Speaking truth in Love

How did we get to where we are as a society?
  Now in my[and others opinions] that's a fairly rhetorical question. The problem comes in answering it. Why? Because it's very rare [and not only in this day and age] for people to accept what's really true, and more often than not it's because they [and we] don't want to. Also those of us who want to share truth often struggle with how to do it.
Because there's no getting around it. Truth [real truth]  is almost always going to offend someone. And in a lot of cases those of us who claim to be believers and the church in general have been far too concerned about not offending, being "Culturally relevant and so we end up either being silent or making compromises we shouldn't. The church Is becoming indistinguishable from Culture around it, the exact opposite from what we're called to be "in the world but not of it," [to paraphrase].
Add all that to a culture that continues to become more self oriented, and self righteous when we speak truth it becomes easier to not say anything.
    In this Culture of few absolutes it's very easy for moral ambiguity to flourish.
We're hypocritical by nature it makes it easier to justify doing what we want. We treat truth as flexibly applicable in as much as it gives us what we want when we want it.
That's not the way truth works, and in reality more often then not in that kind of application it's not truth at all.
Now, that may seem to be a judgemental and very black and white view, I'm not saying you must agree with it,  I'm wanting us to be honest with ourselves.
    Probably the biggest thing we face when wanting to share truth is not what to say, but how to say it. We can't compromise on the core of what's true, and there's a limit to how much we can compromise how we say it before it's no longer actually true.
  Speaking truth in love doesn't mean doesn't say it, or only say it in a way that's "pleasing to the ear" it's interacting with people in a way that draws them to Christ, and makes them [and you/I] reflect him more.

So how do we speak the truth of Christ and scripture into and with culture today?
It's a very good question, with a variety of interpretations and methods.
I've witnessed many methods which I don't agree with or think nessascarily effective [but let me be clear that that is an opinion.]
 You have your sign holders,  Street corner shouters, and creative engagers to name a few.
The method I find more effeftive [in my opinion] is creative engagement. Asking a question and or usuing the topic of discussion to bring things up.  Again that's not to say signs or loud witnessing [among other methods] Don't work [although I find it hard to think or see them as very effective]  But I'm not going to say that the way I'd do it is the only way, Because if God's calling the method isn't as important. AGAIN, that's not to say the method no longer matters, because it does, But if someone comes to Christ through yelling scripture or conversion stories on a street corner, that's just as good as my asking a question which leads them to him.

While we each as individual believers engage in our own way these are the truth's we're called to communicate:
 [and I'm going to but then\m somewhatr bluntly:

-The Only entitlement/Right of any human being is an eternity separated from God.
The only way to not be separated from God is a personal relationship with his Son Jesus Christ.
The only way to have that is to "Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord, and believe God raised him from the dead."
 
We then as Believers have a calling to grow in that relationship and to share these truths with others in the hope that others will come into their own personal relationship with Christ.

I have more to say but that can wait for next time...