Galatians 4:16 (AMP) So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Have you ever been treated like a traitor for simply speaking the truth? You spoke out to warn someone, to love them well, to call them higher. And yet, instead of gratitude, you were met with rejection. This is not unique to you. The Apostle Paul was faced with rejection for telling the truth in love when he asked the Galatians, “So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16, AMP).
Telling the truth in love is not about condemnation. It is about compassion. It requires boldness birthed in prayer, courage formed in the fear of God, and a deep love for people that is willing to risk misunderstanding.
Truth Offends Before It Heals
Jesus said, “And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin]” (John 8:32, AMP). But what He did not say is that the truth often offends before it heals. It confronts pride, exposes hidden sin, and tears down the idols we’ve grown comfortable with. Remember that telling the truth in love can provoke strong reactions.
When Stephen told the truth, he was stoned by the very people he loved (Acts 7:54–60). When Yeshua told the truth in His hometown, they tried to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:28–29). The truth can provoke violent reactions, not because it is wrong, but because it hits the mark.
Speaking the Truth in Love is a Command, Not an Option
Paul urged the believers in Ephesus to grow up in Messiah by “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15, AMP). That means we cannot pick one and ignore the other. Love without truth becomes flattery. Truth without love becomes a weapon. But when the two walk together, God is glorified and people are set free.
You cannot serve God and stay silent when He calls you to speak. The truth is a scalpel, not a club. It is meant to cut with precision, not to harm but to heal.
Expect Rejection, But Speak Anyway
Yeshua was perfect, yet He was hated. Stephen was filled with the Spirit, yet he was killed. John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Messiah, yet he was imprisoned and beheaded. The common thread? They told the truth. Telling the truth in love is often met with resistance, but it remains a divine calling.
Paul wrote, “Am I now trying to win the favor and approval of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please someone? If I were still trying to be popular with men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10, AMP). If you aim to be accepted by everyone, you will never carry the weight of God’s Word faithfully.
How Do You Respond to Correction?
When someone speaks the truth to you, especially when it is uncomfortable, what is your reaction? Do you push them away or examine your own heart?
David said, “Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24, AMP). The humble heart receives correction and grows. The proud heart resists and withers.
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern], but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda]” (Proverbs 27:6, AMP).
Stand Firm in the Truth
Beloved, if God has given you a voice, do not silence it to stay comfortable. Telling the truth in love should always be done with humility and courage. Speak truth with humility, weep before you rebuke, and pray before you confront. But speak.
The Church does not need more echoes. It needs a generation of voices who love truth more than popularity. A Church without truth has no power. A Church without love has no heart.
Let us be those who speak the truth in love, who receive it in humility, and who follow Yeshua regardless of the cost.
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O sharpened truth, You pierce my pride,
You draw the wound I tried to hide.
But in Your cut, the healing flows,
For mercy meets where justice goes.
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Prayer
Lord, I want to be faithful to You above all else. Help me to speak truth with boldness and love, never out of pride but always from Your heart. Teach me to receive correction without offense, and to offer it without bitterness. Let my words be guided by Your Spirit and filled with grace. You are the Truth, and I choose to follow You, no matter the cost. In the name of Yeshua, Amen.
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