Speaking the Truth in Love

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)

“so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” Ephesians 4:14-15a (ESV)

I hear this often but I continue to be more and more disturbed each and every time. “The preacher read the Scripture text and his sermon had nothing to do with ‘the text of the day’. One of two things is happening when this does occur. Either the preacher has no reverence for the Word of God or he has no idea how to properly handle the Word of God. My firm belief is that the second thought is closer to the truth than the first, but the two are related. And the danger of false teaching is enormous when little care for God’s Word is taken by the messenger.

When we lived in Peru we saw a practice used that is not often used here in the United States, except verbally. Paint stores sold a water-based paint in powder form that was easily used to cover the adobe walls that are the most common means of construction. Although we call this ‘white washing’ this media of painting comes in many colors, but the effect is the same. The colors fade quickly and when, more like if it rains; the wash is immediately washed away. Thus the term ‘white washing’.

Gratefully, I was able to sit under the feet of some of the world’s best theologians and instructors of homiletics and preaching. Learning to study the Word of God and to deliver the message of God has remained the priority of the ministry of preaching that He has given me. And I simply want to pass this heritage on to my family because false teachers are misleading God’s people, “saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?” Ezekiel 12:10-13 (ESV)

Notice that Paul posts a warning not to be “carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes…” But this is a real danger when we listen to people who call themselves teachers of God’s Word and do not know and (I am afraid) really do not care how to deliver the Message. And by this truth false teachers protect homosexual life-styles as genetics, safe sex and abortion as choices when God’s Words references these as sin. The teaching of God’s Word becomes a mere ‘white-wash’, a ‘smear job’.

With all of this said, I want to encourage each of you to read, study and apply God’s Word to your life so that you will be one who is not ashamed of Scripture in order that you will be able to speak the Truth in His love.

There will be greater storms in life that will come your way and you do not want to be covered by someone’s ‘whitewashed’ teaching. If you have a secure foundation in Scripture, the harsh storms of life will not be able to wash away the Truth of His word that your heart has been immersed in…..