Call me "The Hammer"

The other day I was told that the Bible is a guide, not something you "hammer" people with. It made me smile because I don't have to hammer people with the Word. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12"
Having been on a very constant faith journey for the last four years, I can say that I depend upon that truth. I depend upon the Word to not just be a guide, with love and mercy as the only bottom line but as a strong, true, living, active and precise support system for me. When I am weak, the Word does not give me any less than I need. When I am dark, it does not fail me. This is not because of anything other than that it is literally breathing life into me. While other people may feel they need to caution me about sharing that part of the Word with a lost and dying world who just wants to be loved, I know that it is all that has sustained my mind from complete bedlam and I KNOW that it is what the hungry and lost in this world need. While love is sadly defined in any way a person wants it to be, and is confused with a myriad of other things, truth stands and truth guides and truth protects. It defines love and leaves nothing up to interpretation. The thing that I see Jesus offer in all of the gospels is truth in the spirit of love. It's not an easy example to follow, but after all he is the greatest example in history. He made no excuses for peoples sins, he only forgave the repentant and gave them truth to hold on to. And so, when I have fallen, I go to Him, knowing he will forgive me in love, but equally importantly He will give me the strength to change and be more like Him. In all of my discussions with my non-Christian friends over the years I've come across people who find it offensive. They are not in a place where they can humble themselves enough to repent and be forgiven, because they don't want to believe the sin in their lives is real and true. Many of them do not even agree with me when I mention my sins and even go so far as to argue with me about the existence of my very own sin. Love without the truth only excuses our behavior and beguiles us into believing that everything under the sun is okay. So, what I ask, hurts the lost more? Love without truth or truth without love? And what will sustain the faith of a child of God in the storm? The love or the truth? For me, I know that one can accomplish nothing without the other. It is true love!