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Sun, 14 Jan 2007 05:50:05 +0100

If I find I am drawn into a conflict, I try to remind myself to hold on to Paul's instruction to Titus (3:9But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless). I have witnessed crippling church conflicts started over issues so trivial that we would have swatted our children on their bottoms and sat them in the corner if they had disturbed our family home in the same manner. Paul uses the issues of the law as an example or "powder keg topics." We know how important Paul viewed issues of Jewish law. He was willing to go toe- to- toe with Peter over them. Possibly because of this very event he saw that any issue disturbing the harmony of the Family of God must first be determined as being critical to the life of the church before engaging in such a hurtful event. Therefore he seems to be saying, "If it doesn't make a difference in eternity, it shouldn't make a difference now." For example, when it comes to eating meat sacrificed to idols, "Don't let your liberty be a stumbling block to the believers." At the same time, morality issues that will offend the unsaved world must be dealt with in a manner so the world's attention is not distracted from the gospel message. Finally, it appears to me that if hurt exists between myself and another on a personal level because of a conflict I saw as eternally critical, the conflict exists as a result of my failure to explain and pursue correction. I can not appeal to the self-serving defence that the other person was too spiritually immature, therefore they are at fault and I am released from responsibility for hurting them. It is my job to "prosecute" any issue with the sensibilities of the other in mind. (At this point I appeal again to Paul's stand on not allowing my freedom to express my spirituali beliefs offend another Christian.) Pastor, thank you for leadig us in this discussion. - Chas Schaal

Recognizing our differences

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