By Nick Bibile
Eph
V 14) Let us continue in
verse by verse on Ephesians chapter 14. Verse 15 begins with the word ‘but’
which is the continuation of verse 14 as it is important to understand the
context. Verse 14 speaks that we should not be deceived by false teachers then Apostle
Paul continues but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all
things, which is the head, even Christ.
Today we are living in a
society where truth and love does not go together. Let me explain. In today’s
society it is unloving to criticize someone. It is unloving to tell someone
that they are living in sin. It is unloving to tell someone the wrath of God,
the judgment of God against sin. It is unloving even to talk of sin.
The reason for this is that
the majority of the churches have embraced the ways of the world, using the
methods of the world to evangelize. Instead of being holy many of the churches
are unholy in their worldliness.
Rick Warren’s Purpose driven
Life book is soaring up in sales 15 million copies already sold, even
well-known evangelical leaders such as Billy Graham, Bruce Wilkinson, Max
Lucado, and Lee Strobel gave glowing endorsements. It is spreading like
wildfire even in other countries including the
But you will never hear about
God’s wrath against sin from
This is what I mean, God is
presented as a loving God who winks at sins, gives bear hugs to all but just do
your best within your human ability and God will smile at you. This is not the
loving God of the Bible. The subject of truth is God and his truth, the word of
God is the truth and it is opposition to our truth, feelings and the emotions
of man. The most loving thing you can do is to tell the truth what is in the
Bible in an uncompromised manner, telling the truth without watering it down,
telling the truth without adding to the word of God, telling the truth without
sugar coating the word of God and telling the truth without softening sin. The true Christians and especially the pastor
should preach the truth with all sincerity and honestly before God, this is
true Christian love. Exposing the truth against false teachers is true
Christian love. Jesus was God’s
incarnate love and he did tell the truth when he came against false teachers as
he told the scribes and Pharisees, “woe to you, hypocrites, white washed tombs,
serpents brood of vipers!”
Exposing sin is true
Christian love. Remember there was sexual immorality in the Corinthian church
that a member of that church was having immorality with his father’s wife but
the church was not doing anything about it. This is the problem with the church
today, they do not want to rebuke anyone who is in sin, as some say it’s not
good to rebuke as it’s not very loving. But Apostle Paul was very angry in his
spirit and he rebuked the church in
Jesus was angry in his spirit
when he saw the people has made the temple of God into a market place as he
overturned the tables drove them out of the temple as he said, “It is written,
my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of
thieves.” (Mat
Apostle Paul rebuked Peter
face to face because Peter’s hypocrisy, he used to eat with the Gentiles but in
the presence of Jews, he withdrew and separated himself from the Gentiles and
was with the Jews. Paul loved Peter as Peter was his brother in Christ and the
most loving thing to do is to rebuke him.
Pr 27:5 Open rebuke is better
than secret love.
When King David sinned
against God by committing adultery with Bathsheba, the prophet Samuel rebuked
him to the face and said you are the man. God loved David that’s why he told
Samuel to rebuke him; we know the story as David was truly convicted of sin and
how he cried unto God of his sin.
Truth and love cannot be
separated. Love does not rejoice in
iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. (1 Cor 13:6)
Do you understand the true
concept of speaking the truth in love? Expose sin, rebuke, correct, encourage
do not tolerate sin, worldliness, need to confront them? If you don’t sin will
take control in the church and sin will spread like a cancer and very soon the
entire body will be infected, sin can attract the worldly people to the church
and the number of the people does not matter it is the inward of man his
relationship with the Lord that matters.
If you do expose sin in truth
and correct their wrong ways what is the result? Either they will leave the
church due to their pride; if they do leave it could be that they are not saved
in the first place. If they humbly realize by the grace of God of the danger of
sin and take the corrections seriously they will grow up to be like our Lord
Christ Jesus. See what I mean in verse
15.
Eph
Christian growth comes by
abiding in the truth and this is always in opposition to our flesh. Our flesh
wants to do what it feels like doing, spend most of the time watching movies,
enjoying this world, living in an unholy lifestyle, not separated unto God.
Then you can answer your own question why am I not growing in the Lord? Because you are compromising the word of God.
You love the things of the world and you spend so much time on earthly things
as your mind is focused on earthly things, your heart and soul is rooted on
this earth. Just like the seeker
sensitive churches who will not speak of sin, many don’t even bother to read
and meditate the word of God. If you see someone very close to you who is
coming to church and yet living in the flesh instead and who wants to enjoy
this world the loving thing to do is to rebuke that person. Then that person
will grow in the Lord. If you don’t rebuke there will be no growth of that
person and you too will be accountable for not telling the truth.
Jas
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I
in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine;
no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Just like an infant need pure
milk for physical growth the only food that a believer will grow is on the
pure, un-polluted word of God.
1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.
There is a promise for
Christian growth that is to be not worldly minded but be Christ minded.
2Co 7:1 Having therefore
these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
The character of your
Christian growth first is vertically as you see in scripture’ “may grow up into
him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” The growth is connected to
the head of the church that is Christ.
Your Christian growth comes
from Christ and not from your education of the world but only from Christ. Remember
the Pharisees saw the boldness of Peter and John although they were uneducated
poor fishermen they noticed that they were with Jesus.
Ac 4:13 Now when they saw the
boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant
men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with
Jesus.
Many people work hard and
spend their money on all kinds of worldly things; all their treasures are on
worldly things. Some hide their
treasures so it cannot be stolen, where is your hidden treasure?
What is your greatest threat
to spiritual growth? Is it your comforts of life? Is it your TV? Is it your
car, home? Is it your job? Is it your husband, wife, children? Is it your
flesh, the world?
Your blessings for the flesh
will not profit your soul only the spiritual blessings will profit your soul. How
many get envied when their friend or their relative who is an unbeliever has a
beautiful home, with swimming pool, Jacuzzi with a big garden. They look at the
unbelievers who have a lot of wealth and say they posses a lot of things, why
God is not blessing me? Why is it that I am poor and I don’t have these things?
Listen to what Jesus said:
Luke
Covetousness means, envious
eagerness to posses material things, extreme desire and a hunger for these
worldly things.
People make plans for the
future so they can save money to retire and live a pleasurable lay back life as
their thoughts are on this earth. But Jesus said.
Luke
But oh for the Christian, the
man of God the woman of God, the child of God how we should hunger after the
things of the Lord, and keep our mind and heart focus on our precious Savior
and Lord. The world can give excitement, pleasures and comforts to the flesh
but the only comfort the Christians have is that we don’t belong to ourselves
but belong to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it was his precious blood that
satisfied all my sins and delivered me from the pit of hell, from the power of
the devil and now I live not according to my will but to my Lord’s will.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ: