"SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE"
by Russell S. Miller

"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ:

"From whom the whole Body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the Body unto the edifying of itself in love" (Eph.4:15,16).

Surely by now you have noticed that people get upset and offended whenever anyone wants to share the Love of God. They do not want to hear that they are sinners in desperate need of the Saviour. Even Christian people naturally get offended when the truth is not spoken in love. But the unsaved will justify themselves with all kinds of excuses to evade this important truth that, if believed, would save their soul from an eternal loss.

"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (ICor.1:21).

The devil is very clever and knows how to "get an advantage of us" and keep precious souls from seeing "the light of the glorious gospel of Christ" (IICor.2:11; 4:4). Satan would "blind" those who do not believe from seeing their need of salvation and damn their souls to an eternal hell.

So we must walk "in love" toward the unsaved, for God places a very high value upon mankind, and He is not willing that any should perish. And because we are of "eternal worth" to Him, He sent His "only begotten Son" into this world to pay the full penalty of our sins, Himself, at the extreme cost of His own life's blood (Rom.8:31-34). Because of Calvary, therefore, and by faith in Jesus Christ, we may also now walk in the light of His Word. Why else would God have sent "His own Son" into this sin cursed world to die on a cruel cross for our sins?

"HE THAT SPARED NOT HIS OWN SON, BUT DELIVERED HIM UP FOR US ALL, HOW SHALL HE NOT WITH HIM ALSO FREELY GIVE US ALL THINGS?" (Romans 8:32).

The Love of God had no bounds at Calvary, as His wrath upon sin was poured out upon Christ. Shouldn't we, then, in love, be showing people from the Bible the Love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord? It is what Christ did on the cross that God accepts (Rom.3:25), and as we accept Christ's redemptive work on our behalf (Eph.2:8,9), God "accepts" us (Eph.1:6). It is not our "good works," then, but "faith" alone in the Lord Jesus Christ that saves from sin and hell and the Lake of fire. It is a matter of whether or not we believe what God has said in His Word about Jesus Christ. Do you believe the truth of the Word of God or do you still believe the devil's lies? God loves us, each and every one of us, with an everlasting love, an eternal love. How MUCH He loves us:

"BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US" (Rom.5:8).

"BE YE THEREFORE FOLLOWERS OF GOD, AS DEAR CHILDREN; AND WALK IN LOVE, AS CHRIST ALSO HATH LOVED US, AND HATH GIVEN HIMSELF FOR US AN OFFERING AND A SACRIFICE TO GOD FOR A SWEETSMELLING SAVOUR" (Eph.5:1,2).