Tolerance and truth in love

Ephesians 4:1-16 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Unity of the Spirit

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, ³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) ¹¹ And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. ¹⁴ As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; ¹⁵ but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

In today’s text it says:  I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,  being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.  The world equates love and tolerance. It is important to remember that Paul is writing to the church. What he is saying here is for the body of Christ regarding their interaction with other believers. Jesus also spoke of the love that we should have for other believers. In John 13:34-35 He says:  ^“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Paul says we should show tolerance to one another in love. There is a difference between showing tolerance to others in love and tolerating sin. Paul also says:  we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;  but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ. So while we show tolerance to one another; to other believers, we also should speak the truth in love, so that we would grow up, become mature and not be carried away by deceitful scheming and doctrine. If the world wants Christians to show tolerance in love, they must also be willing to hear truth in love.    

In yesterday’s meditation we saw how Paul describes love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  So tolerance in love, is expressed through patience, through kindness, through not being self seeking; through not being provoked or taking into account a wrong suffered. Tolerance in love though does not rejoice in unrighteousness, nor does it embrace unrighteousness, joining in and acting unbecomingly. Love rejoices in truth and so if we love other, we should speak the truth in love.

I’ve heard a saying that says: “Truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth.”  This again is why it is important to acknowledge that Paul is speaking to believers here.  Paul says that this love, tolorance and truth is because we are:  being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.  Unlike the world, with believers, even if we disagree on some things, we are unified by the Holy Spirit. The sames Spirit resides in each one who believes. In John 14:15-17 Jesus says:  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;  that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”   It is the unity we have in the Spirit that both motivates and empowers us to show tolerance and speak the truth in love. In 1 Corinthians 1:18;25 it says: The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God… the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.  In Acts 1:8 Jesus says:  “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”   We receive the power of God through the Holy Spirit to speak the truth of God that by the Holy Spirit the power of God would bring revelation of truth and salvation.

The text says:  He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.   Jesus said the reason for our love and tolerance is that the world would know we are His disciples. Paul says it is so that knowing we are His disciples, the body of Christ can be built up; we can attain unity through faith in Christ.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit because of Your love for me, may I also love others. May I be an example of love that is:  patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.And may I speak the truth in love.  Amen.