"The wrath of God is upon you! You're an evil sinner and a horrible, wicked person. You need to repent right now, so you don't go to Hell!"
Or...
"God is love! He created you just the way he wanted you to be, so follow your heart! He will love and accept you no matter what!"
I believe the two different viewpoints above exemplify two popular, opposing positions in the Church today. It comes down to this question: What is the proper balance between truth and love? From what I've noticed, we tend to one of the two extremes. We focus on truth and minimize love, or we focus on love and minimize truth.
I know there may be some disagreement about which viewpoint taken to an extreme is more damaging or about which value (truth or love) is more important, but I think we can all agree that both truth and love are essential to some degree in order to arrive at a correct, biblical perspective. After all, God's Word commands us to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).
Why is this true though? Why exactly do we need this balance, wherever it may lie? I think we can answer this question by looking at both viewpoints through the eyes of an unbeliever.
The former, which focuses on truth, is not likely to convince an unbeliever to want to be a part of whatever it is these Christians are preaching. Why? Well, blatantly put, this viewpoint is flat out unkind and unloving. Of course, unbelievers are sinners in need of God's love, and yes, they will ultimately be judged by God if they fail to accept His Son. This is true, and it's critical that we clearly explain this fact to unbelievers when witnessing. However, Christians that solely take this stand typically have a "holier than thou" attitude, which is very off-putting. They look down on unbelievers as the vilest of sinners, often failing to recognize that they would be in the very same position had it not been for God's grace towards them. This viewpoint focuses on shame and judgment and leaves no place for mercy and grace, which is what Christianity is really all about.
The latter viewpoint focuses too much on love. Proponents of this viewpoint are typically too concerned with making sure unbelievers feel comfortable and welcomed in the Church. They want unbelievers to be happy, have peace, and feel good about themselves. Are any of these bad wishes? No! But, when you avoid telling people the hard truth about their fallen condition, the miracle and sacrifice of the cross doens't mean much. If you minimize truth and just build people up all the time, you give them counterfeit happiness, peace, and positive feelings about themselves. It might be pleasant for people to hear, but it isn't true, and it won't last without explaining the truth of the Gospel. And, really, that's not loving at all.
So, truth and love need to be balanced. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly where that balance should lie or what it looks like practically. However, it is critical that we do not neglect one. My advice is this: tell people the truth, specifically speaking about the Gospel, even if it isn't pleasant for them to hear, but do it from a place of humility, empathy, and understanding. Try to put yourself in their shoes and see things from their perspective. Don't see them as your inferior whom God has tasked you to convert. See them as your fellow man whom you are trying to help experience all the wonders and blessings you have and will have in Christ.
