Speaking the Truth in Love

Ephesians 4:15

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Have we ever had a hard truth to tell someone – but rather than tell them the hard truth – we told them something else or didn’t tell them at all? Telling the truth is not always easy. Hearing the truth can hurt some people’s feelings. Some people can’t take the truth – they can’t handle the truth. Some people have a hard time accepting the truth. Sometimes our truth is not the real truth – so we need to be careful. At times our attitude can hamper or block the truth from being heard.

In today’s passage we are called to speak the truth in love. We should never have the attitude that we want to hurt others with the truth. The truth should always be shared in love. In sharing the truth with someone – it should be to help and uplift – not to hurt and diminish. Sharing the truth – as found in God’s Word – should always be for the benefit of the Body of Christ.

Here’s today’s passage in partial context. Paul is teaching on the gifts and how they should be used to build up the Body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11–16 – ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. ¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The key is love – when we share things with love and with a sincere heart and desire to help and uplift – most of the times the truth can be heard and received. If the person we are sharing a truth with doubts our motives – the message will not be heard. As a pastor – our congregations will not hear our words – truth or not – until they believe we love them and want nothing but the best for them. As a brother or sister in Christ – the same can be said about those we speak truth with – they must know that we love them.

If we are not sharing God’s truth in love – we are immature and need to grow up some in Christ. The truth is always truth – but the way it is received or rejected is important. We must speak the truth in love. In this way the truth will fall on fertile ears and hearts.

Just something for us to think about today as we go on our way.