Our corrupt culture, built on mountains of denial and the pursuit of personal pleasure, desperately needs to hear and to heed truth.  Yet where are those today, who will like the apostles, lovingly and boldly speak and write the truth?

To quote Paul of Tarsus:  “Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”  (Ephesians 4:15)  You can’t grow up, you can’t mature, until you face the truth about yourself and your environment.  Denial maintains immaturity.

However, the cutting edge of truth is often found to be unacceptable. Because of the pain that truth inflicts on pride, it is resisted and denied with both the will and subconscious avoidance.

To be received and embraced, truth must be wrapped in love and compassion.  That’s what God did — Christ lived the truth in love, humility, brokenness, and sacrifice.  He didn’t impose the truth, He incarnated the truth while we were yet undeserving and unrepentant sinners.  That’s why Jesus’ life has the power to change human hearts and to set captives free.

Those transformed by Christ and made new human beings — born again, not from an earthly mother, but from above (the spiritual realm) — are called to speak the truth in love — to compassionately call a spade a spade.  But how?

“Speaking the truth in love” begins with the heart rather than with the mind. Too often we speak from opinion and will and pride and tradition rather than speaking from a heart that is overwhelmed by our own sinful nature and God’s amazing mercy on us.