“SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE.”
By C. CASTBERG
God is love, and His love is the great lever that moves the universe. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. God has commissioned us to proclaim this Gospel of His love to sinful men, that they may be restored to life and happiness. But our Lord knew that it was necessary for those whom He has sent to preach the truth to tarry until they were endued with “power from on high,” and had the love of God shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, without which we are unqualified to bear the message of His undying love to a perishing world. But that love will move us to pity and compassion for those who oppose their own good; it will spur us on in the work of trying to lift fallen humanity. Without this love it would be impossible to endure the scorn, the derision and spiteful opposition of a wicked world. Peter says, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” 1 Peter 4:11. But speak in love, Paul says. Eph. 4:15. For “tho I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity [love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” 1 Cor. 13:1. If we speak the truth in love, then the Spirit of the Lord will be manifested to all men. The Word of God, which is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12), will prick the conscience and pierce the hearts of men, tho spoken in the sweetest accents of love. If we are devoid of the spirit of love, we will speak in harsh terms which will wound and anger all, but heal none. Many a man has been driven away from God by preaching that was more blighting than the desert wind, and more destructive than a blizzard in the time of harvest, because the words were a cold hail-storm of abuse. Harsh, grating words are sterile and unfruitful; but words spoken in love will bring forth fruit to the honor and glory of God. For “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Gal. 5:22, 23. We are not to fawn and caress the wicked, or to be men-pleasers, nor speak words to tickle the ear. Our mission is to imperatively and with unswerving fidelity speak the truth, but to speak it in love. Then, if the words of truth offend, we can safely leave the results with God. “Let your speech be alway with grace,” is the admonition of the apostle Paul; “speak thou the things which become sound doctrine, . . . sound speech, that can not be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.” Col. 4:6; Titus 2:1, 8. And the wise king of Israel says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in baskets of silver.” Prov. 25:11. In speaking the truth in love, “thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.” 1 Tim. 4:16.