Ephesians 4:11-16 - Speaking the Truth in Love

Thefirst thing that we see as an evidence of spiritual maturity and spiritualgrowth is that we are Christlike in our attitude, actions and speech. Jesus wasalways submitted to the will of His Father. Read the Gospels. Jesus always didHis Father's will. This quote from Psalms is most descriptive of Jesus: “Ihad delight to do Thy will. Oh my God. Thy law is written within my heart” (Psalm40:8). That was the heart and mind of Jesus, my friend. That's what happens tous when we're submitted in obedience to the will of God. As Oswalt Chamberssaid in one of his writings.  We'vebeen perfectly adjusted to the fact that Christ lives in us, and we now know andlive in His righteousness. We're robed in that righteousness, and we want towalk with Him with all of our heart. It's a surrendered life, as Andrew Murrayput it. Thenwe see the second evidence of our spiritual growth is stability. We're nolonger children tossed to and fro. Today, we looking at the third evidence of our spiritual growth that wefind in verse 15: “But speaking the truth in love may grow up in allthings unto Him who is the head Christ”. The third evidence of spiritualmaturity is that we consistently “speak the truth in love”. Someonehas said that truth without love is brutality, but love without truth ishypocrisy. We somehow another, by the grace of God, can combine the two. Youmust have truth expressed in love. I love that verse in Psalm 85:10 where itsays, "Love and truth and mercy have met. Righteousness and peace havekissed." I believe this happened at the cross of Calvary. It was therethe truth of God, that we're sinners that our sin must be punished, met withthe love and mercy of God, as Christ died in our place for our sins. We now canbe set free from our sin and experience peace along with God’s righteousness! Nowwe can speak truth out of a heart of love to those around us because we'veexperienced the love of God. 1 John 4:7-11 tells us where this love comes from:"Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God, and everyone wholoves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God. ForGod is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God hassent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. Inthis is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to bethe propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to loveone another." Evidencethat we have spiritual maturity is that we can love, but we love in truth. We speakthe truth in love. We don't speak the truth to hurt, to condemn, todestroy, to tear down. We speak it in love to build up, to encourage, to help aperson get back on track. We speak the truth in love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8tells us the kind of love that God has and that we should have. “Lovesuffers long. Love is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. Isnot puffed up. Does not behave rudely. Does not seek its own. Is not provoked.Thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, rejoices in the truth, love bearsall things.” Whenwe have a heart that is surrendered and obedient to the will of the Lord GodAlmighty, we will have the mind of Christ, and we will speak the truth withlove. It will be evidence that there is something in our heart that's differentthan when the natural man is in control of our lives and tearing down anddestroying the lives of those around us as we see so often in Christian circles.God help us to have this mark of spiritual maturity, and spiritual growth, andthat is “speaking the truth in love”. Godbless!