Verse of the Day 4/30

Verse of the Day 4/30

Ephesians 4:15. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.  New International Version

When you watch or listen to the news these days, most often you have to ask yourself, are they speaking the truth?  Most often there is a spin or twist applied to what we hear to the point that it is hard to trust what we hear.  When we do hear the truth on a matter, it is often spoken with an agenda, with motives that are not for our edification.

The Pharisees in the New Testament may have spoken the truth many times, but it was done in such a way to make demands or to elevate themselves.  Jesus taught otherwise.  You can think of many examples such as when he said "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" or when the sinner on the cross next to him confessed his sin and asked Jesus to remember him and Jesus said "today you will be with me in paradise."

Evangelism will best be served by speaking and teaching the truth in love, showing mercy and compassion.  Without maturity, the truth can at times seem cold and ineffective.  May we speak and teach the truth but do it in love.

Are we teaching the truth in love
Telling it like it is (like it is)
Are we holding pure motives
Showing that we care
Are we teaching the truth in love (love love love love love)

A man came to my Jesus
Telling all that he had done
To fulfill the good commandments
He knew every single one
But Jesus said there's something that indeed he did lack
The savior told the truth
He didn't hold the message back

He was teaching the truth in love
Telling it like it is (like it is)
While holding pure motives
And showing that He cared
He was teaching the truth in love (love love love love love)   (Teaching the Truth in Love - Accapella)

Blessings, 

Mike 

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Ephesians 4:11-16
New King James Version
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.