Just one of the many examples you’ll find of the amazing double standards out there. Someone is intolerant and they won’t tolerate them. Someone is judgmental so they’ll judge them. “You’re absolutely wrong for claiming your position is right” while they claim their position is right. “We can’t really know for sure what the Bible means” while they're pretty sure they do.
We are commanded to “Speak the truth in love” (Eph 4:15). That means we tell the truth. No wavering. No double standards. But it also means we do it in love. Truth isn’t a bat useful for beating someone over the head. If we are to love God and love our neighbors, everything we do ought to be in love—seeking the best for the other person. If we love Jesus who declared Himself “the Truth” (John 14:6), so we must also love the truth. Don’t let truth slide because it violates your personal opinions.
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1 I am not trying to be unkind with the use of the term "same-sex mirage". I need to continually point out that there is a fundamental difference between "marriage" and what we are calling "marriage" when we put the term "same-sex", "homosexual", or "gay" in front of it. I am not objecting to it on moral grounds. I am objecting because they're not the same thing, and I use "mirage" in its place to call that to your attention.
7 comments:
Speaking the truth in love also requires some discernment. It doesn't necessarily mean always speaking in meek and soft ways. It also means standing up to unrighteousness boldly when needed. We don't want to match the energy of say, ANTIFA who claim to protest in love, but we must stand our ground with the strength of our convictions.
I remember the Chick-Fil-A debacle well, and I recall it occurred like this (paraphrased): A reporter of some sort asked Cathy, “Why does Chick-Fil-A donate corporate funds to ABC Company? Don’t you know that ABC Company supports traditional marriage?” Cathy replied, befuddled, “What’s wrong with that? I support traditional marriage.” From that, the reporter jumped from Cathy supporting traditional marriage to Cathy opposing same-sex marriage to Cathy being homophobic and hating gays to Chick-Fil-A being boycotted. (I also recall a similar controversy with Duck Dynasty, when one of the men was asked his opinion on same-sex marriage; the man offered his opinion, and he and his TV show came under fire.) And we’re the intolerant ones?
Efforts to “speak the truth in love” can be a complex undertaking. It requires discernment and spiritual maturity (to know truth), wisdom and sensitivity (to know love), and skill and discretion (to know when/how to speak). Putting the three elements together graciously and effectively is among the Holy Spirit’s finest work. Personally, I can’t imagine a higher calling as a believer than to be used by the Lord to speak the truth in love to the world and to the church, in order to help others “grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ” (Eph. 4:15).
How I wish we would see more demonstration online of the edifying behavior that Paul is encouraging! There is often a dearth of both truth and love displayed in online interactions; too many people are prioritizing the all-too-easy part--speaking--over the more difficult aspects of the admonishment. Perhaps if we strive to be slow to speak (Jam. 1:19), rather than hasty and emotional in our retorts, we can take sufficient time to pray about what to say and how to say it--in order to seek God’s glory rather than our own.
P.S. One commentary I consulted explains that “truth” as it is used in Eph. 4:15 is a verb, rather than a noun--literally “truthing in love” or “believing, applying, doing, living truth.” (I saw just now that you wrote this very thing at your 7/3/11 post.) How better to speak to those around us than to be observed living according to what we believe!
Hmm. Two decades of encounters with the same reprobate, seeking to impart the truth which seems obvious far more often than not. Have I crossed a line where I should have simply shaken the dust from my sandals and stopped engaging? More a rhetorical question. We each must decide for ourselves on that score. This incredibly lengthy exercise has done much to convict me in my beliefs, and while frustrating, I don't hate the person regardless of how much I hate the lies he spews. I see the ongoing extension of grace to be an expression of love, even when I indulge in snark and the occasional profanity (used more for effect than anything more).
I must admit, however, speaking the truth "in love" isn't always in mind when speaking the truth to some people. (I'm constantly tested and don't always grade well!)
Art, upon reading your comment, two Bible passages immediately came to mind. The first is 1 Cor. 13:1-3: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
The second passage is one I have typed up and posted by my computer, so I can consider it every time I engage online (or type up letters or emails)--2 Tim. 2:24-26: “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
A third passage would be Eph. 4:29: “Let no corrupt [unwholesome, foul] word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Frankly, the only effect profanity has is to weaken one’s communication efforts while soundly marring one’s Christian witness.
Art, in your comment you posed what you termed a “rhetorical question.” I assume, then, that you have a clear “yes” or “no” response in mind? I must say that I for one can’t ascertain which it is! If you are inclined, would you kindly clarify how you answer your query? (I am very curious, as this relates to the brief conversation you and I had at Stan’s 5/21/26 post.)
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