We might pray that all our preaching will be received—and we should. We may present the truth with sincerity, clarity, fervency, authority, and urgency—and we ought. We can do all that in our preaching and yet there will be those who will not, “receive the love of the truth.”
It is possible, of course, that the preacher may fail to speak the truth in love—and there must be that balance of conviction and compassion. We love the TRUTH and so cannot compromise the content. We LOVE the truth and so must demonstrate our care for the listener.
Yet, there will always be those—no matter how faithfully we discharge our duty—who will not receive the love of the truth. The failure is not in the speaker, in this case, but in the hearer.
Why? When by receiving and believing the truth of the Gospel, “that they might be saved,” why would they refuse? The mind of man is darkened by deception. The heart of sinners is depraved in passion. The will of man is directed by rebellion.
Thankfully, there will be those who respond to the Gospel—as its power in the Holy Spirit’s activity—opens their blind eyes, unstops their deaf ears, and break their hard hearts. By God’s grace, they repent—turning from the world and to follow the Lord.
Sadly, there will be those who perish for rejecting the message. That is not our choice, but theirs. We will give an answer as to whether we spoke the truth in love, but they will be held accountable as “they did not receive the love of the truth.” Such cannot be saved. That ought break our hearts now. Their weeping and wailing will be for eternity.
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