If there is one area where
we must pay due diligence, it is in the area of relationships with other
believers and within the Body of Christ.
This is true whether we are members or attendants of a local church or
not. People are leaving churches because
they can't get along with other members of the church. There may be doctrinal differences, or some
members may be doing too much within the church and there is no room for others
to get involved. And in every case,
someone gets hurt or offended, and it is nearly impossible to make things right
without a great deal of humility and honesty on both parts. People generally do not want to change, and
so they fail to communicate their differences in a non-threatening way, talk
things over, and come to some kind of amicable agreement. And yet The Lord demands this of us in His
commandment to love others as we love ourselves. Let's take a look at this unconditional love
that The Lord is talking about:
1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and
of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling
cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed
the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it
profiteth me nothing.
1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind;
charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 1Co 13:5
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil; 1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the
truth; 1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,
endureth all things.
The word
"charity" in the KJV means love.
Many times I have wondered how we can love in such a selfless, generous
way, always thinking of the other person first, putting ourselves at the back
of the line, instead of always trying to be in first place. Perhaps a great example of this kind of love
and the attitude we need to have are found in the following:
Mar 10:35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us
whatsoever we shall desire.
Mar 10:36 And he said unto them, What would ye that
I should do for you?
Mar 10:37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we
may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
Mar 10:38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not
what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with?
Mar 10:39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus
said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the
baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
Mar 10:40 But to sit on my right hand and on my
left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is
prepared.
Mar 10:41 And when the ten heard it, they began to
be much displeased with James and John.
Mar 10:42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith
unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles
exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
Mar 10:43 But so shall it not be among you: but
whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
Mar 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the
chiefest, shall be servant of all.
Mar 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
This is a sharp rebuke in
verses 43 and 44, and yet how often do we see this happening in the local
church? Someone or more than one want to
run things the way they see fit and are not even open to the ideas, suggestions
and inspirations of others, so no one else gets to use their particular
gifts. Sometimes the Spirit is quenched
altogether, because not even The Lord is consulted before decisions are made
that affect everyone.
When the Spirit of God is
allowed to work in churches and individual lives, what we will see is a
softening of hearts. When people's hearts are softened, pliable and open to the
leading of the Holy Spirit, then we see a submissive person willing to please
God in everything they are asked to do.
But even without submissive hearts, we are to submit to God and one
another regardless:
Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in
the fear of God.
This type of submission
applies to everyone, and means that when we submit to one another, we are
reverencing God and also submitting to Him because we are obeying His Word.
Many times you will find
cliques in the local church – a group of people will regularly get together and
no one else is really welcomed into that group as they should be. This has
happened to me on more than one occasion, although I have to admit, I have also
been in cliques in a church setting.
Women's groups can be bad for this.
Sometimes groups will split off and start their own church or ministry
because they disagree with the ways or doctrines of their local church. I've heard of such cases and when someone
from that local church tried to attend, they were not allowed in, and promptly
told to leave. In
another situation, a couple were made to feel very unwelcome and were warned in
no uncertain terms that their particular denomination were not welcome in that
particular closed group. Sometimes this happens so
cruelly, the person or people asked to leave may never recover from it. How can such a group grow and be
blessed? I cannot find Scripture to
support such an ungodly attitude. If salvation
is open to all, shouldn't the doors of any church organization or ministry also be open to
all, especially other believers?
The book of James
addresses cliques and showing preferential treatment to others in Chapter 2:
Jas 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Jas 2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man
with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile
raiment; Jas 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing,
and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand
thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Jas 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and
are become judges of evil thoughts?
Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God
chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he
hath promised to them that love him?
Jas 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men
oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Jas 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by
the which ye are called?
Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the
scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye
commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law,
and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jas 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery,
said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou
art become a transgressor of the law.
Jas 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall
be judged by the law of liberty.
Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy,
that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Pay particular attention
to verses 8, 9 and 13:
Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the
scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye
commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy,
that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
There is much more to
write on this topic, particularly having to do with forgiveness, and also the
definition and functions of the Body of Christ, but that can wait for another
blog. Suffice it to say that when
divisions occur in the church and in the community of believers, we must pay
close attention to the Word and be very careful to handle it in a way that is
honoring to God and befitting to the Gospel.
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