Love and Truth

The two are inseparable, if you follow Christ. For:

NIV John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Grace, kindness, mercy...are these not all expressions of love? If Jesus came full of grace and truth, what should his people (the church) really look like?

In God's Word, these terms are inseparable. We get a feel for Jesus' emphasis on them all over Scripture, and we will see some of those. But I want to "hone in" on this concept as Jesus' stated his concerns for existing churches in Revelation.

In His first letter to the church of Ephesus, he encouraged them to love, as they had once before. But first, he praises the church in not bending the knee to falsehood:

NIV Revelation 2:2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.

Evidently, there were people claiming to be 'apostles' and teach the truth, but they were part of the false teachers that would show themselves in the last days. Just two verses later, he states his concern:

NIV Revelation 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

Love and Truth go together. As if this wasn't enough, the next two letters bear out the same understanding. The third letter, to the church in Pergamum, was a call to get back to Truth:


NIV Revelation 2:12 To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live-- where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city-- where Satan lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15 Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

The teachings of Balaam go back to the Old Testament (Numbers 22-24), when a prophet named Balaam was called upon by a pagan king named Balak, to curse the Israelites. Although Balak wanted the Israelites cursed, we are told that every time he opened his mouth against the Israelites, only blessings came out. This outraged the king. Moved by greed:

ESV 2 Peter 2:15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

NIV Jude 1:11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion.

Balaam wanted the reward Balak was offering him, and then devised another scheme for the downfall of Israel. He suggested to Balak that Moabite girls should seduce the Israelite men, by inviting them to take part in their idolatrous and immoral feasts. He knew rightly, that this would provoke the righteous God of Israel to anger, which is what Rev. 2:14 tells us.

And what letter do we find in the middle? The letter to Smyrna. This letter deals with the suffering of a Christian. See, right at the top of priorities of a Christian, is Love and Truth (this is what was made manifest in Jesus' life). And what will that bring here on earth? Suffering! Just look at the life of Christ? Was it without heartache and suffering? Absolutely not. On the contrary, we can expect many to be against us, as Jesus said:

NIV Matthew 10:22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Thank you, Lord, for standing firm for us. May we, by the power of Your Spirit, stand firm in Your Truth in Love.

Here are a few more verses of Scripture pertaining to the idea of love (grace) and truth:

NIV John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

NIV Colossians 1:6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.

NIV 2 John 1:3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.

NIV Psalm 26:3 for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.

NIV 1 Corinthians 13:6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

NIV Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

NIV 2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (negative example)

NIV 1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

NIV 1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

AND HERE IS OUR HUMBLE GOAL IN ALL THINGS:

ESV 2 Timothy 2:24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Wow...what a job. [But this calls to mind that demonic possession is not just a writhing, foaming at the mouth, head-spinning occurence, but also includes demonic teaching. (that contains lies...whom Satan is the father of...John 8:44)]

So, what does God's church (people) look like? We should love where God loves, give grace when God gives grace, and remain in His Truth completely in the process. Not sure where that is? Seek Him, and you will find. Search His Word and ask His Spirit to direct you. God bless you as you gracefully walk in faithfullness according to His True Word.