Brutality, Hypocrisy & Maturity

While preaching yesterday on God's temple, using the story of Christ kicking the money-changers out of the temple as his primary text, Pastor made this observation when it comes to how we communicate in all manner of circumstances:

-Speaking the truth without love, is brutality.
-Speaking from love, but without truth, is hypocrisy.
-Speaking the truth in love, is maturity

I know we've prayed on similar subjects before, but once again, as reality has checked our spirits again in recent days, the world needs people who recognize the truth of the circumstance and with pure motives and a clean heart can speak what needs to be said with confidence and authority, as well as understanding and love.

Without such a balance, the repercussion and retaliation from those who hear is criticism at best and, well, just about anything could be worse. While the world may take it's time recognizing that God and His Word are TRUTH, the church must not waiver. It's not rules and regulations. It's not old testament versus new testament. It's not about God contradicting Himself. It's not even about Christians who have failed to accurately represent Christ as they live in a fallen world full of broken hearts convinced that they are "good" people.

Christ's death and resurrection, whereby He conquered Hell provides us opportunity for Heaven. Without Him, our destination upon death was guaranteed. With Him, we have a choice to make. And with that choice, allowing Him to work in us, to live a life different from what we would on our own. Truth. Love. Truth in His love & love in His truth! Now more than ever, we need to continue to pray this message moves forward from the church today. The full gospel of Christ. For if parts are missed, skipped and overlooked, we risk the world perceiving God far from accurate... as a brutal, hypocrite. Yet look at Christ' ministry... everywhere He went, people "stood in amazement at His teaching".

As we pray this #seniorPastorMonday, pray the truth of the love of Christ would continue to permeate hearts and minds. May people come to know and understand Christ died not for a relationship of rules, but one of love. Love that would dare not leave us as the mess in which He finds us. Pray pastors would not live in fear or anxiety or concern to speak anything less than the truth in love and to preach the same, from the pulpit...the Full Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christ, being Truth, wouldn't die for a lie. He wouldn't take the place of someone He didn't think wasn't of value. He wouldn't leave Heaven's splendor if you weren't worth rescuing from Hell. Pray we don't diminish His sacrifice by ignoring His gift.

God do the miraculous, in hearts & lives today. Your Truth. In Love. Our Eternity. Changed...in one decision. For Christ.

-PNC

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