Lesson 1. Teach the Truth in Love

Recently, I preached at the Installation Service of the Rev. Tom Sanders at Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, OK. Tom had studied the works of Francis Schaeffer, so I preached on “Ten of the Lessons I Learned from Francis Schaeffer.” I will post these lessons one at a time over the next few days and weeks, and perhaps share a few more than ten lessons. BTW: I did know Francis Schaeffer personally from 1978 until his death on May 15, 1984.

In Ephesians 4:15-16, the Apostle Paul wrote, “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”

Francis Schaeffer demonstrated and taught the life transforming power of speaking the truth in love. He spoke the truth of the Bible to others, especially moral and spiritual truths that might make some feel uncomfortable. But he spoke these truths with such love for others, such love for the individual person, that they knew he was teaching these truths from a heart of sincere love for them. The truths he spoke and the love he showed led them to take what he said seriously, and sometimes led them to make life transforming decisions — even decisions to bow before Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Lord and Savior.

Unfortunately, it is possible to speak the truth without love. If spoken without love, the truth can seem hard, harsh, and judgmental to the person hearing the truth. Just the spirit with which the truth is spoken can lead the person to reject the truth and not make the life-change that would make an eternal difference in their life.

Similarly, some think it is possible to love without speaking the truth. However, I think this is a misconception. If someone is involved in life-destructive behavior, is it the loving thing to say nothing or do nothing? If someone is leaving OK to go to CA and they head east toward NY. Is it the loving thing to let them go the wrong way? It would be the loving thing, no matter how much they might be embarrassed, to call them on their cell phone and tell them to turn around. How much more serious this is in the moral and spiritual areas of life!

Of course, speaking or teaching the truth in love requires much prayer. Pray for your loving heart toward someone to shine through to them as you speak the truth. Pray for the right words to use when sharing the truth with them. Pray for them to have an open mind and heart to receive the truth you speak. Pray for the Holy Spirit to make the truths you share and the loving way you share those truths effective in the person’s life.

You might also like to learn more about Francis Schaeffer from two of his biographies, now online for you to read for free at http://www.labri.net.

Copyright 2009 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.
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