Speaking The Truth In Love

“But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16 NET

Paul's message to the Ephesian church is clear: our self-improvement is not a solitary endeavor. It is through Christ, working in and through us, that we can speak truth with love. By consistently practicing a godly life, we are empowered by Christ, gaining the confidence that we belong to Him and have a place in God's kingdom.

Speaking the truth in love is not just a passive act but a transformative one; it is the path that leads us to a place of maturity in Christ. Paul's words remind us that we mature not just in some things but in ALL things, which encompasses all aspects of our lives. The roles that the Holy Spirit assigns to the ecclesia are -pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets, administrators, and more are not just positions but stages of growth that we grow into through the movement of the Spirit of God upon us. This growth, this journey, is not a solitary one but one guided by the divine hand of God, facilitated by the power of speaking the truth in love to one another.

Let's firmly grasp the truth that Christ is the head in everything. Through Jesus Christ, we are not just received but embraced in the beloved, healed, and restored; our bondages are broken and shattered, and we find not just peace but profound peace with God in all aspects of our lives. Everything we have known, will know, and possess are not just surrendered, but laid at the foot of His cross, allowing Him to not just reign but reign supreme in our lives and provide us with an inner knowing that we are not just seen, but deeply known by God, bringing us not just security, but a sense of deep reassurance of His love for us.

Christ enables the body to grow and thrive. When I refer to the body, I mean connecting with other believers. Our relationship with others flourishes as we share our portion of Christ with them and receive their portion of Christ for ourselves. This is how we mature in Christ, by speaking the truth in love.

Paul uses the analogy of connecting body tissue to describe the building of the body of Christ: each part is fitted together through each ligament. We are joined to our fellow believers as deeply as our fingers are connected to our hands or as our feet are connected to our legs. This verse conveys the thought of intimacy in a most personal way.

Each part of the human body is interconnected and functions in harmony, exemplifying love. Working together as a unified whole, where the connection between the body's individual parts is best articulated as two becoming one, it reinforces and strengthens every part of the body as all parts work together. Similarly, when the ecclesia functions as one, each believer is strengthened and sanctified by the other, and love is the result.

I find it amazing that just about everything in this natural life and in the spirit is modeled after the same conceptual premise, two becoming one, the unifying principle. Even how a child is produced and formed in the womb utilizes this premise.

The central theme of Ephesians 4:15-16 is about personal growth and development, which is dependent on speaking the truth in love to one another. In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) This can be understood in three ways. Firstly, we can never achieve purity in God’s eyes, but Jesus can. With Jesus abiding in us, we can live in His purity. Secondly, purity can also be defined as honesty. God wants us to be honest and transparent about our condition; purity is not perfection; it is about honesty. He knows everything about us before we ask, but He desires that we communicate with Him honestly and openly. In the same way, God wants us to be transparent with our fellow believers, which requires trust and consistent practice. Lastly, God wants us to be honest with ourselves. When we approach Him, He wants us to be sincere and connected with our hearts and minds, responding from a place of truth and love rather than reciting empty words.    

Communicating from a place of truth and love brings pleasure to the Father because He fully responds to that, as it is His nature. King David had many failures in his life, both morally and personally, and one could say that David had a deeply flawed character. However, David had one defining quality: he knew his weaknesses and effectively communicated them to God through song, and he was known as a 'man after God’s heart.'  It doesn’t matter how broken we are; our willingness to bring our brokenness to Christ and offer ourselves as a living sacrifice allows Him to cleanse and heal us, making us useful to our King Jesus. God has chosen us for Himself to bear His name and be His special people on earth. As we have believing loyalty to that call, we are filled with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to become witnesses of His name, testifying that He loves us and fills us with Himself to accomplish great things through us. That is what God wants the world to see.

Stephen Barnett