April 30th Follow-up

Sunday follow-up
1 Corinthians 6:1-11 – “When you have conflicts with other believers”

I’ve had my share of conflicts with other believers in the time that I have been following Jesus as an adult.  Some have been with my wife. Some have been with those I served with. Some have been with those who were part of the same church family as I was. No matter what the reasons were for those conflicts, I am saddened by how I chose to handle them at the time.

In the church in Corinth, it was becoming all too common for one believer to cheat another. Most likely in the context of a business transaction. Paul was not surprised that there were conflicts in the church. He was surprised by how the believers choose to deal with them. Instead of seeking godly counsel from the leadership of the church to remedy the wrong, they decided to take the offender to court. They sought to right the wrong through unsaved people who would rely upon the wisdom of man rather than the wisdom of God to resolve the issue. In doing so, not only were the believers bringing shame upon themselves, but also upon the name of Jesus.

I truly believe there are no conflicts that believers may encounter with one another that can’t be resolved within the church family. The only thing that keeps believers from resolving their conflicts with one another is our unwillingness to receive and accept the biblically-based counsel and/or judgment rendered by those who are acting as mediators (Pastors, elders, church family members, Christian Counselors, etc…).

When believers turn to unsaved people to resolve family problems, it is a loss for the body of Christ. They will not encourage you to view the problem from a biblical point of view. They will not encourage you to deal with the problem biblically. As such, Jesus won’t be glorified.

The church in Corinth would have had a greater witness and impact in their community if they had chosen to let God direct them in how to deal with their problems rather than the society around them.

The next time you find yourself in a conflict with another believer that you are unable to resolve on your own. Don’t give up or throw in the towel. Seek godly counsel from those within the body of Christ. But do so with a heart that is willing to hear and receive what God wants to speak to you. Don’t worry about what the other person may or may not do. You are only responsible for what you do. May it be your heart to glorify Jesus in all that you do.