On speaking the truth in love (part 2)

... so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Eph. 4:14-16)

Coming back to the topic of speaking the truth in love, which I have just mentioned a while back, I would like to explore this topic further here, though I freely acknowledge I neither know everything about the subject nor am I known to practice this very well. I will just like to explore what the Bible says about this topic, which is so pertinent to many of us today, as it was and always will be. In this instalment, I would just like to touch on the purposes of speaking the truth in love.

The expression 'speaking the truth in love' is found in Eph. 4:15. For this passage, in the immediate context, we can see that the purposes of speaking the truth in love is to be:

Firm in the faith (v. 14)

Build up and grown up in Christ (v. 15)

Growing in the community of believers (v. 16a '...whole body, joined and held together...')

Equipped for service unto the Lord (v. 16b '...from which it is equipped...')

Serving our Lord properly (v. 16b '...each part is working properly...')

Grow in love for our Lord and for the communion of saints (v. 16ff '... it builds itself up in love.')

In the next instalment of this series, I woud like to look more detail into these few points.