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For the first twenty years of
ministry I approached the pulpit much like a prosecuting attorney. It was
not difficult to bring up inadequacies and insufficiencies in the lives of
my congregation. Have you prayed enough? Do you witness enough? Do you
give enough? Are you measuring up to the ideal Christian life?
My one-on-one witnessing was more of
a mission to straighten out their thinking than it was sharing the love of
God. I mugged people for Jesus. Those who knew me would avoid me for fear
we would get into another controversial discussion so I could make my point
and show myself to be correct.
When I would discover what I thought
was a good point of doctrine, I would bludgeon people with it. My task was
to step on toes and make people squirm in their errors of doctrine. The
thing that was missing was love. I worshipped being correct, not God.
Idolatry is either worshipping a false god or worshipping the true God in a
false way. When being right means everything, we have a problem: the
absence of covering love.
Dont get me wrong; I am not saying
that Truth is a subtle idol, but truths can be. God is the God
of Truth, the Spirit is the Spirit
of Truth, and Jesus said, I am
the Truth. Truth is a person.
Our Subtle Idol can be truths that we count important, which
sometimes become more important to us than the people we are to serve.
The Scriptures do not teach that
Jesus was full of truth alone,
but it says He was full of grace and truth.
In contrast to Moses bringing the law, the Word tells us: but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. He attracted sinners, tax
collectors and prostitutes. They found Him approachable. The religious
people who counted truths more important than people, referred to Him as a
wine bibber and a glutton and a
friend of sinners.
It is true that the Scriptures teach
that the Lord has blessed the Church with people gifted to teach us: His
gifts were varied; He Himself
appointed and gave men to us some to be apostles (special messengers), some
prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of
the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock)
and teachers. and why did He do this? His
intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His
consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward
building up Christ's body (the church). This was His beneficial
intention for the church: That it might
develop until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of
the full and accurate knowledge of the Son of God, that we might
arrive at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is
nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the
measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness
found in Him.
The truths that are to be taught the
Body of Christ (the church) by these teachers God has given are so we
may no longer be children, tossed like ships to and fro between chance gusts
of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, the prey of
the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, gamblers engaged in every
shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.
The key to sharing truths,
particularly with other Christians (for this is what we are really talking
about), has to be as the next verse states: But
speaking the truth in love. When these Christian
teachers of the Body of Christ speak the truth IN
LOVE, the intended result is that the Christians hearing them
may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ
and not for everyone to bow to these truths and wave a banner of
identification that we are this or that. No, we are to grow
up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ
Who is THE TRUTH, a Person. As
the Amplified Bible states it: Rather, let
our lives lovingly express truth in all things, speaking truly, dealing
truly, living truly. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way
and in all things into Him Who is the Head, even Christ.
When the element of LOVE
is added, we will be focused on Christ (The Truth) For
because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts),
closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with
which it is supplied, when each part, with power adapted to its need, is
working properly in all its functions, grows to full maturity, building
itself up in love. (These verses are taken from the
Amplified Bible and appear consecutively in Ephesians 4:11-16)
In my eager attempt to be a defender
of the faith, I actually became an offender of the faith by
the loveless attacks I waged on poorly prepared Christians who could not
succeed in a debate with me, but who nevertheless were not changed by my
offensiveness. They did know that they didnt want to have anything to do
with whatever might make them like me. They were not edified in love by
my assault of them.
My love for truths was obvious, but
there was no evidence of my love for the Christians I offended. Ever how
right I may have been, I was not acting from the Spirit of Christ in me.
The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE.
The first words that describe love in 1Corinthians 13 should be foremost in
our heads when we are ready to defend the
faith Love is patient, love is
kind.
Even when we are to approach a
Christian who has fallen into sin, we are told to do it In
meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will
give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
Everything in the Word tells us to be loving, peaceful, and humble. We may
win an argument, but lose the person in the process. It is like a surgeon
saying the operation was a success, but the patient died.
Paul warned Timothy of
him who teaches otherwise that he
is puffed up with pride and stupefied with conceit, although he is woefully
ignorant. He has a morbid fondness for controversy and disputes and strife
about words, which produce envy and jealousy, quarrels and dissension, abuse
and insults and slander, and base suspicions, and protracted wrangling and
wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in
mind. He told Timothy, Remind
the people of these facts and solemnly charge them in the presence of the
Lord to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good but upsets
and undermines the faith of the hearers. And Refuse,
shut your mind against, have nothing to do with trifling, ill-informed,
unedifying, stupid controversies over ignorant questionings, for you know
that they foster strife and breed quarrels.
Then Paul describes to Timothy how
the man of God ought to deal with people by saying, The
servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and
contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone and mild-tempered
preserving the bond of peace; he must be a skilled and suitable teacher,
patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong. He must correct his
opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may
grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth.
Even James, who is often thought of
as quite severe in his writing, says, Who is
there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble
living show forth his good works with the unobtrusive humility which
is the proper attribute of true wisdom.
But
if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry, selfish
ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in
defiance of and false to the Truth.
This superficial wisdom is
not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal),
even devilish (demoniacal). For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and
contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion
(unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.
But
the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is
peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). It is willing to yield
to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and
straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and
insincerity).
And
the harvest of righteousness is the fruit of the seed sown in peace
by those who work for and make peace in themselves and in others,
that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between
individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears
and agitating passions and moral conflicts.
Peter also tells us, Since
by your obedience to the Truth through the Holy Spirit you have purified
your hearts for the sincere affection of the brethren, see that you
love one another fervently from a pure heart.
Please understand that I am not saying there will never be confrontation
over truth. I am saying that no confrontation should be without a spirit of
loving-kindness. No. There will be confrontation. As Francis Schaeffer
states, Truth carries with it confrontation. Truth demands confrontation;
loving confrontation, but confrontation never the less. Again, speaking
the truth in love.
In conclusion: The truth is very,
very important, however, we must not leave off loving those with whom we
share that truth. No single factor has so limited the Christian church down
through the years as mans inhumanity to man sometimes outright cruelty,
but far more often, sheer lovelessness.
If you love, you will draw people to
you, not repel them. Love and a cough cannot be hid. It will be evident
when you are filled with the love of God. John Calvin said, Where love is
wanting, the beauty of all virtue is mere tinsel, is empty sound, is not
worth a straw, nay more, is offensive and disgusting. In the same
vein, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, One curse of the twentieth century church
is the apologist.
Subtle idol that it is, love of
truths can be an evidence of idolatry in your life if you sacrifice your
brothers for the sake of those truths.
Little
children, keep yourselves from idols.
Grace
be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
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