Loyalty to Truth and Love to Men Issuing in Likeness to Christ
Ephesians 4:15
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:


The special object which the apostle has in view here is to warn the Ephesian Christians against error and false doctrine, capricious winds blowing about them the tricks of the theological conjuror, the craftiness of the cunning deceiver. The best security against this, he seems to think, is in the cultivation of a truth-loving spirit, and a truthful tongue. They who are themselves deceivers are, in their turn, commonly deceived, for, however suspicious and cunning they may be, falseness so twists and perverts the moral faculty, so distorts the vision, and blunts the touch, that such men will often suspect where they ought to confide, and confide where they ought to suspect. The most inveterate liars will sometimes be easily imposed upon, and believe the lie of some mere clumsy charlatan, who is, after all, far less cunning than themselves. So the blind lead the blind, and by a righteous retribution, both fall into the ditch; while he who is once on the track of truth, if he will but pursue her fair and gracious form, shall hold his steadfast course, falling neither into ditch nor quagmire, till at length he come along the shining way to the door of the Father's house, where truth and righteousness dwell forever. A merchant, on a railway journey, happened, by good fortune, to find himself in the same compartment as Bishop Wilberforce. Turning his opportunity to account, he thus addressed the worthy prelate: "I have often, my lord, wished to ask of such a person as yourself which is the right way in religious matters; the sects are so conflicting, the roads seem so diverse — Catholicism, Protestantism, Free Churchism, and what not — that, to a plain man like me, it is difficult to know which road to take. Can you tell me?" "Nothing easier," said the Bishop; "take the first turning to the right, and then keep straight on." It is much to be feared that there are many who know the first turning to the right, but will not take it, or, if they take it, do not keep straight on.

I. LOYALTY TO TRUTH. What a changed world this would be, and what a glorious Church, if there were no treasons, no rebellions, no wrongs against the truth.

1. Truth in the commercial world.

2. Truth in social intercourse.

3. Religious truth.

II. LOVE TO MAN, in conjunction with loyalty to truth.

III. LIKENESS TO CHRIST.

(J. W. Lance.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

WEB: but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;




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