Make sure God wants you to say anything at all. Inherited sin has made it challenging for us to manifest love, but it has not removed our ability to do so. May He richly bless you. (Eph. An apology can help to repair hurt feelings, but it must be sincere. He forgives us, gives us understanding, and empowers us to live the way He wants us to live. The Bible tells us to ‘pray without ceasing’ … This would be deception of a most dangerous kind. (b) What are some examples of counterfeit love? “God is love” is a direct quote from two different verses in the Bible—1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16. How can we show genuine love when we offer hospitality? The clearest way that we manifest our love for others is through our words. You shouldn’t do that. 9 Be happy to serve in the background. Yet, we must do so with a pure motive, avoiding any trace of selfishness. . He/she knows the truth and won’t let anything get in the way of it coming out. When people use the phrase "speaking the truth in love," often they use it to refer to times when difficult truths must be conveyed; the phrase is a reminder to communicate with kindness, even in touchy situations. truth What will genuine love move a person to do if he has committed a serious sin? They’re like a noisy gong (1 Corinthians 13:1) ringing out. Thank you for your comments. Just fill in the form below and one of our mentors will get back to you as soon as possible. We forgive by pardoning someone who has offended us and by letting go of our resentment toward him. Paul ends his letter with encouragement. Ephesians 4:15 says as believers we should be “speaking the truth in love.” The primary way we reveal our love for God is by loving others. He needs to hear a truth-bomb. It can hinder the flow of God’s spirit and threaten the peace of the entire congregation. Love and truth are inseparable partners residing in … (Read Matthew 6:1-4.) Then, some 4,000 years later, Jehovah at great personal cost sacrificed his only-begotten Son for the world of mankind. Second, John says all who "know the truth" would have the same love for this church as he does. As we gather, we find … Speaking the truth in love ultimately points people to Jesus. When thinking about “speaking the truth in love” we need to make sure we’re checking what the Bible has to say. Love is glad when truth is spoken. 29:5) To commend someone but then tear him down behind his back is a form of hypocrisy. How should we view privileges in Jehovah’s service? However, we do well to ask ourselves, ‘Is my love always genuine, not tainted by selfishness or deception?’ Let us consider nine ways we can strive to show love that is “free from hypocrisy.”. If you are expressing truth to someone with whom your historical relationship is one of disrespect or hatred, how would you expect him or her to believe you, much less even want to spea… Catchphrases such as, “What’s right for you, may not be right for me” and, “You see it your way and I’ll see it mine” are simply attempts to broaden the definition of what is considered right and wrong. (Gen. 4:3, 4) Noah displayed unselfish love for his fellow man by preaching God’s message for decades despite not seeing any response from the people. Not at all! (Rom. As we received commandment from the Father What do these things mean? Robert. 4:18) Rather, it means that our love must not be limited to words, especially when the circumstances call for action. God bless you. Pamela, As was mentioned before, we are not confronting anyone just to boost our own ego; our desire should be to help the person to whom we feel led to speak.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'whatchristianswanttoknow_com-box-4','ezslot_3',117,'0','0'])); We must be sure that what we are about to say is what God wants us to say. It cannot be a heavy handed, holier-than-thou, confrontation that does more harm than good. Abel showed love for God by unselfishly offering the best of what he had. Merely, turning a person’s focus in on himself or herself, instead of toward God, is not helpful. Read them in the archive below. 14. 13:4, 5) If we were to harbor resentment or hold a grudge, we would risk permanently damaging our relationship not only with our brother or sister but also with Jehovah. If they were a Christian friend, maybe it would be appropriate to confront that person. By sacrificing their personal advantage in this way, they demonstrate love that is free of any trace of selfishness. 13:13) It identifies us as Jesus’ followers and as imitators of Jehovah, the Source of love. 4:2, 3) For our forgiveness to be genuine, we must control our thinking so that we do “not keep account of the injury.” (1 Cor. You say, “Hey, I heard you’ve been watching porn. For example, when a fellow Christian lacks the basic necessities of life, he needs more than our good wishes. Robert believes that the Bible contains the truth that God wants us to base our lives upon. In what ways can we show genuine love? Today we gather together as Christians to worship our God. Too many times this simply means ‘an acceptance of anything and everything’. How can we take the lead in showing honor to others? (John 13:7) We can show honor to others by not thinking too much of ourselves because of our education, material possessions, or privileges in Jehovah’s service. in Deed and Truth”, Publication download options The truth bomber believes they are always in the right. It seemed like Jane wanted to hear what our over–accepter genuinely thinks. Apart from God, we can do nothing to rescue ourselves or anyone else (John 15:5).eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'whatchristianswanttoknow_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_2',119,'0','0'])); Whenever we seek to counsel, console, or reprove anyone we need to maintain the balance between truth and love. . The same truth spoken in an attitude of love might have sounded like, “Mama, I am so sorry things are so rough right now. Our attitude toward the truth determines the outcome of our lives. Too many people say they are speaking out of love when they are merely using that as an excuse to blast someone. 3 After Adam and Eve rebelled, Jehovah made his greatest  expression of unselfish love. Jane asks if it matters if she lies to her parents about whether she’s done her homework. Ahithophel turned traitor when he felt that he would gain an advantage. Consider our friend Dave. The over–accepter is the opposite of the truth bomber. Answer: Christians often talk about the need to “speak the truth in love,” a command found in Ephesians 4:15. (John 13:3-5, 12-15) We may have to work hard to develop the humility needed to show honor to others in this way. We must not sacrifice the truth in the name of love, nor should we deliver the truth in a less than loving manner. They are ordinary Christians willing to step out in faith and join people on their spiritual journey in a compassionate and respectful manner. - Luke 10:27. A doctor would not be very effective if he/she merely covered up the symptoms of an illness while never addressing the actual illness itself. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6. Some Christians who have committed a serious sin try to cover it over in order to avoid embarrassing themselves or disappointing others. Walking in truth 2. What is the significance of the command to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? 12:9, 10) Thus, we can all benefit from the support of fellow Christians. (1 Cor. So, you decide to tell her the truth in a loving way and say … ‘Yeah, I guess not, but I dunno for sure … maybe it’s not a big deal.’. Let us apply this to spiritual things: How much more dangerous to convince someone that they are innocent, or good enough, in God’s eyes when in reality they are guilty (Romans 3:10) and deserving of His judgment?