Day Twenty-Nine
Ephesians 4: 15-16
If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow completely into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole Body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each individual part to work according to its function. So the body grows until it has built itself up in love.
Reflection
Love and truth go together. We will not be complete in Christ unless we live in truth and love. Jesus said, "the truth will set you free." He also said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life..." Jesus Himself is Truth, but he also teaches us truths about God, the world and ourselves through the Scriptures and the church, which is his own visible body here on earth as well as in heaven.
It is so important, as Christians, that we have a love for the truth. It is a sad reality that there are more than 30,000 Christian denominations in the world, each teaching its own doctrine. There are, of course, many faithful Christians in all these denominations, but Jesus wants us to be one as He and the Father are one. This is what He prayed for shortly before He died: one in faith, one baptism, one Lord, one mind, and one heart. The body of Christ is divided and we must do our part to bring healing and wholeness to the church again.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the gift of truth you give to us in your word and in the teachings of your church, whom you told "he who hears you, hears me." Make me obedient to the truth and enflame a deep love for the truth in my life.
Amen.