Steve Brown is a PCA minister who leads Key Life Ministries, where there is more on the topic of truth-telling from his February newsletter:
There’s one other thing (actually there are a lot more but I’m running out of space here) I want you to notice. When truth is spoken one doesn’t use the power; one observes it. This is a great description of the power of truth to accomplish the purposes of God: “Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5:12-14).
I once heard Jim Kennedy answer a question about how to speak biblical truth if the ones to whom we spoke it didn’t believe the Bible. He said, “If a thief breaks into your home and you have a gun pointed at him, what would you do if the thief said he didn’t believe in guns? Would you put your gun away? Of course not. You would pull the trigger.” God’s truth, even when it’s spoken by sinners like us, is a powerful “two-edged” sword. It’s important—to mix the metaphor—that we “pull the trigger.”
When the apostles were released the second time from jail, they returned to their brothers and sisters. Luke wrote, “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:41-42).
If we do it right, will we then be loved and accepted, and regain our prestige and power? Are you crazy? Jesus spoke his truth and they hung him on a cross.
We have a long way to go yet!
He asked me to remind you and he said not to shilly-shally.
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