We started in Ephesians 4, where Paul says the church matures when we speak the truth in love. Not the fluffy kind of love, but the real stuff—the kind that risks a tough word for the sake of growth.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherdsc and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,e to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
— Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16
Paul said a mouthful here, but his point is pretty simple: the body works best when we’re committed to working together. Think football team, not fan club. Teammates don’t just clap politely when you miss a play—they call it out because the whole squad’s success depends on it. That’s the model for the body of Christ: committed enough to one another that we’ll celebrate the wins, but also pull each other aside when we’re out of position.
Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 remind us that every member has a role. And if one part is off, the whole body feels it. Truth in love keeps us aligned, keeps us sharp, and keeps us moving together.
Takeaway? Church isn’t about Sunday smiles—it’s about being willing to say the hard thing, receive the hard thing, and stay on the field together.
