Words to Live By: Truth in Love
Words to Live By: Truth in Love
Ephesians 4
September 7th, 2025
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Words to Live By
Never short sell an immeasurably more God.
Never underestimate the power of a simple prayer offered on behalf of a complex situation.
Never dismiss the impact of obedience (or disobedience).
This week our word is…
Never be afraid of the repercussions of speaking the truth in love; one of those repercussion is freedom.
The problem with avoiding conflict is that you actually live longer in the conflict than you need to and you miss what God can do in you and them as a result of a resolution.
What I propose to you this morning is…
God may have a purpose for your conflict. All of God’s purposes are good.
God will do something redeeming in your conflict if you trust Him enough to follow Him through it.
Conflict can be a path to freedom for both parties if both parties cooperate.
Replace “winning or avoiding” with freedom as your new frame for conflict.
Never be afraid of the repercussions of speaking the truth in love; one of those repercussion is freedom (redemption).
If you just want the conflict to be over you will leave a lot of restoration on the table.
Conflict is a freedom opportunity.
Changing your perception of conflict will change the way you process conflict.
Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-16 (NIV + CAV) As a prisoner for the Lord [bound by His words, way and will], then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love [agape selfless all in love]. 3 Make every effort [implies consistent work] to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. [we are all under this one banner of the Lordship of Christ.]
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. [End goal freedom = fullness. For me to be full of Christ I have to get rid of the stuff that isn’t Christ]
14 Then [when we are free and full] we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Spiritual Unity and Spiritual Maturity are two of God’s primary objectives for the Body of Christ. This means they are Word directed and Spirit empowered BUT they are only accomplished with our cooperation.
Disunity and Immaturity are opponents to freedom and wholeness in Christ. Satan’s objective with conflict is separation and there is no shortage of opportunity for conflict. God’s objective is freedom and this verse gives us the way towards conflict redemption… “speak the truth in love”.
Truthing isn’t the idea of “getting something off my chest” or “telling it like it is”. Truthing’s purpose is freedom and its manner is agape love. Are you truthing in love in your conflict?
Being a Christian and being a part of a church doesn’t mean we have arrived, it means we are arriving – we are walking together.
Freedom is the motivation. Truthing is the manner. Face to Face is the Method.
Matthew 18:15 (NIV) 15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
The Biblical method to conflict redemption is to go in person. The quicker you GO the quicker the potential is for redemption and restoration. The longer you let it sit, it doesn’t sit, it burrows.
An early “face to face” short circuits at least 3 things that complicate conflict redemption.
Contamination.
Infection.
Posse building.
Winning a conflict is not ending up on top or having the most people on your side, winning is mutual freedom.
Matthew 18:16 (NIV) 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
Why the press from Jesus?
Jesus understands broken human nature better than anyone.
Jesus understands more than we do the value of relationships to our wholeness and maturity.
Jesus is more invested in this “freedom outcome” than we are – He died for it.
Matthew 18:17 (NIV) 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
It is possible to agree to disagree and still be able to work on the same mission with the same passion… but it’s not possible within the Body of Christ to hold animosity towards or withhold forgiveness from someone. If love, humility and unity wasn’t such a priority for the Body of Christ, Christ wouldn’t confront conflict so boldly.
Freedom is the motive. Truthing in love is the manner. Face to Face is the method.
Matthew 5:9 (NIV) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Freedom is the motivation – not avoiding or winning.
Truthing in love is the manner – not accusation.
Face to Face is the method – not posse building.
Your freedom doesn’t rest in the outcome (the hands of someone else) your freedom rests in your obedience, faith, trust, movement in the word of God.