This week begins our series by asking not only how we read the Bible, but what kind of people we are becoming as we read it. Ephesians 4:15 says we are to speak “the truth in love,” but that phrase is often misused as permission to say something harsh, blunt, or self-satisfying, as long as we claim our motive is love. In context, Paul is not giving us a weapon for correcting others. He is describing how the whole body of Christ grows toward maturity, unity, and Christlikeness. Before we use Scripture to point at someone else, we are invited to let Scripture search us first. The first lesson in reading the Bible faithfully is this: check your own heart. Ask what God may be correcting, healing, challenging, or growing in you before assuming the word is meant for someone else.
