The Gospel of Love and Truth
If there are two concepts that are under attack more than anything else in our culture, they are love and truth. However, it’s not these concepts that are under attack; rather, it’s Christ who is under attack because Christ is love and Christ is truth.
What we must realize is that truth and love are inextricably linked. They are undivorceable. If you think you can love without truth, you are deceived. The apostle Paul said, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15, ESV). We must realize and remember that the truth is love.
Sometimes, love is encouragement. Sometimes, love is correction and rebuke. At times, love is about saying “no”. However, in God’s economy, love is doing what is right for someone, regardless of the personal cost to you. Love is not tolerance. It is not giving in to other people’s sins.
When someone says, “Don’t all roads lead to God?” Love is looking at that person in the most compassionate and humble way and responding, “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him” (see John 14:6). The truth is love!
The apostle Paul writes to the Galatians, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel… As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?... If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-10).
In these verses, Paul draws a line in the sand because if we get the gospel wrong, we get everything wrong. As Christians, we must proclaim the whole truth. There is no gospel without preaching sin and repentance, without talking about heaven and hell.
The gospel is not about good people working hard to do better. It is about being dead in sin and trespass and being supernaturally raised to life by Jesus Christ through the power of his Spirit. It’s a spiritual rebirth that comes through faith in Christ, and we must present it in its fullness.
Dr. Joshua West serves as director of church relations at Compel International, a ministry that seeks to plant the church where it doesn’t exist. Joshua’s desire is to raise up ministers who will correctly and boldly preach the gospel, glorify God, and teach sound doctrine.