The Love of the Truth

If an individual says they are Christian, but refuse to speak out against the corruption of the soul by false gods, prophets, teachings and doctrines, then they grieve the Holy Spirit and the love of the truth does not abide in them. James G. Artre Many people these days openly rebel against any form of opposition to evil. They have even gone so far as to make it appear as if godly people are wrong for speaking out against sin. Picture this, grown adults acting like little children calling Christians names, such as "Intolerant", "hatemongers", "homophobes," and now "Islamophobes." Childish, is
it not?

Nevertheless, it has always been so... 1 Kings 22:8 - "The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him [Why?], because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil [Because he doesn't tell him what he wants to hear]. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." However, Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so [Don't speak against what Micaiah is trying to tell you. Listen, even if it hurts]." Ahab hated the prophet Micaiah because he prophesied against the evil (sin) Ahab was committing. Was the prophet Micaiah wrong (unloving) for doing this? Certainly not, God had sent him. The problem was that the king did not like to be told what he was doing was wrong (Sound familiar?) Amos 5:10,15 - "How you hate honest judges! How you despise people who tell the truth!' 'Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice.'" Again, God says to hate evil and love good. If we do, then we will speak out against the evils of this world and those living in sin will resent it. The issue is not that it is wrong to rebuke sin, the issue is people most often do not want to admit their wrong and change. Thus, they try to make it appear that those who are rebuking them are wrong. It is a simple matter of shifting blame to the other person; thus, redirecting the focus of attention from themselves to the other person. John 7:7 - The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I am testifying about it, that its servants are evil. Jesus says that the world cannot hate you (Christians), but it hates Him because He testifies against its evil (sinful) actions. If we refuse to stand for the love of the truth, the world has no problem with us. "Just stay quite and keep your beliefs to yourself," Christians are told.

However, if like Jesus we speak out against evil, then people will object. That is why their refusal to repent led to His crucifixion. If you are not being crucified in the court of public opinion; or literally, as Christians in various parts of the world are today, then you really need to search your soul for answers why. The real issue here is a matter of love. The issue of love should not easily fluster you when people say we lack love. Show them that the real issue is what we should love and what is a proper love. We rebuke sin because we love truth and love the souls of those who sin. This is true love. The person who objects is the one who misunderstands love.
Scripture Search: Proverbs 9:8; 3:11; 1:7,30; 5:12; 12:1; 15:5,10,12; 29:27; Jer. 5:31; 2

Matt. 10:22; Luke 16:13,14; John 3:19-21; 15:18,20,25; 17:14; Galatians 4:16; Tim. 4:24; 1 John 3:11-13 Conclusion Jude 20-23 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who doubt; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. We should always act out of love according to God's word. If we do not, then God is not pleased (I Cor. 13:1-3). However, when we love the sinner and we love truth, we will have mercy on the lost and try to snatch them from the fire, hating the stains of the flesh. This is what it means to "hate the sin, but love the sinner." We love the soul of the one who does wrong so much so, that we want them to repent and do right. Thus, we must stand in opposition to their sin. Those who stand for the love of the truth must understand that there will always be people who object. However, the reason they object is that they want to continue living in sin without the fear of embarrassment of exposure. These ones have an improper understanding of true Biblical love. Do you love the Lord enough to repent and receive forgiveness of your sins? Do you love enough to show others the errors of their ways and embrace the truth? Or does the love of the truth not still abide in you?