Courage to Speak the Word of Truth (part one)
By Jay Wegter
It’s impossible to be a disciple of Christ, and at the same time have a ‘casual relationship’ to God’s Word. For God’s will revealed in His Word is the ‘mold’ into which the Christian’s life is poured. The Scriptures shape and form what goes on in the believer’s mind, the conscience and the affections. To be a saved individual is to ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ whose royal imperial instrument for governing His people is the Holy Scriptures. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Josh 1:8). “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16). The divine mandate to speak God’s truth to one another is undeniably clear. In passages such as Deuteronomy 6, Psalm 78, and 2 Timothy 4, it is evident that the role of the believer is that of a perpetual “truth speaker.” Sadly in much our Christian social life, this God-given mandate of speaking God’s truth is ignored and ultimately relegated to the job of the pastor. But God’s pattern for the church is clear, we are to utilize the Scripture in our conversations: ‘consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds’ ((Heb 10:24). In Christ, the godly individual teaches, intercedes, and protects by means of divine truth. And, when the truth is ministered, and backed up by a godly life, it heals, feeds, corrects, equips, renews, preserves, builds up, and establishes the listener (Col 1:9-12). The true disciple of Christ understands that the spiritual growth of those in his or her sphere depends in part upon the willingness to speak God’s truth. A Christian must come to the point where he can tell himself, “I am not loving these people around me properly unless I am willing to speak God’s truth to them.” When we examine the example of the O.T. Prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles, it is obvious that their truth-speaking was pointed—it was not general, but filled with penetrating application for their listeners. It is at this juncture that our courage is most likely to fail. We fear being called the “heavy,” a meddler, or regarded as judgmental and “holier than thou.” However, the Christian who is willing to risk misunderstanding and rejection for the sake of the truth also knows that the proclamation of God’s truth always involves a crossroads, or turning point. God commands repentance from those who hear His truth—especially of believers. In the Christian life there are countless ‘course corrections’ in which our ‘heading’ is readjusted to the will of God in His Word. Thus, our spiritual advancement toward maturity is linked to ongoing repentance through which our affections and will are repeatedly conformed to God’s truth. The progress and spiritual well-being of ourselves and our listeners are bound up in ongoing repentance. The better we understand this, the more willing we will be to speak God’s truth without fear. Paul told Timothy, “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you” (1 Tim 4:15-16). The better we understand that this ‘truth-speaking’ is God’s will for His people, the more willing we will be to speak God’s truth without fear. We do so out of a motive of love to God and the brethren, knowing that Christian love is inseparable from wanting the best for our brethren in light of eternity.