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Loudmouths, Pharisees, and Speaking the Truth (in Love)

What to do with concerns

Let’s say God has given me concerns about another person, what should I do? How can I best help the body of Christ?

Let me suggest that it’s not by writing a blog post. The best thing to do is to try to talk to the person who is in error or to the people to whom they are accountable.

In 2 Timothy 2:14, Paul warns against “quarreling about words.” He says, “It is of no value and only ruins those who listen.” The passage goes on to say, “Opponents must be gently instructed in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Tim. 2:25)

These guardians of the truth mean well, but their words ruin those who listen.

Ultimately, their own fruit is not what they intend. They hope to protect the sanctity of the truth, but instead, they prove to the world that Christians are just as divisive as anyone else.

Worse yet, they look like hypocrites who say that they stand for love but whose actions don’t display love. They align themselves not with Jesus, but with his opponents, the Pharisees.

I have Christian friends who are divisive. If you were to inspect their lives, you would find a trail of broken relationships behind them. They mean well, but it’s likely they do more harm than good. I’ve been that guy sometimes and have repented. I’ve vowed to watch my words. 

When they bury me, I don’t want people saying, “He sure was right a lot.” I’d rather they remark on how well I loved.