The Truth About “Truth In Love”

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

In the recent series at the church, Crosspoint Church in Niceville, FL, that I attend, Paster Rurel continued preaching about “Redefining Christian.”

Here are the posts from this message series so far:

Week 1:

Week 2:

Week 3:

This week, the study focuses on the importance of a disciple of Jesus loving others the way that Jesus loved.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV

This quality of love is the love that will identify us as disciples of Jesus Christ. The big problem is for far too long; the church has not extended the love Jesus has asked us to do to each other in the church, let alone to the world around us.

For me, when I decided to read the Bible and never put it down, I used the Bible as a magnifying glass to examine and judge the world against it to the point where I felt I was losing the fight and I wanted to kill myself.

By God’s grace, He revealed to me that the Bible was to be used as a mirror to examine myself against not the magnifying glass to examine the world in God’s hands.

Once I made that shift, what a difference in my outlook. The Bible became alive to me. It spoke to my heart. My reading started to make sense, and the more I got involved with others and their burdens, the words from the Bible exploded in my mind, not only helping me with my needs but also helping me to bring others and their burdens to the only source that can help change their lives.

Praise God!

So how do we go about loving those around us as Jesus loved us? Let’s study this portion of scripture:

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said.“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:2-11 NIV

We find Jesus in the temple courts teaching. The “religious” leaders, always scheming and plotting to trip Him up, brought a lady that they found in the act of adultery.

A quick question that I came up with right away is, where was the man who was involved? Anyway, they threw the woman in front of Jesus and said, “In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.”

Jesus bent down and started writing in the sand. There is a lot of speculation about what He wrote; some say He was writing the sins of these men who brought the woman forward. Others suggest He may have been writing the Ten Commandments; whatever it was, it affected the men who brought this woman forward.

Jesus said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first throw a stone at here.” And then He kneeled back down and continued to write in the sand.

This woman’s accusers each turned and walked away, the oldest to the youngest.

And then scripture says, “until only Jesus was left.”

Isn’t this a mirror of our lives? We will go through this world, and it will be Jesus and us in the end.

Jesus didn’t compromise in His communication with us. He found us in our sin, BUT He loves us too much to leave us there.

His parting words to this woman were, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” Her reply, “No one, sir.”

“Then neither do I condemn you.” Jesus declared. (Grace)

“Go and leave your life of sin.” (Truth)

I find this interesting; I’m guessing that not many women were stoned to death for adultery in their community. They wanted to catch Jesus, so this was convenient for them to “catch” Jesus making a mistake.

Isn’t this a common thing that we have going on in our world now? We have come to pick and choose the laws we want to enforce when convenient for us to prove our point with an issue.

This has left us with a lot of grey areas in our world. It’s sad.

I have been around those constantly looking to help others in “truth in love.” The problem that I see with this is that their lives seem to be in chaos most of the time. They seem to be focused more on the issues of those around them while ignoring the glaring problems they have in their own lives.

In my observation of this, it seems that the only way they can feel good about what is going on in their lives is by tearing those around them down.

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 NIV

When I started to read the Bible frequently, I knew, but I didn’t have the love. Therefore, I was constantly standing in judgment of those around me while not living up to the standard I expected everyone else too. Both believers and non-believers alike.

The way that Jesus communicated is an example that we are to exercise in our lives. There is a tension between:

Grace and truth

God’s Sovereignty and Free Will

Faith and Reason

For us as believers, if we don’t understand the balance, we can do a lot of harm to those around us. Both believers and unbelievers alike.

When Jesus was dealing with those who were struggling, He led with grace, followed closely by truth.

When He dealt with the hypocritical “religious” leaders, He led with “truth.” There was no candy-coating the message for those tasked with leading His people.

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Colossians 2:18-19 NIV

While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” Luke 20:45-47 NIV

Our arguments stem from thinking that it is “grace” or “truth,” “God’s Sovereignty” or “free will,” “Faith” or “reason.” With Jesus, it is “AND.”

With Jesus, both are required.

For us, we have to raise our level of discernment by being steeped in God’s Word so that we can see it the same way that Jesus does.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us pastors who faithfully preach from the Word of God. Those who help open our eyes to see Your Word the way we need to see it.

I pray that Your Word stays first and foremost in my mind as I walk in this life. I pray that You will give me the ability to love others how You have loved me.

I thank You for the people You have brought into my life, and I pray that my words, thoughts, and actions reflect Your presence in my heart.

In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️