Think with me for a moment about education and relationships.
Some of you care deeply that EDUCATION FOR EXULTATION not ignore or
marginalize relationships of love. They are essential in real,
lasting, life-changing education. Amen.

So I turn to the Bible. I find in place of the words,
"education" and "relationship," the words, "truth" and "love." So
what does the Bible say about how truth and love relate to each
other? There are at least four ways of talking about this
relationship.

1. Truth aims at love.

"The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a
good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5). Note:
instruction is not the goal, love is. Instruction is the means. It
is subordinate. Truth serves love. Education serves relationships -
mainly the relationship between us and God, but also between
Christian and Christian, and between us and unbelievers. The "goal"
of all our education is love.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider one another
how to stir up to love and good deeds, . . . encouraging one
another" (Hebrews 10:23-25, literal translation). The aim of our
"considering one another" and "encouraging one another" is that we
stir up love. We mingle insight into "the confession of our hope"
with insight into "each other," and the effect is stirring each
other to love. The truth of doctrine and truth of people-watching
unite to aim at love.

2. Love aims at truth.

"Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the
truth" (1 Corinthians 13:6). Love is glad when truth is spoken.
Therefore love aims at truth. It supports truth.

"Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with
many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you
might know the love which I have especially for you" (2 Corinthians
2:4). Here is an example of how love aims at truth. Paul is filled
with love and it compels him to write a letter that was hard, and
caused sorrow in him and in the Corinthians. But it needed to be
said. So love said it. Love speaks the truth personally and
doctrinally.

3. Love shapes how to speak the truth.

"Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects
into Him who is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). There is
an unloving way to speak the truth. That kind of truth-speaking we
should repudiate. But there is a way to speak the truth in love,
and that we should seek. It is not always a soft way to speak, or
Jesus would have to be accused of lack of love in dealing with some
folks in the Gospels. But it does ask about what is the most
helpful thing to say when everything is considered. Sometimes what
would have been a hard word to one group is a needed act of love to
another group, and not a wrong to the group addressed. But in
general, love shapes truth into words and ways that are patient and
gentle (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

4. Truth shapes how to show love.

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love
God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that
we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome"
(1 John 5:2). It is not always obvious which acts are loving. So
John tells us some truth will help us know if our acts are loving.
One truth test for our love is whether we are keeping the
commandments of God toward people, In other words, love cannot be
cut loose from the truth of God's will. Truth shapes how to show
love.

Let us pray that God will cause his love and truth to abound and
mingle in us in all these ways for the glory of his truth-filled
love and love-filled truth.

Pastor John