for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in
all the churches of the saints.
Insights: Yesterday I mentioned
that chapters five through fourteen are full of examples of disunity found
within the church of Corinth. In chapter
six we find that some of these church members were in a legal battle against
other church members. As with
yesterday’s telltale sign of a church in “cold war,” it does not take much of
an imagination to realize these people were not speaking with each other. In modern day court situations opposing sides
maybe instructed by the court to not even have contact with each other. The situations maybe come so adverse that an
intermediary may be called on to help work through the conflict. Opposing council may in fact become the voice
for their clients and this often times just to prevent each side from speaking
with each other. Now it is doubtful that
we have people sewing each other within our churches today. The refusal to speak, however, is very much
alive and well. There are church members
in various bodies of Christ that have refused to converse civilly with each
other for years. What do you think that
kind of heart attitude does to the freedom of the Spirit of God within a body
of believers? In 1 Thessalonians 5:19
Paul instructs us not to quench the Holy Spirit. When we refuse to forgive our brothers and
sisters in Christ, we are indeed quenching the Holy Spirit. This attitude will perpetuate the “cold war”
syndrome we have been discussing. Unity
of the body will be affected. Evangelism
will be affected. Encouragement will be
affected. When believers stop speaking
with each other and even possibly avoid each other the body is adversary
hindered. Beloved, reconcile with your
family and let us dwell in the peace of God.
Questions:
- Are there people with whom you refuse to speak?
- Do you even go so far as to orchestrate your path so you don’t even have to come in contact with them?
Prayer: Father, help me heart to be one that longs with the affection of
Jesus for these people that I have so often avoided. Amen.
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