Truth and Love

Some of our culture’s current catch phrases are “tolerant,” “relevant,” “open,” “progressive,” “politically correct” and “flexible.” These same terms have infiltrated Christianity. We are told, “Don’t rock the boat. Just love people.”

“Don’t focus on doctrine. People want to feel like they belong, like they are accepted. Don’t make a big issue about anything that could be divisive or make people uncomfortable.”

Unfortunately, nothing about this mindset holds water with anything Jesus said or did. Was Jesus kind? Yes. Did He love people? Yes. Just take a look at Calvary if you are unsure about that.

But Jesus never compromised who He was to please people or to fit in with the religious world or the culture around Him. Despite personal rejection, He stood strong. He never wavered, even when the going got tough.

When Jesus shared a “hard saying” with the people, “many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:60,66). Did He run after them, begging them to come back, promising them that He would never say anything else that would make them uncomfortable? No.

Jesus never ran after anyone. Not once did He apologize for anything He said or did. He never changed to accommodate the thoughts, feelings, and temperament of an individual or culture in general.

A young man asked Jesus, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Jesus told him to keep the commandments of Moses, which the young man said that he had been doing since he was a child.

The Bible then says, “Jesus beholding him loved him.”

Jesus wanted to take the young man up to a higher level. He told the young man to sell his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow Him. When the young man heard that something was expected of him that he was unwilling to do, he was “sad” and “grieved” because “he had great possessions” (Mark 10:17-22).

Jesus did not run after the young man as he walked away from Him. Yet, the Bible plainly says that Jesus loved the young man. How can we reconcile Jesus unwaveringly telling the truth with His love for the young man? Wasn't He afraid that he would hurt the young man's feelings? Jesus knew that He could not stop speaking truth just because someone rejected it. Truth is truth and it is the only thing that will make people free (John 8:32).

When we accept truth, we understand love. When we reject truth, our idea of love will be biased and distorted through the lens of our own expectations and experiences.    

Did Jesus’ insistence on truth mean that He did not love people? No. Again, look to Calvary, the greatest demonstration of God’s love toward humanity. Jesus loved people. But Jesus knew that without truth, there is no love.

For some modern Christians, this concept is unacceptable. They want love and equate truth with a lack of love. “If you tell me the truth, it might hurt my feelings, and I will think that you don’t love me.” This mentality is a reflection of an individual’s skewed concept of love.

If a mother tells her child, “You may not play in the street,” does that mean that she does not love her child? If she reprimands him for doing something wrong, something that will potentially hurt him, does that mean that she does not love him? Of course not.

A good parent places parameters around a child. The child might not like it at the time, but as he matures he will appreciate the boundaries and discipline. At the time, he might think that his mother is mean and old and not in touch with him and his generation. Later on, he will realize that his mother’s boundaries, rules and reprimands provided structure and discipline in his life, which – if he was a particulary energetic or unruly child – perhaps saved his life.

God took the time to instill boundaries, admonitions, and yes – even rules – in His Word for one primary reason: He loves us. He tells us the truth because He knows what is best for us. After all, He is the “parent” and we are the “child,” a reality that we try to reverse.

The body of Christ needs to return to the reality of living a Bible-based life, rather than being so easily influenced by the shifting sands of our modern culture. Certainly, some of our methods might change through the years, but the message must never change. And we must never attempt to alter the Word of God to suit us. Rather, we must conform ourselves to it.

Because if we do not know Truth, we will never know Love.