jesus warned the Pharisees of their hypocrisy, of how they tried to appear outwardly that they were righteous and holy, but the truth was that inside they were filled with iniquity and sin.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” Matthew 23:27-28

Really, lying to someone shows a lack of love towards them. I mean, because we are to treat others as we would ourself, would you want to be lied to? Would you want someone to speak things that were untrue and spread them around to others? Then don’t do it to someone else.

Tell people the truth because you love them. The Bible is a book of truth, and we learn from reading it that we are sinners. We need forgiveness to be saved from our sins, and we need to tell others this truth as well.

We need to admit our mistakes so that we can be forgiven for them.

Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

Some people don’t want to hear that, that they need forgiveness and need to change. For an example, homosexuality is a sin forbidden in the Bible, but some people who live this way don’t want to change from it, so what do they do? They go out and find a “church” that tells them that their lifestyle is ok, and fine, that they don’t need to change. Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist “churches” are just a few who allow this to continue in their congregations. In reality, what they are doing is lying to them

Yes, we are supposed to love everyone, including homosexuals, but that doesn’t mean that you tell them that the way they are living is acceptable and right. God wants everyone to repent of their sins and be saved, but we need to speak the truth in love to everyone, so that they turn from their sins and are saved.

And that goes for whatever sins a person needs to overcome. Fornication, adultery, theft, covetnous, etc. Tell people the truth, so that they know right from wrong.

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you truly love your neighbor, then speak the truth with them. 

In Christ,

Andrew