Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
I was watching a video linked to our Blog website “Let’s talk post modernism and the emerging church” and was struck by a comment by RC Sproul, “Truth is too important to kill it in the streets for the sake of peace”. He says this in response to differing opinions in the understanding of Biblical doctrine amongst Christians. Although he highlights that if we disagree doctrinally within the church it’s a bad thing, we can’t ignore it and sweep our differences of understanding under the carpet.
Truth is just too important
We must always strive to seek Biblical truth so we can graciously and boldly proclaim, teach and apply it within the church. Sweeping our differences of opinion under the carpet for the sake of peace and unity, particular on key Biblical teachings, will lead to a false unity, where in reality there are significant differences, much of which may have no biblical basis at all.
Love and Truth are Intertwined
We can agree to disagree on minor nuances of doctrine, but promoting an artificial unity in spite of major theological differences may have tragic, eternal consequences if not addressed. Hiding the truth under a lamp shade or the carpet is not love. It is the most unloving thing one can do. Love and truth are intertwined. We must always seek to uphold and proclaim truth with a gracious and loving attitude. Our motive should always be to glorify God and see people mature in their understanding and relationship with God and each other.
I am keen to hear what others think of this move in the church to compromise or not pursue Biblical truth for the sake of ‘unity’ and ‘reaching the lost’.
What are your thoughts on this?
How can we be sensitive to where people are in their understanding of the Bible and God as well as build them up in truth?
How can we build a church-culture whereby we can boldly proclaim and receive biblical truth, threby maturing mutually in our faith, understanding that none of us has all the answers?
3 Comments
James
I agree that we cannot kill truth for the sake of unity but too often this is used as an excuse to not first understand where people are at and then speak the truth to them in a language and context that they will understand.
The gospel is inherently offensive to our fallen natures, but that is not an excuse to present it in an offensive manner. I have no shame in telling someone that their current life choices are leading them hellbound, or in telling a Chrsitian that they are living in sin but we need to recognise where people are at indivdually. Perhaps somebody is unaware of the consequences of their sin and need to simply have the gospel explained to them for the first time. Perhaps they are in open rebellion against sin and a firm word on what rebellion against their saviour actually means is needed. Maybe a Christian is week and struggling and need truth by encouragement and perhaps they are unrepentant and need the word that cuts and heals.
Most of the time it is surely a mixture of these things but the important principle is recognising that we need to thoughtfully apply the truth, not just fire it like a shotgun, unconcerned for who takes it the wrong way, not because of the message but because of the way the message (and messenger) is presented.
Stu
So true James. We need to be sensitive to where people are at and remember the Gospel is by nature offensive to unbelievers. Whether someone is a Christian or not, we need to be respectful to each other, and always have the attitude of wanting to build the other up. I always like to balance truth and grace. True love should never be void of either, as both must be present if we are to love other authentically. The beautiful thing about the Gospel is that it humbles us to know that we are without hope if it wasn’t for Jesus graciously saving us. The more we realise that, the less likely we are to laud it over others and deal with them disrespectfully and insensitively.
Stu
I was reading through 2Tim this morning and came across the following passage:
2 Tim 4:1-4 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure n sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
How well articulated is that! How true is that of today. It reminded me how much we need to guard the church, otherwise we will be infiltrated with cancerous myths that will feed our own passions and turn us away from Biblical truth. Satan and this world are very subtle and manipulative. We need to be on guard by reading the Bible regularly and expounding/teaching it in church. Truth will expose the lies. By God’s grace may we know the difference and live by it.