Let me ask you this, beloved church of God, when you speak the truth do people know that you love them? I do not mean do you say you love them. No, I mean do they sense your love? Can they feel your love? Can they feel a tenderness, a gentleness, a compassion in your heart? The best doctors are not the ones who can perform the cutting of surgeries but the ones who can perform surgeries while assuring and comforting the patient of their care.

Dear Beloved Church,

I know of your love for the Word of God. I know how you rejoice in the life that God has given you through the Holy Spirit and that you are born again through the Word of God. There is such a richness of truth and doctrine in the Word of God, and we have seen your love for Him evidenced in your love for His Word. Our God and Savior sanctifies us by His Word.

But brothers and sisters in our beloved church, we also know of your weakness. You have pursued truth without pursuing the Giver of truth. You have rejoiced in doctrine and your knowledge of doctrines without growing in your knowledge of the Giver of doctrine. Beware of this danger of being doctrinaire. We are all susceptible to this deadly trap. Beware that knowledge puffs up, even the knowledge of the truth can lead you to a dry and cold spirit. Do not love the doctrines of grace without loving the God of grace. Do not parse the finer points of the doctrines of grace without yourself learning to be gracious, humble, and loving.

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