Is it unloving to address negative issues or point out error? Many recoil at the thought, convinced that love demands silence even as truth is compromised. But Scripture does not permit such a notion. In fact, confronting error is not only loving—it is necessary for the health and growth of the body of Christ.
Love Must Abound in Knowledge and Judgment
Paul’s prayer is explicit: our love must abound “more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.” This is not a sentimental love, but one sharpened by discernment. Without this, we cannot approve what is excellent, nor can we remain sincere and without offense until the day of Christ.
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.”
—Philippians 1:9–10
Discernment is not optional. It is the God-given tool by which we test and approve things that differ—even when that means facing negative realities. This process delivers us from untruths and removes stumbling blocks that hinder our fellowship with the Lord. Love and truth are inseparable in the biblical witness; to divorce them is to undermine both.
The Cost—and Necessity—of Correcting Error
James is clear: whoever turns a believer from error “saves a soul from death.” This is not a mere academic exercise. To correct error is to participate in God’s rescue. But such correction comes at a cost. It means risking your reputation, enduring rejection, and being labeled divisive or rebellious—all for the sake of helping others see the true grace of the Gospel.
This is not a secondary matter. The church at large has drifted from the simplicity of Christ and constructed elaborate systems of error. These are not harmless; they are stumbling blocks that obscure justification, inheritance, and sonship. If we shrink back from addressing these errors, we leave souls vulnerable and the Gospel clouded. What is lost if we refuse to speak? We lose the clarity of the Gospel, the assurance of justification, and the liberty of sonship. Silence in the face of error is not love—it is complicity in spiritual loss.
Speaking Truth—But Not Without Love
Yet, correction must not descend into mere argument or self-justification. Too often, the desire to be right overtakes genuine care for the person before us. This is not the way of Christ. Peter instructs us to answer for the hope within us “with meekness and fear.” The Lord Himself must train our hearts to love those we address, so that our words are not weapons, but instruments of healing.
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”
—1 Peter 3:15
This maturity does not come naturally; it is the fruit of God’s work in us. Only as He trains our hearts can we speak truth in love—boldly, but with genuine compassion. This is the mark of those who are truly free from offense and who walk in the light of the finished work of Christ.
The Stakes Are Salvific
Let there be no confusion: addressing error is not a peripheral concern. To neglect it is to abandon the very things that secure our standing before God. The Gospel is not preserved by silence or by appeasing the systems of error that have overtaken much of the church. It is preserved by those who, compelled by love and trained by the Lord, risk all to speak the truth. This is the path to sincerity, freedom from offense, and readiness for the day of Christ.
Let us, then, abound in love—love that discerns, love that corrects, love that risks, and love that restores. Anything less is not the love of Christ.
