The Tenor of Truth

Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. Psa 96:1-9

The tenor of something, according to Webster's Dictionary, connotes its habitual condition or essential meaning, and also stresses its "clearly perceptible direction on a continuous, undeviating course." It is in the tenor of God's Word, then, that we can we can trace His narrative flow and begin to grasp the essence of who He has revealed Himself to be. In other words, it's in God's tenor that we can actually start to "catch His drift." And when we learn the tenor of His voice, we can start to sing along, joining in Heaven's chorus, and echoing His truth—for He puts a new song in our mouth (Psa 40:3).

In order to discern God's tenor, we need to become intimately familiar with how it sounds. For isn't it true that most mothers can pick out the sound of their own child's cries from a crowded room of infants? This is because they know and love them intimately. In the same way, God's voice will be more easily distinguishable from that of the counterfeit when we know the Bible well and grow to love it.

If we know God's Word well, we will not be led astray when Scripture is twisted, cherry-picked, or misapplied. We will not be thrown off course by extra-biblical themes that distract from the thrust of the gospel message. We not be deceived when [often very popular] pastors use Scripture to back up their sermons of spiritual spin. We will not mistake eisegesis for sound, honest exegeses. For we can rest assured that His Word will be a lamp to our feet, illuminating the truth. (John 15:7; Psa 119:105). The premise that the study of God’s Word is paramount to understanding and loving Him more cannot be emphasized enough.

An oft-quoted, but useful illustration of this is the counterfeit money analogy: Bankers are taught to recognize counterfeit money by studying real bills. In the same way, learning the tenor of God's voice by studying His Word is vital—not to mention that sincere believers will have an inherently deep desire to know God better (Psa 25:4). God’s Word should be our “delight” (Psa 119:16, 24).

To help discern the tenor of truth, it's important first and foremost to remember, quite simply, that truth is Jesus (John 14:6). Remember also that just as Jesus is the truth, He is the Word (John 1:1,14). The tenor of God's truth, therefore, is always both Christ-centered and Bible-based. The Old Testament pre-echoes, and bares witness, to the gospel of Christ. The New Testament testifies to, and echoes, that same gospel message throughout. Simply put, the Bible is always all about Jesus.

Do not be led astray by what is becoming an overwhelmingly popular form of false teaching in the seeker-friendly movement that some have accurately termed, "narcissistic eisegesis." It is a self-centered approach to Scripture which involves superimposing oneself into the meaning of a Bible verse or passage regardless of its context. Often, the focus of narcissistic eisegesis is primarily on our success, our dream, our purpose, or our adventure. This, however, warps the Bible into a self-help guide in which Jesus shows up as some type of cheer-leader, facilitator, or navigator. But remember, the Bible centers on Jesus, not on the self. "For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things" (Rom 11:36). We may have the privilege to serve Him in exciting ways, yes! But the adventure that this may involve should not be our focus; the end-goal of God's glory is all that ultimately matters, if we are truly slaves of Christ.

With this in mind, we can identify several qualities that resonate in the tenor of God's truth:

The tenor of truth resounds with infallibility
This concept of truth in the tenor of God's Word is rooted in Scripture. God told Moses, "Write these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." (Ex 34:27 NKJ). The word translated tenor, here, is the Hebrew, peh, which is used throughout the Old Testament to mean tenor, speech, mouth, command, or mind (Num 3;16, Eze 33;7; Lev 24:12). God's words in this verse are covenantally binding, exemplifying the tenor of His Word to be infallible—or as Jesus puts it, "trustworthy and true." (Rev 21:5).

The tenor of truth resounds with omnipotence
By His Word, God introduced the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 15:1) and gave Israel the Ten Commandments (Ex 24:3–4; Deut 5:5; Ex 34:28; Deut 9:10). By His Word, all creation came into being (Gen 1; Psa 33:6). The commanding tenor, or sovereign power, of God's Word is also illustrated in the book of Micah: "but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth [peh] of the Lord of hosts has spoken." (Mic 4:4). And if we live by His Word, we likewise live by His power. As Jesus put it, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7).

The tenor of truth is unwavering
It is in the unwavering tenor of God's Word, therefore, that His divine and unchanging nature is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. The most powerful way to get to know God, therefore, is not through our experience of Him (which is subjective), but through studying what God has said about Himself in the Bible. Experience-based faith, as opposed to biblically-based faith, doesn't lead to an intimate and enduring knowledge of Him. As our circumstances change, an experience-based faith may falter. But if our faith is based on God's Word, we will rest in the assurance that His love never changes, regardless of what we are going through.

The tenor of truth is uncompromising
There is currently, however, an increasing emphasis on experiential faith in mainstream evangelical Christianity in form of a growing tendency to base our relationship with God more heavily on our emotional response to Him rather than on our biblical knowledge of Him. These days, many believers are placing more stock in heart-feelings as a means to discerning God's will for their lives without also going to the Bible for direction. And increasingly Christians are turning to mystical or self-help books that contain spiritual fluff rather than solid biblical content. Often, these books call themselves "Christian," but they distract from the gospel message, quote Bible verses rarely, selectively, or out of context, and indulge the reader in an almost cartoonish portrayal of who God is. Jesus—if He is mentioned at all—is often presented as some type of Santa-esque caricature that bears little or no resemblance to the true Son of God as revealed in Scripture. "Jesus" takes on many different personas in these contexts. In fact, he conveniently morphs into whoever you want him to be.

...In contrast, the great "I Am," however, does not compromise on who He is. He just is.

The tenor of truth resounds with omnipresence
God's Word preaches His ever-present nature; Psalm 139 is a beautiful illustration of this. We cannot conjure up more of God's presence with us regardless of how we might behave or feel. Worship experiences or prayer sessions, for example, can encourage our intimacy with God, but they cannot make His presence with us stronger. For, "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor 3:16). Watch out for teachers who claim we can cultivate God's presence through worship events. They are shifting the focus to the self by making such a claim. We cannot invite the Holy Spirit to "come" to us, if He is already in us! While we are certainly exhorted to draw near to God (as He will to us), this isn't so much about increasing His presence as it is about increasing intimacy. And, to know God intimately is primarily to know His Word; It is in His Word, for instance, that we learn we cannot flee from His presence (Psa 139:7-10)! Like worship, prayer is an essential outworking of our faith—but neither of these form the foundation of our faith. We draw near to God through faith in Christ who alone gives us access to Him (Heb 4:14–16, 7:25, Phil 3:9). And our "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.” (Rom 10:17).

The tenor of truth is humbling
While knowing God should not be primarily experiential, nor should it be exclusively theological either, however. Bible knowledge and sound theology are far better than gold when they fuel our trust in, and intimacy with, God (Psa 19:10). But when our exegesis becomes a self-motivated means to bolstering our theological presuppositions, this only fuels our pride (1 Cor 8:1). In the same way, if our self-focused accumulation of holy experiences become the basis of our relationship with God, our ego is fed, but our faith ultimately withers. In other words, theology—just like experience—plays a role in knowing God. But intimacy comes from a humble desire to learn the tenor of His voice. It's not about hearing what we want to hear, but listening to what God has already said.

The tenor of truth is life-giving and sanctifying
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. All three are inseparable aspects of Jesus' saving power. God changes the believer's life through His Word; just as Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.” (in John 17:17 ). God transforms the believer's heart through His Word. "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Heb 4:12). And He renews the believer's mind though His Word, which reveals His will (Rom 12:2).

The tenor of truth is both convicting and redemptive
The tenor of God's Word is not only reassuring, it can also be unsettling at times. Because the tenor of truth reverberates with the gospel message, it does not diminish the seriousness of sin, for this would be to downplay the power of the Cross. When the tenor of truth convicts our hearts and the double-edged sword pierces our soul, it can be uncomfortable, even painful at times. But the truth is, "the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God," are inextricably intertwined (Eph 6:17). The tenor of truth brings not only conviction, but also redemption and sanctification. It is then that we truly understand that to live is Christ, and to die is gain. It is then that we truly experience His great love.

The tenor of truth is an harmonic unison
Discerning the tenor of God's Word, involves a comprehensive reading of Scripture. Each verse works together in perfect harmony. Claims of contradictions and inconsistencies can be thoroughly refuted with careful apologetics. An important rule of biblical hermeneutics is that Scripture is always the best interpreter of Scripture. And while it's tempting to cherry-pick Bible verses to suit ourselves, God's Word needs to be understood in its entirety. Only then can the harmonic unison of the redemptive story which resonates through all parts of the Bible, truly be heard.

The tenor of truth is love
All of the accents and tones that make up the tenor of God's truth resound above all with His great love. For just as He is truth (John 14:6), He is love (1 John 4:8). The two exist in perfect harmony within the very nature of who God is and His Word echoes this throughout.

The tenor of truth is pure
On that note, the tenor of truth is purely good, purely just, and purely holy. It cannot be mixed with lies, or it is no longer truth. In contrast, he who masquerades as an angle of light masterfully mixes truth with lies. Sometimes his tenor even sounds Christian. The enemy loves to spout off about love, peace, truth, and spiritual fulfillment. He might talk about "god." But if we listen discerningly—especially when his deadly tenor resonates through the mega-popular spiritual and self-help icons of contemporary culture—we might realize that what he means by love, peace, truth, and god, is very different from the biblical definitions of those things. "Love" is a mere emotion. "Peace" is mental detachment. "Truth" is relative. And "god" is the inner light within ourselves. The enemy claims that we create our own truth, that we shape our own destinies, and ultimately that we can save ourselves. He can use "Christian" terminology, while at the same time convincing us that we have no need for a Savior.

The tenor of truth is always about Jesus

When we understand that the tenor of God's Word always points us to the risen Christ, we will not be led astray. Watch out for Bible studies or sermons that thematically emphasize a particular verse of the Bible more than the Bible itself does (the Word of Faith movement does this and hence preaches a different gospel). God's Word consistently expresses a narrative flow (an undeviating course!) in which the redemptive story unfolds to lead us to Jesus. In fact, every passage of Scripture either echoes or proclaims the gospel. For as Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me." (John 5:39). Just as the tenor of truth always leads to Jesus, it also starts with Jesus. John opens his gospel with these words, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." (John 1:1). Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14).

God's tenor resounds with His glory

Essentially, the desire for, "more of Him, less of me," encapsulates the gospel; it expresses the truth that while I have a problem (a sinful heart), it is He who has the solution (Christ). And the beauty of this is that reading Scripture with a heart that yearns for God, and a mind that is yielded to His will, is how we come to know the tenor of His voice. He starts to replace our thoughts with His and our ways with His. He starts to renew our minds, transform our hearts, and replace our fallen nature with His righteousness.

Do you find you're often placing your spiritual focus on your own works, gifts, politics, circumstances, strengths, and weaknesses? As Alistair Begg often puts it: "Does your faith start with an I or a He?" Because if your spiritual conversations and your prayers constantly include sentences that start with "I" then you might be idolizing yourself instead of worshiping God. Remember that the tenor of God's Word consistently emphasizes His glory not our own. The truth of this rings clearly and unwaveringly throughout Scripture (Ja 4:10; Phil 2:7; Luke 14:9-11; Rom 12:3; 1 Cor 1:28; 2 Chron 7:14; 2 Kings 22:19; Psa 24:9...and on).

John the Baptist knew that in order to serve God fruitfully, "He must become greater, I must become less." (John 3:30). Consistently, John's entire ministry, as well as his personal faith, pointed away from himself and toward Christ. And ours should, too. Because when we get too focused on our own theology, our own circumstances, our own dreams, spiritual gifts and purpose, and less on Christ, we start to deafen ourselves to God's voice by filling our ears with our own self-generated monologue.

In light of this, every Christian should ask themselves, whose song am I really singing? Does my life resonate with the tenor of truth? Or am I humming along to my own tune? Can I echo the words of the psalmist, "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." (Psa 40:3)? Or have I elevated myself to the level of songwriter?

Definitions Matter

I was talking with a church friend the other day about matters of the faith, and he said, "definitions matter." He hit on a really important truth: sloppy definitions lead to sloppy theology. And sloppy theology leads to sloppy life-application and a muddled worldview.

The biblical definitions behind the Christian terminology we use matter because if we're not clear about what we mean by them in the first place, we can be thrown off course when we try to act on what we say. In other words, when we try to walk the walk after talking the talk our feet aren't sure where to go. And we may well find ourselves straying off the path.

In the face of what is beginning to seem like a constant barrage of emotionally and politically unsettling tragedies hitting the headlines, how are Christians to respond? We hear a lot about, "love!" "forgiveness!" and "grace!" We tend to use these terms frequently, and with good intention, but we're not always clear about what we mean by them. And as things progress, we find ourselves getting muddled.

Should we call sin, sin? Or should we show grace? Should we speak truth? Or show love? Should we withhold judgment? Or uphold justice? Without sound theology, we might forget that truth and love cannot be separated. Without sound theology we might forget that to downplay sin, is to diminish grace...

In other words, we need to be careful with our Christianese. We need to be careful we our theology.

But I don't like theology! You might hear some say... In fact, "theology" has almost become a bad word today. It is often associated with rigidity, harshness, even bigotry. In our post-modern culture, theology has become taboo.

The truth is, however, everyone has a theology. Theology is simply the study of God. Or as Saint Augustine in the fifth century put it, theology is a “rational discussion respecting the Deity.” The term comes from the word theos which is Greek for “God” and ology which is from the Greek word logos meaning “word.” Most literally, then, the word theology means “words about God.” As believers, who think about, and discuss, God, try to understand Him, and live out our faith accordingly, we are all developing a theology. Even atheists have a theology!

The big question is, however, does our theology reflect sound biblical truth, or something else?

The truth is, false teachers—like the mega-popular spiritual and self-help icons of secular culture and the New Age—often use terms like love, peace, and truth. Yes, the enemy, who masquerades as an angel of light, loves to spout off about forgiveness and spiritual fulfillment. He might even talk about "god." But if we listen discerningly, we might realize that what he means by love, peace, truth, and god, is very different from the biblical definitions of those things. "Love" is a mere emotion. "Peace" is mental detachment. "Truth" is relative. And "god" is the inner light within ourselves. The enemy claims that we create our own truth, that we shape our own destinies, and ultimately that we can save ourselves. He can use "Christian" terminology, while at the same time convincing us that we have no need for a Savior.

In the same vein, what Mormons mean by Jesus, salvation, and atonement, is fundamentally different than what the Bible teaches about these things.

If our theology doesn't reflect God's truth, but something else, we are in danger of viewing God through a lens of deception. In fact, if we are consistently sloppy with our theology, over time we can even end up creating our own fictitious god, who bears little resemblance to the One revealed to us in Scripture.

Theology matters.

For example, when Jesus asked the disciples, "who do you say I am?" (Matt 16:13-15), He was asking them to define their theological perspective on who He is. And our answer to this pivotal theological question will be the most important one we will ever have to give.

Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.” (John 16:6-7, emphasis added). But the fact is, many who use His name do not actually know the true Christ. Jesus said:

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt 7:21-23).

To know Him and to do His will involves understanding the truth about who He is, what He did for us on the Cross, and what His Word teaches. It involves sound theology.

The good news is that God in His mercy and wisdom has provided us with a carefully worded guide in which He has clearly defined the truths about His nature and how we can be reconciled to Him. It's important, then, to pay careful attention to these definitions. As Paul says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Tim 2:15).

Before we use biblical terminology, we should hold up our own words against Scripture. We are commanded to hold all teaching up against God's Word, like the "noble" Berean Jews were commended for doing in the Book of Acts. This doesn't mean cherry-picking verses selectively. It means making a humble, honest examination of the text to make sure our definitions are sound.

Don't be discouraged; this isn't going to be a popular standard to uphold, for we've been forewarned that "the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Tim 4:3-4).

It is all the more crucial, then, that we equip ourselves with sound theology, in order to distinguish absolute truth from lies in a relativistic culture of deception.

Definitions matter.

Confessions of a Recovering People-Pleaser

...We endeavor—by His grace—to live not as "people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." (Eph 6:6)

...We are not trying to please people, but God, who tests our hearts. (1 Thess 2:4)

I have spent a good deal of my life struggling with people-pleasing. I have wanted people to like me, to accept me, to approve of me. I have wanted the people around me to be happy. At times, I have even gone along with things that I was uncomfortable with in order to keep the peace or avoid disappointing someone. I don't like rocking the boat. I don't want to upset people. I hate discord.

Some of this may have to do with my childhood (at risk of sounding hackneyed). Like many of us, I was teased, and sometimes even bullied, as a child. I had an idiosyncratic, quirky personality. I was a perpetual dreamer. I was painfully shy. These things combined to make me an easy target. And as things generally go with school children, a number of kids took aim. Because my daydreaming caused me to be scatterbrained and accident prone, when anything went wrong in the classroom—like a poster falling off the wall or something—all 26 kids would chant my name in unison, joking that everything was always my fault. To them it was funny, to me it was collective shaming.

For years, I felt like a misfit and a mistake. These experiences likely contributed to my childhood eagerness to please others and to fit in. And during my teens this desire gave rise to a whole series of sin issues as you can imagine.

Now in my 40s, I am less insecure than in my teens and 20s. By God's grace my confidence, being rooted in Christ, has grown. By God's grace, I am happily married with three kids. By God's grace, I've distanced myself from negative, judgmental, over-critical people and have been blessed with edifying relationships—with friends and family who encourage me and build me up in Christ while allowing me to do the same for them. This doesn't mean everything is perfect (far from it!), but it does make for a healthier spiritual environment. And for this answer to prayer, I am very, very thankful.

But every now and then, the fear of condemnation and disapproval still sneaks in. I still struggle with the people-pleasing urge from time-to-time. And I've noticed that it's when I start making things more about me, and less about Him that the niggling temptation creeps back in.

As a recovering people-pleaser, I especially dislike posting an article that I know a number of people will be offended by, or won't agree with...but then the Holy Spirit pricks my conscience and I am still prompted to publish it. I pray over it, I post it...and then I wince.

I wince because writing on the Christian worldview, apologetics, and matters of biblical discernment will always ruffle some feathers and touch some nerves. I wince because I know it's not likely to be a popular point of view. I wince because...well...I am still in recovery, after all!

And in our anything-goes culture of relativism in which the "just do you" mantra carries way more weight than the "die to self" one, biblical discernment is not a trendy topic. It requires humility, raw honesty, and vulnerability—all things that are challenging for a recovering people-pleaser like me. And all things that are currently not en vogue in our post-modern culture (don't get duped by those humble braggers on social media!).

Suffice it to say, it's hard to go against the cultural flow when you're a recovering people-pleaser.

The thing is, the Christian worldview is offensive. This is because the Bible is offensive...and what Jesus said was offensive...and what the apostles wrote, and stood for, was offensive. For, "as it is written, 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'" (Rom 9:33).

As the above verse illustrates, the gospel is essentially both loving and offensive at the same time. For, "this is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4;10). In other words, the slaughter of God's own Son illuminates both the magnitude of His love for us as well as the seriousness of our sin—sin that can only be ransomed by Jesus' death on the Cross. The gospel, then, shows us that we’re more loved than we ever could have dreamed, yet we're more sinful than we ever imagined. And the latter can be an unpalatable, repugnant thing to the post-modern palate. Especially when the world constantly tells us otherwise...

While the world might whisper sweet nothings in our ear, however, remember that godly love—pure, divine love—is not of this world. And so the world does not recognize it. Therefore, if you are speaking the truth in love, then you may find that you are pegged as hateful or judgmental in a world that is hostile to Christ—sometimes even by other Christians.

While this is unfortunate, it should not be surprising, however. As Jesus said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matt 10:34). The doubled-edged sword of God's Word will separate bone and marrow and cut to the heart. And so, God's truth may hurt at times. It can be tough to hear, just as it can be tough to profess. But in the end, it's all about pleasing God, not people.

The truth is, people-pleasing is motivated by pride. It's fueled by a desire to feel needed, to be liked, to be popular, to gain worldly significance, or to advance a personal agenda. In essence, it's an insidious form of idolatry, which places the love of oneself before God.

As a recovering people-pleaser, then, I constantly need to check my motives... Am I speaking, writing, working, serving, etc., for my own self-determined ends, or for God's glory? Am I speaking, writing, working, serving, etc. with my love for God and for people as my motivation? Or is it all about me?

Here's what I find I need to keep reminding myself: love and truth cannot be separated. God is love, just as He is truth. (1 John 4:8; John 14:6). He cannot be divided. In this vein, if I am seeking to love God and love people, I need to be truthful—I need to hold fast to God's Word.

It is selfless love, then, that urges us to speak truth—with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). For, you can't claim to love and follow Jesus, while rejecting or distorting His Word. 

In light of this, here are twelve suggestions for recovering people-pleasers, like me, who endeavor to speak truth in love:

1. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will pray first, and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in discerning when we should speak and when we should remain silent. Sometimes, I have found that holding my tongue with regards to a friend's sinful pattern of behavior and praying for him has born more fruit than if I had confronted him right then and there. And we should certainly err on the side of showing grace to someone who is suffering from clinical depression or mental illness. (Prayer, support, and healing should come before truth in these cases). We will have compassion (Col 3:12), be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry (James 1:19).

2. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will be humble and patient. It's easy to tip the balance from speaking the truth in love to nagging people or chastising them. I know how it feels to be the recipient of a judgmental attack instead of gentle admonishment out of love. In my life, I have needed to be nudged in the direction of righteousness, but when this was done gently, I did not feel under attack.

3. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we should also live by example. If we are truly humble, we will have a teachable heart ourselves and allow others the same freedom to speak truth to us when needed. Speaking the truth should go both ways! We have to be willing not only to give it but to receive it as well!

4. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will be sure to check our motive: is it to prove we are right about something, or to point that person, church, or ministry back to the gospel from which they've strayed? Is speaking the truth in this situation necessary to guard against false teaching? Are we holding a friend accountable, with gentleness and humility, for their own good or is it more about venting our personal grievances? If it is for their good, or the good of the Kingdom, then we must speak up. (And if there is no repentance, 1 Corinthians 5 provides a biblical model for how to confront immorality in the church).

5. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will treat the sin of unbelievers differently from the sin of Christians (1 Cor 5:12-13). Unbelievers are not held to the same standards as those who are born again, because they are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit and have not yet been made new in Christ. We cannot hold unbelievers to biblical standards that they don't yet believe in or are not yet aware of. We should love them, pray for them, and witness to them about the hope that is in Christ—not focus on their sins before they have been given new eyes to see.

6. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will draw a distinction between sin in our culture and the sin of an individual, standing firmly (but not always loudly) against the former, and showing grace towards the latter—being unwavering in the truth always. We will handle hot-button, controversial issues like homosexuality and transgenderism with humility, dignity, and conviction. We will speak out against societal and cultural sin, defending the sanctity of marriage—but we will not lambaste the gay community by taking to the streets with signs around our necks or ranting hatefully. That is truth without love. The end goal of speaking the truth in love is not to criticize, condemn, or win an argument. It is to point others to Christ. You can't berate or picket someone into that.

7. On the flip-side, if selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will not sugar-coat God's Word, dilute it with touchy-feely emotionalism, downplay the seriousness of sin, or turn a blind eye to false teaching. These are forms of people-pleasing. Doing these things may respectively earn you popularity, garner more Facebook likes, create a comfortable atmosphere, or cobble together some semblance of unity. But what is unity without Christ at its center? What is comfort without hope? And what is popularity in a temporal world?

8. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will be compelled to contend for the faith. For example, the Apostle Paul, an expert apologist, debated in the synagogues to save souls. Jude urged believers to contend tirelessly for the faith (Jude 1:3). Peter admonished us always to be ready to give an answer as to why our hope is in Christ (1 Peter 3:15). Paul exhorted us to guard our doctrine closely (1 Timothy 4:16). Unequivocally, it is our duty to defend and uphold Biblical truth. And it is our love of God and His Word that will fuel this. John Piper puts it this way, "There are truths about God and Christ and man and the church and the world which are essential to the life of Christianity. If they are lost or distorted, the result will not be merely wrong ideas but misplaced trust. The inner life of faith is not independent from the doctrinal statement of faith. When doctrine goes bad, so do hearts. There is a body of doctrine which must be preserved."

9. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will promote unity in Christ. We will uphold biblical truth to strengthen the Church (as Ephesians 4:15-16 illustrates), even though there may be those that fall away as a result. While we will defend the doctrine of salvation, however, we will also remember that Satan wants to cause unnecessary division among believers. Some Christians get all wrapped around the axle about peripheral matters like whether or not to have a Christmas tree due to its "pagan origins" or whether or not to let our kids believe in Santa, and then lambaste other Christians who don't have the same perspective. But these minor issues distract us from what really matters. We can also be over-critical of our fellow believers, obsessing over each other's differences and flaws, which can lead to pride, hatred, and division. If we are selfless, we may not win the peripheral argument, but we will glorify God.

10. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will speak up when it comes to matters of salvation. Jesus did not beat around the bush when it came to this. He mentioned hell 23 times as is recorded in the Gospels. When Jesus went to dinner at a Pharisee's home, for example, He told the Pharisees, "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52). Not exactly cordial dinner conversation! Jesus was far more concerned with speaking the truth to them than sparing their feelings and sticking to safe topics of discussion. The disciples came to Jesus and told Him the Pharisees were offended by what He had been saying (Matt 15:12). But, Jesus answered that the Pharisees’ failure to see the truth right in front of them would be their downfall and He continued to uphold the truth, even when it offended people.

11. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will be truthful even when interacting with the rich and powerful. When a rich young ruler ran up to Jesus and fell on his knees before Him, asking “Good teacher…what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17), Jesus spoke forthrightly and told him to leave everything he had and follow Him. The man went away sadly because he had great wealth (Mark 10:22). But the Bible also tells us that, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” (Mark 10:21). It was because Jesus loved the man so much that He spoke the truth to him. By speaking the truth to Him, Jesus did not try to win him over right then and there. He didn't tell him what he wanted to hear in order to gain a new follower, even an influential, wealthy one. Likewise, if we really love someone selflessly, we too will be truthful with them—even if they run away because of it.

12. If selfless love is our motive for speaking truth, we will fearlessly defend the weak and the oppressed. By faith we are called to be administrators of justice (Heb 11:33) and to correct oppression (Isa 17:1). We will advocate for the widow and the fatherless. We will pray for, and raise awareness about, the persecuted Church. We will speak up on behalf of those who cannot do so for themselves—including the unborn.

...Ultimately, people-pleasing isn't loving or serving others. It's temporary convenience without conviction. It's temporary happiness without hope. It's temporary popularity without promise. It's temporary status without soul.

When Paul rebuked people-pleasing in his first letter to the Thessalonians, he was evidently aware that it perpetuates the human desire to be cozy in the world, gives rise to false teaching, enables sin, and usurps the authority of God.

As a recovering people-pleaser, (who still backslides from time-to-time), I know that writing on matters of discernment (which the Bible itself emphasizes!) will likely gain me more enemies than friends. Despite this, however, I would rather seek to please God who tests my heart, not people!  I would rather cling to Christ in a world that has rejected Him, whether it's offensive to others or not.

...even if I still wince once-in-a-while!

The Courage to Encourage

Everyone needs encouragement. Humans are created to be relational beings and we naturally take comfort in an encouraging word from a friend during a time of difficulty, fear, or uncertainty. Sometimes, even more than words, just the encouraging presence of loved ones can ease feelings of pain or worry. The importance of such relationships cannot be over-estimated. Studies have shown that those who live in healthy community with others, live longer, whereas isolation and loneliness breed depression and anxiety.

Paul taught the early church that the Body of Christ should be a loving and encouraging fellowship of believers. In his letter to the Romans he paints us a striking picture of what it looks like to live in biblical community (Romans 12). Among other things, he urges us to be empathetic with one another; to rejoice with those who rejoice and to mourn with those who mourn (Rom 12:15).

Isn't it true that when we experience a blessing or victory in our lives, we long for others to rejoice with us? True friends will be glad when God uses us to achieve something or when He blesses us. They will celebrate with us as if the victory or blessings are theirs also! But, sadly, the achievements or gifts of others can breed discontentment, insecurity, and jealousy in the hearts of some. And sometimes, people secretly take pleasure in the failures of others, because it makes them feel temporarily better about themselves in comparison. But to rejoice with those who rejoice is to let go of our insecurities and the prideful temptation to one-up each other. It is to think of others as more significant than ourselves (Phil 2:3). It is to show selflessness, empathy, and humility.

Mourning with those who mourn can also be a challenge in our busy lives today. We are a society of hectic, over-scheduled people and in the midst of our "crazy" lives, when do we really have the time to sit down with a brother or sister who needs encouragement or walk with them through their time of hardship? When do we have the time to visit the shut-in? To spend time with the lonely, elderly, or sick...or even to pray for them?

But Paul is clear that encouraging one another is key to a loving church community. He knew firsthand what it was like to be afflicted, isolated, and in dire need of encouragement. He even lists encouragement as a spiritual gift (Rom 12:7-8). He uses here the Greek word, paracletos, which literally means “to call to one’s side,” and is translated as to “exhort,” “urge,” “encourage,” and “comfort.” Exhortation (to emphatically urge someone to do something) isn't always associated with encouragement as much as comforting someone might be. But just as the Holy Spirit—whom Jesus referred to as our “Helper” or “Comforter” (John 14:16, 26; 15:26)—both comforts and convicts us, those with the gift of encouragement will both comfort as well as counsel others, exhorting them to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts—as modeled by Barnabas, “the son of encouragement." (Acts 4:36; Acts 11:23; Acts 13:43).

The words we speak to one another can have huge impact. They can serve to tear us down or build us up. They can further laden a heavy heart, or uplift it with hope. They can feed self-centeredness and self-deception or help to point us to Jesus Christ. Scripture has much to say about the power of the tongue, describing rash words like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise to bring healing (Prov 12:18). The tongue is an outlet for what ever is in the heart; "the good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:4-5). We should take this seriously, for Jesus said: “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt 12:36-37). And in James we read, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless." (James 1:26). In this vein, Paul wrote: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph 4:29).

Indeed, anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad (Proverbs 12:25). So, what exactly is a "good word"? To answer this, it's helpful to take a look at what biblical encouragement actually is—and also to identify what it is not:

1. Encouragement is to empathize not to give a pep-talk. To truly comfort some one involves empathy and depth of understanding. When you're dealing with a difficult time of fear and uncertainty, the hollow, "it will be alright," doesn't really cut it, does it? And in the midst of suffering, a cursory, "it will be fine," doesn't resonate. This is because it isn't really true. Things aren't always "alright." Things aren't always going to be "fine." The reality is, sometimes things are difficult, painful, or even tragic. Often, statements like these are defaulted to in order to alleviate the awkwardness of not knowing what to say. To truly empathize with another person, however, there must be a genuine level of emotional commitment to that person. But in a commitment-phobic society in which we're all being pulled in so many different directions, to truly encourage one another is counter-cultural. It involves an investment of time and emotional energy that many of us may not feel we have to give. But Paul reminds us that now more than ever, investing in, and committing to, one another is important. He exhorts us to "consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Heb 10:24-25). This involves taking the time to listen to, and trying to understand, what a brother or sister is actually going through. It involves the act of prayerfully loving others as ourselves.

2. Encouragement involves exhortation not enablement. In other words, encouragement is to urge others to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God—not to succumb to, or be overwhelmed by, feelings of hopelessness (Rom 5:2). Enablement, however, perpetuates hopelessness. It's true that misery loves company. But to indulge the fears, insecurities, or pride of others without pointing them to Christ is not to comfort them with everlasting hope, but to provide only temporary relief. Encouragement, on the other hand, is to point them away from their problems to fix their eyes on Jesus. Encouragement, then, must be rooted in the gospel. When Paul tells us to encourage one another and build one another up, he consistently does so in the context of the gospel message. He lays out the basis for our hope and encouragement, which is our "salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him." (1 Thess 9-11).

3. Encouragement is sincere not flattery. We should absolutely give credit where credit is due. Recognizing the achievements of our peers is important. And to live in unity is to celebrate each other's strengths and give thanks for each other's blessings as if they are our own. But encouraging words must be anchored in truth. Speech that is peppered with gushing accolades or disingenuous compliments does not reflect Christ-like love for others. Words of encouragement shouldn't be based on what the other person wants to hear. Instead, Paul urges us to speak the truth in love in order to build up the Body of Christ (Eph 4:15-16). We can especially encourage one another with the truth that God knows, cares for, and loves, each one of us intimately (Psa 139) even though we are sinners. We need to be vigilant, however, that the message of God's amazing love for us doesn't get confused with the popular lie that "you are perfect just as you are." This lie feeds the human desire to remain unchanged and self-antonymous. In effect, it negates our perceived need for sanctification, for submission, and—if taken too far—even for salvation. Thus, Scripture warns us that a man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet (Prov 29:5). Our words of encouragement must be motivated by a desire to glorify God. Furthermore, encouragement involves exhorting one another to boast only in the Lord and to fully rely on God's strength, not enabling self-centered attempts to be self-reliant and confident in our own strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10; 2 Cor 10:17). When we seek to encourage others, we might ask ourselves, what am I seeking to encourage my fellow believer to hope in? His own abilities? His own success? Or am I ultimately pointing him to Christ for God's glory?

4. Encouragement is self-sacrificial not self-serving. While flattering lips are motivated by self-gain, speaking genuine words of encouragement—speaking the truth in love—can be costly to us. But sometimes, our church communities can be consumer-driven rather than service-minded, seeming more akin to social clubs than spiritual families. They can be full of relationships based on expediency and quick-fix community. Some churches have a tendency to promote organized fun over authentic fellowship. And an overemphasis on common interest- or convenience-based community gives rise to the ever-pressing problem of church cliques and creates an environment devoid of open-heartedness and outreach-mindedness. Stepping out of our comfort zones, social circles, and interest-areas to encourage the lonely and the afflicted with the gospel was clearly modeled by Jesus during His earthly life. But to genuinely comfort a suffering brother or sister can be in be time-consuming, inconvenient, even messy. There isn't always an easy answer to someone's difficult situation or painful condition. Jesus, however, spent time pouring His love into the afflicted, the lost, the weary, the ostracized—not those from whom He would gain something. He didn't work His way up the social ladder or seek out politically expedient relationships. Instead, He made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant (Phil 2:7). Encouragement, then, is to seek first His Kingdom—not a church clique. Indeed, when we step back and look at ourselves, we might consider our own motivations: are we encouraging others selectively so they might like us more or because we want to feel needed? Are we practicing favoritism or are we non-discriminatory in building up the Body of Christ, which transcends personal preferences, along with social, cultural, and even national boundaries?

In light of all this, it is safe to say that encouragement takes courage. It involves self-sacrifice and getting out of our comfort-zone, giving selflessly of our time and energy. It's about avoiding flattery and people-pleasing for self-gain. It may mean addressing inconvenient truths from time-to-time and exhorting others to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. It may involve getting our hands dirty, dealing with some messy situations, and confronting difficult, even heart-wrenching, realities (not brushing the suffering of our brothers and sisters under the carpet). And because encouragement is about pointing ourselves and others to Christ, it's counter-cultural. Encouragement, therefore, will mean swimming against the tide.

But we can be encouraged by the fact we are not alone. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to encourage others. We don't have to rely on our own strength to build up the Body of Christ, but can take courage in the Lord's strength. For He will build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt 16:19). Now that is encouraging!

Stop Feeling Guilty

More and more Christians today seem to be feeling guilty. In a politically correct culture that's pegged us as bigoted, narrow-minded, judgmental, and unloving, we all-too-often find ourselves hanging our heads in shame and pleading "guilty." If you hear something bad about yourself enough times, maybe you start to actually believe it. And so we apologize for ourselves and try to reinvent ourselves in a way that will garner wider-appeal. We strive to be relevant in a world that seems to be evolving rapidly without us. We downplay biblical truth and talk innocuously about "love" conveniently avoiding its true meaning and Godly origin.

And so, we want to be liked by the world.

We're aghast at the sinful behavior that so often creeps into our community. We're ashamed of our broken churches filled with broken people. We wince at the hateful behavior of Westboro Baptist Church types (who, despite their tiny numbers, get way more media coverage than the vast majority of compassionate Christians do). We squirm at the problematic—sometimes violent—history of the church. We find ourselves sinking in a pit of generational sin. But instead of rejoicing that despite being sinners, our righteousness is in Christ, we seem to be morbidly more comfortable with clinging to the guilt.

And so, we want to be forgiven by the world.

With the move away from the fire-and-brimstone preaching style of yesteryear in which guilt and fear sadly dominated our faith, we've ended up losing much of the accountability, but we're still hanging on to all of the guilt. Satan is the "great accuser," and we're willingly giving him our ear. We believe too many of the lies we hear about ourselves and we lament the way the world sees us.

And so, we want to be accepted by the world.

And to all this, add the tendency of many Christians to beat ourselves up for not being good enough. Often, we seek our identity in our spiritual successes and consequently lose our identity in our failures. Instead of placing our identity in Christ, we mirror the worldly pattern of self-centeredness.

But Christians need to stop with all the guilt!

Okay—so we're sinners. Yes—we get it wrong some of the time. Absolutely—we make mistakes. Hands down—we're far from perfect. But, we are children of the living God. We are justified by faith, not by works. Our righteousness is in Him. And many of us are sincerely trying to live in obedience to Him. And so, we need to...

...Stop feeling guilty when we want to express our Christian faith in a culture that claims to be "tolerant."

...Stop feeling guilty for believing that Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life.

...Stop feeling guilty for the times when pleasing God means displeasing people.

...Stop feeling guilty for holding to absolute truth in a secularized culture that believes everything is either relative or bigoted.

...Stop feeling guilty for saying, "Merry Christmas," at Christmas.

...Stop feeling guilty for believing in God's design for marriage.

...Stop feeling guilty when our hearts are grieved at seeing 8-year-old Shiloh Pitt's gender-bending garb.

...Stop feeling guilty for identifying wrong as wrong and right as right in a world where anything goes.

...Stop feeling guilty for believing that the Bible actually has it right.

...Stop feeling guilty for making counter-cultural choices, like how to educate our kids and what values to instill in them.

...Stop feeling guilty for bursting the bubble of selfism that teaches everyone that they are perfect just as they are.

...Stop feeling guilty for speaking the truth in love that we are all sinners who fall short of God's glory and we all need a Savior.

We have been set free from sin and are now slaves to righteousness. (Rom 6:18). So, then, let's stop feeling guilty and start feeling grateful!

Disunity in the Church: A Real Problem With a Real Solution

There is a lot of talk these days about disunity in the church—and with good reason. Christians are splintered not only into a wide variety of denominations and associations, but also within our churches where the differences between individual believers can often be stark and can even cause irreconcilable rifts. And all this while the world is watching. But what is the true answer to this problem? I think the solution is actually well within our reach...

Before delving into the solution, we need to be sure that we're setting out with godly expectations. In response to the depressing state of discord within the Body of Christ, many of us feel weary and sometimes default to a can't-we-just-all-get-along sentiment. Understandable as this is, it doesn't work as a blanket solution. This is because, sometimes, disunity is unfortunately unavoidable. While we are told to live in peace with everyone as far as it depends on us (Rom 12:18), we are also told be guardians of the faith (1 Cor 16:13; 2 Cor 10:5). We are called, therefore, to speak the truth in love when the truth of gospel is being undermined or when besetting sin or false teaching has entered into the church. Doing so may indeed cause conflict and disunity. But it's important to recognize off the bat that we mustn't value unity at the expense of the gospel. To do so puts human relationships before God, which is an unbiblical approach to loving our neighbor. We might succeed in being united if we do this, but we've actually lost sight of our original purpose: to glorify God. Instead, it's important to unite with others in a way that honors God first and foremost. 

Loving God above all else will lead us to choose a bible-based church that is Christ-centered, and will inspire us to live out our faith in a God-honoring way. It will lead us to reject liberal churches that fail to make Christ their Lord and His Word central. But here's the challenge: We absolutely must not have our identity wrapped up in our choices—whether they are biblically sound or not. It is this that leads to unnecessary disunity.

Let me explain. When our identity is rooted in being a 5-point-Calvinist, an Arminian, a home-schooler, a baptist, a methodist, a presbyterian, a helper of the poor, an upholder of justice, a guardian of biblical doctrine, ANYTHING other than in Christ alone, we are missing the mark. These may be good things. Some of them may indeed be crucial, biblically correct things. But they cannot replace Christ. And if they become our identity, we have a problem. We have an identity crisis.

An identity crisis is not to be taken lightly. It can have devastating results. For example, an identity crisis is arguably what led to Satan's downfall from Heaven. The bible tells us that before his fall, Satan was the “anointed cherub” (Eze 28:14) and “the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” (Eze 28:12b) It is likely that Satan was one of the highest of all angels because he had enough influence to convince one third of them to join him in his rebellion (Rev 12:4). There is speculation that Satan was the leader of worship in Heaven. But what we know for sure is that Satan found his identity in the wrong places. He didn't find his identity in being an angel of God. Instead, his identity was wrapped up in being the special one—one who was exalted above others. His identity was rooted in pride. And the effects of this were catastrophic. The fact is, Satan rebelled against God despite being anointed by, and in close relationship with, Him. This sends a chilling warning to us as Christians, doesn't it?

Satan's story shows us how important it is that our identity be firmly anchored in Christ. And if it isn't, it is always rooted in some form of pride. Just like Satan demonstrated, devastating disunity and dissention can result from an identity based on pride; think of the astounding number of Heaven's angels who followed Satan and rejected their Creator! The identity of these fallen angels was not rooted in the One True God, but was caught up in the charisma of a powerful leader and a misplaced sense of loyalty, which tragically led to their eternal damnation.

The truth is, we are all vulnerable to having an identity crisis. As a stay-at-home mom, there was a time when I lost sight of my true identity. I wrote about my early-motherhood struggle with this in a former post: "My Search for Significance in a World of Stray Cheerios." When mothers have their identity wrapped up in their choices—like whether to stay at home with children or to work outside of the home, for example—they are on a dangerous path. For example, I've noticed that there can sometimes be an unspoken division between Christian women who stay home full-time and those who don't. Likewise, there can be a silent stand-off between those who choose to home-school their kids and those who send their children to public school. The problem is, many of us let the choices of other parents become a tacit commentary on our own parenting decisions. It's as if we take the choices of others personally; If other moms make the same choice as us, we feel like we're on the same team. If they don't, we can be critical of them, or feel criticized by them, even if no words are actually spoken. But as members of the Body of Christ, we shouldn't be focusing on our differences in this way. Our identity shouldn't be wrapped up in the choices we make as parents. This leads to self-righteousness, judgmentalism, and unnecessary disunity. It can cause deep wedges in the Body of Christ. 

Remember that Satan wants nothing more than to cause disunity in our churches, our relationships, and our marriages. He wants to divide and conquer. With this in mind, it's important to recognize that there are differences between believers that are peripheral (such as differing opinions on how to educate our kids) and there are those that are fundamental (such as opposing views on the doctrine of the Trinity, the rejection of which is a deal-breaker, for example). We need to exercise prayerful discernment when confronting our differences and compromising unity in the Body of Christ. If we are critical of a fellow believer, church, or ministry, we should check our motive: is it to prove we are right about something, or to point that person, church, or ministry back to the gospel from which they may have strayed? Are we seeking revenge or to build another believer up? Is speaking the truth in this situation necessary to guard against false teaching that undermines the gospel? Or is it more about venting our grievances, and airing our opinions? Is it to glorify God or glorify ourselves?

Ultimately, the solution to disunity in the church is to be found quite simply in Christ alone. In actuality, what unifies us as believers is not brushing fundamental truths under the carpet to keep the peace, it is upholding the Gospel of Christ in our churches and uniting together in the name of Jesus. Paul explains that if Christ is truly our Lord, believers will be united together in His Body, so that we can "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 4:15-16).

The more our identity is anchored in Christ, the more united we, as members of His Body, will be.