Skip to main content

One Day's Walk


          So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:3-4)

           Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. (Philippians 1:15-18)

           There are lots of ongoing debates. Should the music in church sound like the music out in the world, or should it be the good old hymns sung to a droning organ? Should churches be seeker-sensitive evangelism engines, or should they teach and equip members? Which is more important: speaking in truth or speaking in love. This last one is the inspiration for today’s post.
            I hear lots of people talking about how we must speak the truth in love. It’s the only way we’re going to gain converts, yadda, yadda, yadda. Please understand that I am not…Not…NOT suggesting that we should be hateful, but Jonah went a third of the way into Nineveh and preached death, doom, and destruction, and the city repented.
            Centuries later, some folks went to Paul to tell him that some folks were preaching Christ in a “manner unbecoming.” Paul said that either way, Christ was proclaimed. People tell me that others won’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. What they don’t understand is that there are also some people who won’t care how much we care until they know how much we know. These are two ends of a spectrum. It’s easy to pretend that one doesn’t exist, or to vilify it. Both love and truth are necessary.
             Warren Wiersbe said that “Truth without love is brutality, and love without truth is hypocrisy.”
           Timothy Keller said “Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it.” He also said, “Truth without love is imperious self-righteousness. Love without truth is cowardly self-indulgence.”
           One of the reasons that the push toward a “love” focus is the fact that love is poorly defined. For some, it means whatever makes them feel good – generally getting what they want. Some will quote Jesus’ teaching about treating others as we wish to be treated. That’s a great teaching. The problem is that not everyone wants to be treated the same way. Yes, everyone wants to be loved, respected, and treated with dignity. But that isn’t done by deceiving them, but lying to them by omission because you decide they aren’t ready to hear the whole truth.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more