Yesterday I quoted Psalm 11:3 and wrote a post called “If The Foundations Are Destroyed.” I noted how two essential foundations of our society have eroded: the authority of the Bible and the primacy of the family. Today, I want to deal briefly with the second half of this verse: “What can the righteous do?”

What can the righteous do when the foundations are destroyed? How are followers of Christ supposed to respond to the issues of homosexuality and same-sex marriage? As with everything else in life, there is certainly a biblical principle to be applied here.

Ephesians 4:15 instructs us to “speak the truth in love.” Now, in its context, this passage is dealing specifically with unity within the church but I believe this principle extends beyond the church. There are several other places in Scripture where you see a balance of “grace and truth” as well. (John 1:14 is one example)

Let me deal briefly with two simple principles as we think about what it means to speak the truth in love. It is important to find a biblical balance.

1. Love without truth leads to liberalism- Biblical love doesn’t mean ignoring, accepting, or condoning sin. It means loving the sinner enough to tell them the truth; seeking to reach the sinner with the gospel. No matter who you are, your personal opinion will never change the truth of God’s Word. While we are to love homosexuals, we cannot affirm their behavior according to the Bible.

2. Truth without love leads to legalism- Holding to truth means  never compromising the biblical standard of righteousness. On the issue of homosexuality the Bible is clear. Therefore, we must uphold the truth- it is sin, an abomination. But this does not mean that we hate, shun or despise homosexuals. On the contrary, we love them as Christ loves them and seek to win them to the truth.

Admittedly, this is a difficult balance to discover. Only the Holy Spirit of God can help the believer avoid the traps of legalism and liberalism as you learn to “speak the truth in love.”