Session 6 | Speaking the Truth in Love

In this sermon, Joshua Edwards teaches on “Speaking the Truth in Love” from Ephesians 4:15, showing that spiritual discernment must shape not only what we say but how and why we speak. Edwards explains that speaking the truth in love is not simply about saying right things in a kind tone—it is about speaking in a manner worthy of God Himself. He warns against turning the command into a shallow moral checklist or using it to fit our own personalities—whether by avoiding conflict under the guise of “love” or by using “truth” to justify harshness. The believer’s speech, Edwards says, must flow from who we are in Christ—rooted in humility, meekness, longsuffering, and the transforming grace that reflects God’s own character. Speaking truth rightly requires the same heart and posture Christ displayed: gentleness toward the weak, patience with the slow to learn, and genuine desire for others’ edification.

Edwards then connects this pattern to the broader purpose of the believer’s calling—to build up the body of Christ in love. He reminds that before we ever speak, God has already spoken to us through His Word, revealing His truth in Jesus and showing us His love in salvation and grace. The same God who first “spoke the truth in love” to us now calls us to do the same toward others. With that foundation, believers are to speak words that minister grace to the hearer, restore rather than destroy, and contribute to the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Edwards concludes that spiritual discernment in speech is not behavior reform but heart transformation—learning Christ, being renewed in His likeness, and becoming instruments through whom God’s truth and love are expressed to others.