Growing To Be The Truth in Love

I wonder how many of us know the vision of the church. Now, if I asked you what is the mission of the church, you probably will understand it very simply without reading the full statement by just looking at our logo and saying, preach the gospel and prepare the people. That is our job. That's our mission. Preach the gospel and prepare the people. But what is our vision? Okay, I'm going to read you the statement that is the vision of the church, in which is our vision. Our vision is to be a church led by God's Holy Spirit, joined and knit together by what every man supplies, with all doing their share and growing in love to fulfill God's great purpose for humanity, which is to bring many children to glory. All right. It is a well-worded sentence, but the problem is you can't remember it just like that, like saying, prepare the people and preach the gospel. Now, the outcome in this statement is clearly by our Hebrews 2 verse 10. So let's look there. In Hebrews 2 verse 10, Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10, which says, For it was fitting for me, the Father, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, so it's fitting for God, the Father, in bringing many sons to glory. Our ultimate end goal, God's ultimate end goal for us, is for us to be children in the kingdom of God, to be a family, and to make the captain of their salvation, which is Christ, perfect through sufferings. So our goal is to be part of God's family, and we, as a church, we are the body of Christ. We know the church is the body of Christ, but what are we to be? Simply, we are to be like Christ, because Christ is the image of God. We are to imitate Christ, and how we to conduct ourselves in that. And I gave a sermon some weeks back about what is what is godliness, and that is to be like God, and basically I explained it's the fightful fulfilling of our duty as sons of God. Okay, now look at Paul explaining a little bit more about this when he was describing the conduct of ministers and deacons. Paul was giving Timothy an instruction about the conduct of ministers and teachers in the church, and that is in 1st Timothy chapter 3, and he says, some of the conduct, some of the qualities of people that would be minister or a deacon. And then later on, a bit later on, he says in verse 14, these things are right to you, though I hope to come to you shortly. Paul is saying, look, I'm writing these things, I'm giving you this information, but I actually hope to be able to visit you soon. But, verse 15, if I'm delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. So the church of which we are, the spiritual body of Christ, the church, we are to be the pillar of truth. Am I? Are we? Are we the pillar of truth? Are we growing to be the truth? Because we are to be the pillar of truth. Are we, if the word truth was a verb, or there is no word truth, it's not a verb, it's a noun, right? Truth is a noun. But if the word truth was a verb, are we true-thing? Truth-thing. Are we true-thing? How we speak? Are we speaking the truth? How we act? Are we acting according to the truth? Are we following the truth? Are we becoming the truth? You see, our vision statement says that we are to be led by God's Holy Spirit and every man supplying is part of what? Of being, of growing in truth, in the truth.

And at the same time, in parallel, growing in love. You see, it's two dimensions, truth and love, but we've got to grow in love. We know in 1 John 4, verse 8, let's look at that very briefly. 1 John 4, verse 8. 1 John 4, verse 8.

1 John 4, verse 8.

And it says, He who does not love, does not know God, for God is love. So if we are to be sons of God, we've got to be love. And look a little bit later in verse 16. It says, And we know and believe that the love that God has for us, God is love, and He who abides in love abides in God and God in him. We have to be growing in that same love. Now, let's look at a very important scripture about the church which Paul described in Ephesians 4. In Ephesians chapter 4. In Ephesians chapter 4, starting in verse 11, says, And he gave himself some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. He gave himself. I didn't give it myself. He gave himself for us. Some of us. He gave us responsibilities. For what purpose? For the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministering, of serving, for the edifying of the body of Christ. To the world come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man. Still we all come to be like Christ, in other words, to the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ. That we should no longer be children tossed to and through and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of man in the cunning, craftiness and deceitful plotting, in other words, through lies. But, verse 15, speaking the truth in love and growing up in all things unto him who is the head Christ. We are to grow to be like Christ, from whom the whole body joined and knitted together by what every joint supplies according to the effect of working by which every part does its share causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. And now you can see where we drew the vision statement of the church, which is basically rewarding of this section of scripture. But there's two points here that I want to emphasize. At the end of verse 16 says, causes growth of the body of the church for the edifying of itself of the church in love. We are to grow in love. But also, look at verse 15, it says, but speaking the truth in love. How many of us speak the truth, but we don't do it in love and we hurt people? But I want to draw a little deeper down here. Is that in Greek, the word speaking is not there. In Greek, the word speaking is not there. In Greek, it says, but the truth in love. Now, it doesn't make sense, but then you look at the word truth, and in Greek, the word truth in this section, which is Strong's 226-226, a life through or is a verb, is not a noun. So, if I was translating this as a verb, then I would translate it as, but Truth in love. So, you could translate it, speak the truth in love, you could translate, act the truth in love, you could translate, follow the truth in love, or grow to be the truth.

Now, there's nothing wrong with saying that we have to speak the truth in love. All that I'm drawing is a deeper understanding that it says it's more than just speaking. Speaking is important, but it's more than just speaking. It's acting, it's behaving in truth. It's not being something artificial, but it's something from inside. Then what we are, we are truth. A yes is yes, and a now is no. We are truth. So, look at for instance at Psalm 15 verse 1 through 4.

Yeah, and Psalm is asking who is going to be in the temple of God, putting it another way, who is going to be in the kingdom of God, or who is going to be in the family of God. So, in Psalm 15, start in verse 1, Psalm 15 start in verse 1. It says, It says, Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who is going to be in your house, in your kingdom, in your family? Who may dwell in your holy hill? And then it says, who that person will be? He walks uprightly. In other words, a life is blameless. He works righteousness, means obeys God's laws. He speaks the truth in his heart. So, speaking the truth is there, but it's also walking uprightly. It's also work righteousness. So, it's that value statement of being truth. He does not backbite with his tongue. In other words, he's not malicious when he speaks things. He does, no, a Lord does evil to his neighbor. In other words, he doesn't hurt that person.

And then he goes on. He knows his eyes, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend. He knows his eyes, a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord. He will swear to his own hurt and does not change. Brethren, I think your battery is coming down. Brethren, it's not easy. It's not easy to when you are in a situation that when you are in a situation that you gotta admit you've done something wrong. And you know that's gonna hurt you. That's hard. Say for instance, you say something wrong and then you know you said something wrong. What is the natural reaction? The natural reaction is, I gotta get out of this. And so you're gonna, I'm not saying you should do this, but I'm saying this is the natural human nature way. You're gonna color the facts so that you don't look so bad. Which is basically lying. Which is basically not being the truth. He says, yeah, he who swears to his own hurt. And does not change. In other words, he's gonna tell the truth even if it's gonna hurt him. Brethren, that is hard. I know. I've had to do it many times. I've said things wrong. And I had to say, I did it. And I know my intuition was, well, don't say it. But I said, no, I gotta speak the truth. And don't deviate from the truth. That is hard. So, what is our vision as Christians? In a practical, simple way. Instead of a long statute, in a practical, simple way, is that we need to speak the truth in love. We need to act the truth in love. We need to follow the truth in love. We need to become the truth in love. That's our vision. Truth in love. Look at John 17, verse 17. John 17, verse 17. We know this. This is part of Christ's prayer. Christ's prayer on the night that he was betrayed. And then he says to the Father, Sanctify them in your truth. Thy word is truth. So, you and I have to be set apart, have to be separated, have to become truth. God's truth. And where is the truth? What is truth? Remember, when Pilate asked Christ, well, what is truth? Thy word is truth. The entire word of God is truth. Look at Psalm 119, verse 142. Psalm 119, verse 140. Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm. And in verse 142, and as you know, Psalm 119 is basically about God's law. And in verse 142, it reads, Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness. And your law is truth. God's law, God's principles, God's word is truth. Now, if God's law is truth, breaking God's law is lie. As simple as that.

And we know God is truthful. God does not break His word. His yes is yes, and His no is no. We had a very good sermonette about God's promises. How come can we rely on God's promises? Because He is truth. His promises will be so. So, He's faithful. And we have to be faithful. We have to be like God. God is truth. Romans 3 verse 4 says, basically that. Mankind and people, God gave the articles to the Jews, and what if they don't obey? Well, if they don't obey, God is truthful.

God does not break His promises. You read that in Romans 3 verse 4. But let's look at something else. Christ said, when He gave that sermon before His prayer, on the night that He was betrayed, that is from John 13 through about John 16, in John 14 verse 6. Look at what Christ said that evening in John 14 verse 6. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. So, if you and I want to be like Christ, He's the way, but He is the truth. We have to become truth, like He is truth.

Another section of Scripture that we'll quite often refer is in John chapter 1, where it says in John chapter 1, it says, the Word was with God and the Word was God. But look a little bit later in verse 14. John 1 verse 14. And quite often we look at it and it says, and the Word became flesh. And dwelt amongst us. Indeed, Christ, the Word emptied Himself. You read that in Philippians 2 verse 6. He was the form of God.

He emptied Himself. He became a human being. But it says, and it became flesh. It says in John 1 verse 14. And dwelt amongst us, and we beheld His glory. The glory of the only begotten of the Father. And look at the next phrase. Full of grace and truth. Christ is full of grace and truth. And what is grace? Grace is God's kindness, God's love, God's outgoing concern for us, God's outgoing concern for us, God's desire to give its love, basically, putting another way, and truth.

So we get back to the same thing. Truth and love, love and truth, that's what we're going to become. That's our vision to be sons of God. 1 Timothy 5 1 Timothy 5 1 Timothy 5 And we're going to read verse 17. Again, Paul is instructing Timothy with a number of principles. And in 1 Timothy 5 verse 17, he says, Let the elders who rule well be counted the word of your double honor, especially those who labor in the world.

Now, we read a little earlier on, thy word is truth. So, labor in the word, in the words in the truth, and doctrine. Doctrine is teaching, is teaching that word, teaching the truth. Now, so what do we have? We have knowledge. Knowledge grows to understanding, and understanding the truth. So, we need to grow in that knowledge of Christ who He is, to have a deeper understanding of who He is, so that we can actually be like He is, because He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

So, that's our goal, and He was full of grace and truth. Look at Titus chapter 1 verse 9. Titus chapter 1 verse 9. He says, all being fast, the faithful word has been taught, and thy word is truth. So, we've got to hold fast to the truth. In other words, we've got to be truth-y. We've got to hold fast to the truth. We've got to hold to the truth.

We can't let it go. We've got to grow in truth. How do we grow in truth? More knowledge, more understanding. We grow in truth. But we've got to hold on to it, not let it go. How many people have known the truth, and have let it go, and have gone down that horrible ladder? Of losing the truth. It's terrible. It's terrible. Look at verse 13 of the same chapter, T We've got to hold on to the truth. We've got to hold on to the truth.

To the pure, all things are pure, and to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works, they deny Him. Being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Why? Because they let go of the truth, and therefore, the I sin, sin, is the opposite of truth.

Look at 2 Peter, 2 Peter chapter 1. 2 Peter chapter 1, and we're going to read verse 12. 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 12.

For this reason, I will not be negligent to remind your wise of these things, though you know, and are established in the present truth. As you might recall, in our sermonette, we went about these promises, the precious promises, as it mentions in verse 4. And then it goes, yeah, in verse 12, says, for this reason, I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth. Truth does not change, brethren. We change. There's no new truth. The truth is the same. Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the truth. But our knowledge and understanding about Christ grows, deepens, and that is nothing else than the process of conversion. The process of conversion is to grow in truth and love. You see, as you are called, and God opens your mind, He takes that veil away, and suddenly, basic truths become clear. It's like, hey, why didn't I see this before? Been reading it all along. The truth is the same. It's just our understanding grows. You see, we didn't realize, hey, I'm not going to go to heaven when I die or hell. I'm going to be sleeping. I'm going to be sleeping until the resurrection. Our knowledge and understanding deepens about the Sabbath, about the Holy Days. Then, what is it that we got to hold on? We got to hold on to that truth, not let it slip. We got to hold on tight, tight, because if we don't, we don't give credit to it. We are rejecting it. Look at 2 Thessalonians 7. 2 Thessalonians 7. 2 Thessalonians 7. Are you part of the same? 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 7. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 7. It says, For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he will now restrain him, who restrains will do so until he's taken another way. The mystery of lawlessness, it was operating God's law. That spirit is already around. We know that. It's around. And then look a little bit further, in verse 9 and 10. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders. And with all unrighteous deception, which is lack of truth, right? Amongst those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth. That they might be saved. They got some degree of truth, deeper or less deep, but whatever you got, they got, they didn't love it. And they let it go. And they slid down this rope. Of deception and righteous deception.

As we know, Christ said, the truth will make you free.

God's truth makes us free. God's truth, based on knowledge and understanding, is basically a dimension of what we need to be. If I was to draw a graph, this is what we need to be. Truth. We need to be truth. And we need to be growing in the truth. And as we come and we learn more about God's Word, we need to be the truth. And even if it hurts us, we got to stick to the truth. We must not slide down the truth. But that's one dimension. You see, there's another dimension, which is love. And love is another dimension that we're going to grow in love. We're going to grow in love over a period of time.

That means in grace, in kindness, in loving kindness. And we read in 1 John 3 verse 18 and 19. Let's look at that. 1 John 3 verse 18 and 19. 1 John 3 verse 18 and 19. 1 John 3 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but indeed and truth. We need to love in truth, in real truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and we shall assure our hearts and shall assure our hearts before Him. We must hold on to the truth, and we are to be of the truth. Look at verse 11. Look at verse 11 in the same chapter, 1 John 3 verse 11. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 2 John 3 So we ought to be of the truth, and we ought to love one another. So what are we talking about? Is two dimensions, truth and love. And so what do we have? If you are low in truth, and if you are low in God's love, you are in this bottom left quadrant. Cold, that I've named it, simply as traditional religion.

Now, we all need to be growing over time. But it depends how far we've grown.

However, what if you're still low in truth, but now you put this external, syrupy love. Now you move to that cultural quadrant, which you could call it, what? Somebody that is licentious, that accepts, oh well, we just have to love. But they can break the law, but we just have to love. We're going to be loving, licentious. You could group different religious approaches in that area. I don't need to enumerate them, but you could group different religious approaches in that area of licentiousness, of having low truth, low degree of obedience to God's law. And yeah, very loving, but it is artificial. It's syrupy. It's just sweetness outside. And so we have...

two dimensions there. Now, what if you are a person that knows the truth, but you have little love?

What if you know the truth, but you have little love? You have, let's call it some churches of God that know the truth, but well, you can't meet with other people of your family if you're not of the same denomination. Is that love? You basically, when you get to that, you are in this area, which I've called it legalism. They are, yeah, very strong for the law, very legalistic, but there's no real love. And so I think you can see where you and I should be. We should be holding to the truth. In other words, not licentious, not traditional type, low truth. On the other side, we should know the truth, but not legalistic, but with genuine, outgoing, caring concern for the others. That's where we should be.

And if we're going to draw a picture, I'll put it like this. We should be there. Now, where you and I are depends how much we're growing. Either in one or another. So we could be coming from here, we could be coming from there, we could be coming from there, but we're growing. We need to be growing in the truth and love. That's the direction. That's our vision of who we need to be, to be like Christ, which is the image of God, which is full of grace and truth, full of loving kindness and mercy and truth. So it's right up here, it becomes infinite. And we have to grow that to be that.

So, so, as we grow towards that area of practice and living and being and speaking, are you going to stick out in a world? You are. And in fact, what you are being is a light. A light to the world. Matthew 5, verse 14 through 16. Matthew 5, verse 14 through 16. Through 16.

And it says, You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light that lamp and put it under a basket. But on a lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before man that they may see, not hear, see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. That's what we ought to be. That's our vision in our road today towards becoming sons and daughters of God. Truth and love. Now, if I tell you our vision is to be truth and love, you're going to remember that. Rather than that long statement. Now, it's nothing wrong with that statement, but it's just something like we have preached the Gospel, prepared people, and our vision is to be truth and love. That is easily rememberable. And that, in a sense, is a culture that we have to develop. A way of life, a way of being, a way of becoming. And that's not easy. That's why Christ said, Be you perfect. God said, Be you perfect as I am perfect. That's that growth that we've got to be aiming. Look at Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 8 through 10. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 8 through 10.

For you were once darkness. It was not light, not truth and love. But now your light or light in the world, walk as children of light. For the spirit, for the fruit of the spirit, is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Goodness, righteousness, and truth. That is grace and love, the knowledge of Christ. Finding out what is acceptable of the Lord. The fruit, the fruit of the spirit, which is the fruit of the light, of this light, is goodness, righteousness, and truth. And so how do you and I grow in love? Well, we have a lot of scriptures about that. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 13, we have a lot of scriptures about that, how we need to grow in love. Let's just look at that very briefly. 1 Corinthians 13. Starting in verse 1, For though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, oh yeah, I could speak English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Hebrew, and languages of angels that we don't know. But I don't have love. I've become like sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Just noise. Just noise. So that's why in 1 Corinthians 12, he's saying, Listen, you guys, you have all these things that you say, Well, I need to speak in tongues. It's just noise. If people don't understand that they can't be edified with it. And that is not love. And God is love. And though I have the gift of prophecy, I understand all mistresses and all knowledge, and though I have all the faith, but I have not love. I'm nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but I have not love, he profits me nothing. Because love suffers long. He's kind. Does not envy. Does not parade itself. Is not puffed up. Is not showing off. Does not behave rudely. Does not seek its own. Is not provoked. Thinks no evil. Does not rejoice in iniquity. Rejoices in the truth. Beers all things. Believes all things. Helps all things. Endures all things. Love never fails.

Let's look at Philippians 2. Philippians 2. We are often focused on Philippians 2. From verse 5 onwards. But now I want to focus until verse 5. Philippians 2. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection of and mercy, for full my joy by being like-minded, like-minded like Christ is, having the same outgoing concern, the same love, being one accord of one mind, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in loveliness of mind. That means in humility, let each esteem others better themselves. Let each of you look out, not only on his own pleasures, but also in the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. We need to become like Christ. So what is our vision? Truth and love. Becoming truth and love. In 2 Peter, puts us in a slightly different way. In the sermonette, we heard the beginning of 2 Peter, to put on the divine nature, these promises to put on the divine nature, to grow in the knowledge of our Lord. But look at the conclusion of 2 Peter 3, verse 17 and 18. You were for beloved, since you know beforehand, beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness. So you got the truth, and you're letting it go. Being led away with the error of the wicked, but grow in the grace, that is the loving kindness, that's the outgoing concern of Jesus Christ, and the knowledge, which is our deeper understanding of the truth of Christ, because Christ is truth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him be glory both now and forever. So brethren, our vision is to be a church led by God's early Spirit, joined and knit together by what every man supplies. We all need to be truth and love, all doing our share, all growing in love, to fulfill God's great purpose for humanity, which is to bring many children to glory. Our vision, brethren, is to be truth and love, and that is how we speak in love, how we act in love. That is what we hold on to, the truth, and what we ought to be in everything we do or say, which is love. So let us, brethren, aim to be grown, to be the truth in love.