God’s design for life has incredible detail and accuracy. One aspect of His design that I’ve always found fascinating is that a tiny seed can grow into a beautiful plant. As I’ve had more exposure to gardening, I’ve learned that there are best practices that a gardener can follow to help plants flourish. Some plants need lots of sunlight; others may need more shade. Certain plants may grow with lots of water; others can grow with less water. To help a plant bear fruit, a gardener follows the best practices and provides the best environment to support its growth. Similarly, God provides us with clear instructions and guidance in His Word to help us grow spiritually. We can utilize God’s resources and follow His best practices, and we can grow as we speak and live the truth.
God provides all the resources we need to grow. He delights to see us grow. A great place in the Word to learn about growth is in Ephesians, chapter 4. This tremendous chapter provides the faithful in Christ Jesus with practical instructions that help us grow up spiritually. In verse 1, we’re reminded that we can walk worthy of our calling. Verse 7 reminds us that we’ve been given grace. And in verses 11 and 12 we learn that God gave gift ministries to the Body of Christ. God’s purpose for these gift ministries is that they are “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Isn’t it wonderful how God has equipped us with all we need to grow in our spiritual walk? He’s provided us with so much because He doesn’t want us to stay in an immature stage in our spiritual growth. God desires that we grow up into Christ in all things!
Speaking the truth in love and living the truth are two of God’s best practices for our spiritual growth. As we follow His best practices, we will grow and bear much fruit. In Ephesians 4:15, God provides us with tremendous instructions to accelerate our growth.
Ephesians 4:15:
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.
The English words “speaking the truth” are translated from one Greek word, alētheuō. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament defines alētheuō in Ephesians 4:15 as “to profess the truth (true doctrine).” The Companion Bible notes that this word literally means “truthing it.” When we “truth it,” we speak the Word of God—true words that are eternal and unchanging! We can learn even more about our Greek word, alētheuō, by looking at a form of this word in Ephesians 4:25.
Ephesians 4:22-25:
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth [alētheia] with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
God shows us that we are to put on the new man and be renewed in the spirit of our minds. The Companion Bible says the Greek word for “renewed” in verse 23 “implies that the whole course of life now flows in a different direction.” Speaking the truth with our neighbor is a key component of the renewal process. God places a high value on making “truthing it” our lifestyle. The Amplified Bible (1987) renders the opening phrase of Ephesians 4:15 as follows:
Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]….
God’s Word provides loving guidance to us on how we are to live as believers. We are to lovingly express truth in all things—in our speech and in our actions.
Just as a gardener can follow best practices to help his plants flourish, we can follow the clear steps that God has given us in Ephesians, chapter 4. In this tremendous chapter, God communicates to our hearts a few of the bountiful resources He’s provided to help us bear much fruit. God’s also provided us with loving instructions that will cause us to flourish as we apply them. His Word makes clear that we will grow to the fullest extent by speaking the truth in love and putting it into action. Let’s bear much fruit as we make God’s resources a part of our lives, and as we “truth it” by expressing His Word in our speech and in our actions.