GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER! WHY HAS THIS BEEN SUCH A BATTLEGROUND WITHIN THE CHURCH? POEM: “TO LIVE ABOVE, WITH SAINTS WE LOVE, WILL CERTIANLY BE GLORY! TO LIVE BELOW, WITH SAINTS WE KNOW – WELL, THAT’S ANOTHER STORY!”
THE WORLD HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FALLEN AND SINFUL PLACE SINCE GENESIS 3:23! IT IS A SIMPLE REMINDER TO THE CHURCH TO NEVER FORGET TO LIVE OUT COLOSSIANS 3:12-14, “PUT ON THEN, AS GOD'S CHOSEN ONES, HOLY AND BELOVED, COMPASSIONATE HEARTS, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, MEEKNESS, AND PATIENCE, BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER AND, IF ONE HAS A COMPLAINT AGAINST ANOTHER, FORGIVING EACH OTHER; AS THE LORD HAS FORGIVEN YOU, SO YOU ALSO MUST FORGIVE. AND ABOVE ALL THESE PUT ON LOVE, WHICH BINDS EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN PERFECT HARMONY.
CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO LIVE FAR ABOVE AND BEYOND THE STANDARDS OF ETHICS AND MORALS OF TODAY’S WORLD. WE ARE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD BECAUSE OF WHO WE REPRESENT: JESUS. WE SHOULD NOT BE QUICK-TEMPERED, RESENTFUL, SEEKING REVENGE OR EASILY OFFENDED. WE HAVE THE HOPE AND ASSURANCE THAT GOD, IN HIS PERFECT TIMING, WILL BRING ABOUT TRUE JUSTICE.
LOVE MUST BE GIVEN ROOM TO PREVAIL! OUR GOAL SHOULD ALWAYS BE TO RESTORE, NOT MAKE THINGS WORSE. JESUS WARNED US IN MATTHEW 18:6, “BUT IF YOU CAUSE ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES WHO TRUSTS IN ME TO FALL INTO SIN, IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR YOU TO HAVE A LARGE MILLSTONE TIED AROUND YOUR NECK AND BE DROWNED IN THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA.”
THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH SAYS IN PARAGRAPH 3412 (BOOK OF DISCIPLINE), ON “LOVE OF OTHERS:” GROWTH IN CHRIST REQUIRES TAKING RESPONSIBILITY TO LOVE OTHERS, ALL OF WHOM ARE LOVED BY GOD AND MADE IN HIS IMAGE. THE QUALITY OF CHRISTIANS’ RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES. GROWTH IN CHRIST REQUIRES READINESS TO MEND RELATIONSHIPS BOTH WITH GOD AND WITH OTHERS …THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, SUMMARIZED INTO TWO COMMANDMENTS BY JESUS, TEACH THE NATURE OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD AND WITH OTHERS. CHRISTIANS EXPRESS THEIR LOVE BOTH BY DEEDS OF KINDNESS AND BY PERSONAL WORDS OF WITNESS THAT POINT TO CHRIST AS THE EMBODIMENT OF GOD’S LOVE AND THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.”
WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER, WE MUST LEARN THE ART OF CARING AND LOVING CORRECTION. WE MUST BE READY TO MEND ANY BREAK IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS.
IT IS TRUE, THAT EVEN THOUGH WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST, WE CAN DO THINGS AND SAY THINGS THAT CAUSE US TO BECOME OFFENDED BY, HURT BY, OR ANGRY WITH, ONE ANOTHER.
MOST OF THE TIME THESE OFFENSES WERE UNINTENTIONAL, AND OFTEN THE PERSON WHO CAUSES AN OFFENSE IS NOT EVEN AWARE THAT IT HAS TAKEN PLACE. YET, THERE ARE TIMES HURTING US WAS INTENTIONAL, OUT OF SPITE, JEALOUSY, OR REVENGE.
WHATEVER THE SITUATION, WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE TELLS US TO DO. OUR SCRIPTURE TODAY, JESUS IS INSTRUCTING BELIEVERS ON HOW TO HANDLE ISSUES WHEN SOMEONE “SINS” AGAINST US. THE DEFINITION OF THIS WORD “SIN” MEANS “DOES WRONG TO YOU” OR “DOES SOMETHING EVIL AGAINST YOU.”
WHAT MAKES THIS EVEN MORE FASCINATING IT THAT THIS LESSON ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION IS CONNECTING WITH THE PREVIOUS THREE VERSES (12-14) IN THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP. SO, WHAT THAT TELLS US IS THAT THE GOAL OF THIS ENTIRE PROCESS IS FOR HUMILITY, FORGIVENESS, AND RESTORATION TO PREVAIL. THE LAST THING WE WANT IS FOR THE WHOLE SITUATION TO BE LOST.
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE CORRECTIONS AND TO RESTORE OUR DAMAGED RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER. WE MUST MAKE EVERY EFFORT, AS JESUS SAYS, TO WIN OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS BACK. RESTORATION ISALWAYS OUR GOAL! PROVING OUR POINT, SEEKING REVENGE OR MAKING SURE “THEY PAY FOR THIS” IS NOTWHAT JESUS IS TEACHING.
WE’RE NOT TRYING TO WIN AN ARGUMENT OR PROVE WE WERE RIGHT! WE’RE TRYING TO WIN THEM BACK THROUGH HUMILITY AND RECONCILIATION. IT IS NEVER “BENEATH OUR DIGNITY” TO BE THE ONE WHO TAKES THE FIRST STEP TO REDEEM THE SITUATION!
THE COURSE OF ACTION JESUS INSTRUCTS US TO USE IS TO TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION IN PRIVACY. THE INTENT IS TO ADDRESS THIS MATTER QUICKLY AND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NEVER LET TIME PASS!
THIS IS IN LINE WITH LEVITICUS 19:17, “DO NOT NURSE HATRED IN YOUR HEART FOR ANY OF YOUR RELATIVES. CONFRONT PEOPLE DIRECTLY SO YOU WILL NOT BE HELD GUILTY FOR THEIR SIN.”
PERSONAL ISSUES OF THIS NATURE ARE NOT FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION. DEAL WITH IT QUICKLY. IF WE DELAY, WE ARE RISKING THE SITUATION GROWING RANCID AND GETTING BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION. WE RISK OVERTHINKING THINGS TO THE POINT OF BECOMING BITTER, HATEFUL AND PRONE TO SPREADING GOSSIP AND SLANDERING THE PERSON TO OTHERS.
AGAIN: RESTORATION AND MENDING THE RELATIONSHIP! GALATIANS 6:1, “BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IF SOMEONE IS CAUGHT IN A SIN, YOU WHO LIVE BY THE SPIRIT SHOULD RESTORE THAT PERSON GENTLY. BUT WATCH YOURSELVES, OR YOU ALSO MAY BE TEMPTED.”
THE WORD “RESTORE” IS A GREEK MEDICAL TERM THAT MEANS “TO SET A BROKEN BONE.” THE PROCESS OF WINNING YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER BACK PROBABLY WON’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL REQUIRE YOUR CARING PATIENCE ALONG WITH SOME TIME FOR THEM TO RE-ESTABLISH TRUST AND TO BE OPEN TO ACCEPTING ANY FORM OF HELP AND FURTHER GUIDANCE. WE MUST KEEP WORDS LIKE “REDEMPTION” AND “RESTORATION” IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS.
WE WANT TO PREVENT PUBLIC DISGRACE THROUGH GOSSIP, SPREADING RUMORS, PROMOTING DOUBT AND CONFUSION. OUR MISSION IS NOT TO FIGHT, ARGUE, INTIMIDATE, OR TAKE SIDES.
WE ARE TO “SHOW THEM THEIR FAULT” (VERSE 15). THE WORD “SHOW” MEANS “TO CONVICT” OR “TO CONVINCE OF WRONGDOING.” WE ARE NOT PASSING JUDGMENT OR SHAMING THEM IN HOPES OF EMBARRASSING THEM INTO A CONFESSION THAT THEY WERE WRONG.
THE GOAL IS TO “WIN” THEM BACK. THE WORD “WIN” MEANS “TO GAIN” OR “PREVENT LOSS.”WE WANT THE RELATIONSHIP RESTORED NOT ONLY WITH US, BUT WITH GOD AND THE CHURCH.
WE TAKE A VOW THAT WE AGREE THAT WE’LL DEAL PRIVATELY WITH EACH OTHER. THE WORD “AGREE” (VERSE 19) IS WHERE WE GET THE ENGLISH WORD “SYMPHONY!” WE MUST WORK IN HARMONY AS WE SEEK RECONCILIATION AND REDEMPTION WHEN WE ARE HURT.
DON’T HOLD IT IN, DON’T HOLD IT BACK, AND DEFINITELY DON’T BLURT IT ALL OUT FOR EVERYONE TO HEAR ABOU T IT. THE WAY OF CHRIST BRINGS FORGIVENESS AND RESTORATION.
DON’T ALLOW ANYTHING TO COME IN BETWEEN YOU AND ANOTHER BELIEVER. DON’T DISCUSS IT WITH OTHERS OR SIT AND STEW ON IT FOR MONTHS ON END.
LET US TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND, WITH HUMILITY, FIND AN APPROPRIATE TIME WHERE WE CAN MEET OUR FELLOW BELIEVER IN PRIVATE. MAY OUR INTENTIONS ALWAYS BE TO WIN THEM BACK.
