Christianity without truth is not Christianity, and Christianity without love misrepresents Christ to both Christians and the lost world.
Two of the greatest threats to Christianity are lies and loveless disciples. I am not referring to the lies told about Christianity by the enemies of Christ or the world, but rather the lies spoken by those who don the title Christian.
Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit guides us into truth by teaching us the Truth of Scripture (John 17:17). If we as Christians expect to walk with Christ, and influence the world for Christ, we must speak truth in the significant and public areas as well as the mundane and private areas (Eph 4:15). For reasons unique to each, I have found the challenge of each of these to be impossible apart from living in the presence of Christ (Eph 5: 1-2, 18).
The world’s hatred of the followers of Christ will never destroy the work or testimony of the church, for this was well predicted (John15:18-19). Rather, it is the spirit of hate, jealousy, bitterness, revenge, immoralities, and divisiveness, all of which emanate from the carnal mind and unrestrained flesh that destroys the work of the church (1 Cor 3:3; Gal 5: 19-21). For such prohibits the world from seeing Christ in His people (1 Pet 2: 21-23). The world not only needs to hear the truth about Christ; they desperately need to see the truth of Christ in changed lives.
Our enemy’s greatest endeavors to destroy the work of Christ in and through us is by God’s grace an extraordinary opportunity to show Christ most movingly.
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
