Reconcile with Your Enemies

 

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

—Matthew 5:21-26

“How does a believer handle a situation where he or she has become an adversary of another brother or sister in Christ?”

Mostly we ignore this question. It’s just too painful, or too embarrassing, or too annoying. And, most of us think this question doesn’t really apply to us.

But, hold on for a moment. Think about the span of your own life. How many enemies do you have?

“Now wait just a minute,” you may respond. “I don’t have any enemies! I get along with everybody!”

If you really believe that, you’re just kidding yourself. Everybody has enemies.

Oh, I will grant you that you may not choose to use a term as harsh as the word “enemy.” But, over the course of your life as a Christian, you have certainly had run-ins with particular other Christians. You may describe your relationship with them in terms like:

“I don’t really get along with ______________.”

Or, you may say:

“____________ does things I don’t particularly like, so I avoid (him or her).”

No matter how genteel your language, let’s face it, you have enemies. And, if you don’t acknowledge that you have enemies, I imagine that out there in the Christian world there exists at least one person who thinks of you as his or her enemy.

Now, I grant you that you may have taken a tact similar to the one I have held to tightly for many years. I assert, with some precision, that I have never chosen to make someone my enemy. In other words, I consciously choose to not hold enmity in my heart toward someone. I refuse to allow myselt to “hate” someone. I do so because I learned long ago that if I hold hatred in my heart toward someone, the only person who becomes damaged by that hatred is me.

However, I acknowledge that there are numerous people who have crossed the pathway of my life who—judged by the way that they talk about me to others, or treat me directly or indirectly—have apparently chosen to label me as their enemy. It was their choice, not mine. They have chosen to make me their enemy.

So, I declare again, no matter how genteel the language you may use when you talk about other people in your life, let’s face it, you have enemies—whether you have chosen to make them your enemies or not. And, if you don’t acknowledge that you have enemies, I imagine that out there in the Christian world there exists some people who think of you as their enemy.

No longer can the body of believers—the church—ignore the fact that virtually every person who claims to belong to Jesus has at least one person that he or she can label as an “enemy.” Instead, it’s time to choose to become obedient to what Jesus has instructed His followers to do when they find themselves at odds with fellow Christians.

In the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post, Jesus tells His disciples—in those marvelous three chapters that Bible scholars call “The Sermon on the Mount”—to always work toward reconciliation. Let me state that again, so you have no chance of misunderstanding my point: Jesus expects His followers to always work toward reconciliation. Please allow me to illustrate from a personal example:

Back in 2011, I sat on the sidelines watching the church I had attended for ten years destroy itself. I won’t presume to waste your time with a long recitation of what took place because I know that somewhere, in the sphere of your own world at one time or another, you are quite likely having—or have had—to deal with a similar, if not exact, issue in your life. Let me simply say that the seeds of a significant church split were planted, watered, and bloomed into a horrific disaster. The lives of hundreds of individuals were significantly damaged, especially the lives of the young people in the church. Only one process could have turned the tide: complete and absolute obedience to the instruction of Jesus to reconcile.

Now, most naturally, I have my own very strong opinion on what had brought about the conditions that led to this disaster. And, I take no comfort in the fact that, repeatedly over the three years prior to the split, I issued warnings of what would happen if no one took early and decisive action. Nevertheless, the solution for that situation, and for all similar disagreements within a church, remains: obedient reconciliation.

To effect reconciliation, both parties would have to have come humbly to the foot of the cross and lay every issue at Jesus’ feet. Individuals would have to have acknowledged and confessed their sins, asked for forgiveness, repented of their sins, provided restitution, and began the process of reconciliation.

While this did not happen in this particular case, I wonder if this will happen when other such situations arise? Frankly, I don’t know. Looking at the track record across the horizon of God’s people in most churches today, I would say that the chance for reconciliation seems slim. Fortunately, God remains the “God of the Great Surprise.” He has the power, through the intervention of the Holy Spirit, to bring about reconciliation. He, and He alone, can melt hardened hearts. He alone can convict of sin and promote forgiveness. He alone can move those who have sinned to make restitution. He alone can bring about reconciliation.

A very significant reason for church discipline is to promote reconciliation. That’s right. Church and denominational judicial processes do not exist to punish. To the contrary, they exist to bring parties together, expose all the hidden facts in a situation, help identify where some may have committed sins, and provide a structured forum for confession, forgiveness, repentance, restitution, and reconciliation. In the situation at that church where I attended, a judicial process began to move toward that end, but the leadership of the denomination ultimately did not have the courage and fortitude to see the process through to its proper conclusion.

Truthfully, it remains far better to head off such sinful disagreements by following the process that Jesus outlines in Matthew 18:15-17. Over the years that I have posted on this blog, I have written about these verses many times. In those blog posts, I have shared, in great detail, the importance of this far-too-often-neglected portion of Jesus’s teaching.

So, what about you? Do you have someone in your life with whom you need to begin the process of reconciliation? If so, please, do so. You will reap tremendous benefit in your own spiritual life if you do. And, most importantly, God will make it clear to you how very pleased He is with what you have chosen to do.

Just one more time, here’s the key sentence for this blog post: Jesus expects His followers to always work toward reconciliation.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Power of Hope

 

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

—Psalm 147:10-11

In the midst of chaos on every side, one quality helps keep people on track. That quality? Hope!

If you peruse the pages of various professional journals devoted to Applied Psychology, you will find that, over the past three decades, a new interest has arisen in what creates and sustains motivation. Quite a large number of studies have sought to ascertain the elements that will help individuals become motivated to complete defined tasks. The studies also examined the elements that will help sustain the motivation, so that people will actually succeed. In virtually every study the quality of “hope” has emerged as one of the most important sustainers of motivation.

Think about the last time you started a project around your home or place of work. Maybe the task was one you had put off for some time. You dreaded even beginning this loathesome pursuit. But, you knew that you eventually had to complete the job. So, you decided: “Why put it off any longer?”

With no small amount of determination, you began the task. As you had suspected—based on your past experience with such matters—once begun, the task grew harder than you had wished. Soon, you felt mired in the work. You felt surrounded by nearly insurmountable barriers. You questioned your wisdom at ever having started. You wanted to quit. But, something grabbed you and kept you striving to complete the job at hand. Perhaps that “something” that helped you sustain your motivation was “hope.”

Hope is often the light at the end of the tunnel that we can almost see. Hope is the recognition that we are making progress toward the goal of completing the job. Hope allows us to look backward for a moment and see how much progress we’ve made. Hope gives us the nudge of knowing that, if we stop, to get going again will take far more energy than the effort needed to complete the task, now.

Every day, in many ways, job after job, task after task, hope gently nudges us forward. Hope helps us sustain the motivation we need to do what has to be done. Yet, the question remains: “In what do you put your hope?”

For those who belong to God—that is, for believers in God through the resurrection power of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—the Psalmist has given us a very clear statement of the source of our hope. In the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post, the ancient songwriter insists that:

“the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

How wise, indeed. God’s love never fails.

All throughout Scripture, we read about the depth of God’s love for us. The most magnificent example of His love comes from His willingness to send His one and only Son to die on the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for our sins. And, to raise Jesus from the dead that we may know we will spend eternity with Him.

God has clearly proven His love for us. He stands ready every moment of every day to have us put the entirety of our faith, trust, and hope in His unfailing, undying, matchless, magnificent, protective, and enduring love. So, when we need hope to sustain our motivation, look to God’s love. He will, most assuredly, not disappoint us.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Church Conflicts

 

An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

—Proverbs 18:19

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

—Colossians 3:12-17

Somewhere in the United States, right now, a church stands poised for a split. “Division! Separation! Divorce!” Whatever word the parties involved may choose to use, it means that brothers and sisters in Christ—who, heretofore, have worshipped together and served the Kingdom of God standing side-by-side—have reached the point in a conflict where they have decided to part company.

People in the church have chosen sides. Claims and counter-claims have circulated openly in some cases, or under a shroud of secrecy in others. Some people feel they have a complete understanding of the issues involved. Many others find themselves caught in the crossfire of competing factions. Everyone is hurting. Worship has become tainted by sorrow. Joy has left the building. Only one is happy. That’s because Satan delights when brothers and sisters attack each other and divide the church.

A skillful analysis of both sides of any church conflict often discloses a confused morass of miscommunication, misunderstanding, distrust, conflict of wills, outright lies, disingenuous behavior, and, occasionally, genuine disagreement. But, most of the time, conflicts within a church begin with the unrecognized and un-confessed sin of one individual that snowballs until it draws more and more people into a growing, tangled mass hurtling down the hill, stopping only when it hits some immoveable object and bursts apart.

You see, it may take many years to build an effective ministry in a church and only a few months to destroy the effectiveness of that ministry. So, what should you do if you find yourself caught in the middle of a church conflict? Maybe you serve on the church governing board. Or, perhaps you have a role of leadership because of your long history of faithful service. Or, you could be one who, standing a bit aside, watches the church you love disintegrate before your eyes. Whatever your particular status, please let me offer a few suggestions:

1. Understand that virtually every church conflict begins with a single individual. You should make a concerted effort to determine the identity of that one person who began the conflict. Understanding who started the conflict will help you sort out the facts of the case.
   
   Look for the one who initiated the bringing of the first charges against another brother or sister in Christ. Because, no matter what “bad” behavior someone may have exhibited toward another, Scripture requires the offended party to follow Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 18:15-17.
   
   No one may bring open charges against another person until he or she has followed the first two steps of Matthew 18:15-17. Failure to follow this instruction of the Lord Jesus Christ completely invalidates any open charges.
   
   So, if you’re in the audience hearing the charges, stop and ask whether the one bringing the charges has followed Matthew 18:15-17. If the one bringing the charges has not followed the first two steps, refuse to listen to the charges. Rather, instruct the one bringing the charges to follow Matthew 18:15-17 and take no further action until he or she follows those steps.
   
   
2. Next, set aside all of your emotion before you pass any judgment on the seriousness and legitimacy of the charges. This may seem hard to do, but in order to resolve any conflict, you must put aside your emotion and deal only with the facts. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer one of the parties over the other. It doesn't matter if you think one party has positional authority over another. In the Kingdom of God, each person has equal standing before our Father. Don’t allow yourself to become swayed by emotional ties to one person or another. Only the facts matter.

   Now, it is true that all decisions depend on the facts and our feelings about those facts. But, notice that it is our feelings about the facts, not our feelings about the situation, nor our feelings about the parties involved. Don’t confuse which kind of feelings may legitimately weigh in on your decision.
   
   

3. Don’t make a decision based on what anyone tells you, no matter who he or she is, nor how trustworthy you may feel that one to be. Insist that the person bringing accusations present you with concrete, factual evidence of the charges. Anything apart from audio recording, video recording, actual first-hand documentation, or the testimony of two or three witnesses constitutes hearsay.
   
   Keep in mind that in order to consider the statements of others, two or three actual, direct witnesses must come forward. And, you must examine each witness individually to verify the veracity of what he or she says.
   
   Always search for the context. Make certain that neither side of a conflict has begun to bend the facts to fit their preconceived notions. Make certain that you place every statement in the full context of the actual event.
   
   I cannot overemphasize that in all matters relating to the peace, unity, and purity of the body of Christ—the church—you must be scrupulously careful to take no action until you have done everything possible to ascertain all of the facts.
   
   
4. You absolutely must directly and carefully interview the person, or persons, against whom the charges have been levied. Examine carefully his, her, or their recitation of the facts surrounding the accusations.
   
   Set aside any preference you may have for either of the parties in the matter. This means you must not consider either the position in the church of the parties, nor their personalities, nor any other aspect of the parties that may tend to influence your decision. Remember, you must intentionally purpose to deal only with facts.
   
   
5. Once you examine and verify every possible fact, take a few days—even a week or more—to weigh the matter before taking any action. Time brings greater clarity and perspective. Make certain you do not rush to judgment. Bathe the matter in earnest and fervent prayer. Study God’s Word for any insight the Scriptures may offer on the matter. Give full and careful consideration to how your decision will impact the entire body of believers.
   
   Be very careful if either party has issued an ultimatum. Ultimatums ususally indicate a weakness in the facts surrounding the cause of action. Don’t allow yourself to become bullied into a decision because one of the parties has threatened some dire outcome.
   
   When you think you have prayed enough about the matter, pray some more. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your inner being. Let His guidance direct your decision based on the facts, and only the facts.

Now these few steps may seem onerous to you. But, if you fail to follow them you will become part of the problem, not part of the solution. Virtually every church split could have been avoided if people had taken the time to follow these simple, straightforward steps.

When you take these steps, you will often find that factors tend to emerge that will help you assure that the process proceeds with extreme fairness to everyone involved. For example, you may discover that some long-held grudge has motivated someone, or some group, to work behind the scenes to create a situation that will boil up into a conflict.

Many individuals have become quite expert at the tactic that noted psychiatrist, Dr. Eric Berne, called “Let’s you and him fight.” In other words, some people become adept at attacking another targeted individual by getting someone else to engage in a conflict with the intended target. Watch out for this. If you examine the facts carefully, you will often find this tactic at work in the church.

Also, watch out for long-term hurts and grudges that underlie attacks on others. Some people—especially arrogant, pompous, and insecure individuals—tend to hold grudges for years! Many times they will follow the old adage from the 1841 French novel Mathilde, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” Such people will wait a long, long time and then try to bring down a person against whom they have a grudge, while all the while giving every appearance of harmonious behavior.

Ultimately, all conflict is a result of sin. Do your best not to become drawn into such sin. Follow the advice of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:1-2:

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Take heed of the two Scripture passages at the beginning of this blog post. They offer sage advice and describe a spirit of gentleness, tenderness, and grace that must prevail whenever you deal with conflict.

In fact, keep an eye out for grace. Has the one who brought the charges exhibited God’s grace in the way he or she has handled the matter? An absence of grace can serve to indicate a lack of validity for the charges that one has brought against another. For even in accusing another of unrepentent sin, the accuser must bring the accusation tempered by grace.

Whatever you do, please keep in mind that Satan delights when brothers and sisters attack each other and divide the church. Let me state that again: Satan delights when brothers and sisters attack each other and divide the church.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

It's Definite

 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

—John 14:1-7

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive!”

Have you ever heard such a conversation? Or, maybe you’ve participated in such a conversation yourself. In any case, we find ourselves in a very topsy-turvy world these days. It doesn’t seem as if we can consider much as “definite.”

Among the many things seemingly up for grabs, some grapple with whether or not we humans have more than one way to connect with God.

“Come on! Religions are all the same! They all offer a pathway to diety. They all offer a way of salvation. Who’s to say one religion trumps another? Take Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, for example. All three religions worship God, don’t they? So, why can’t Jews, Christians, and Muslims simply get along?”

Now, I happen to believe that strong evidence exists that the God of the Bible and the Hebrew Scriptures—that is to say, the God of Jews and Christians—is not the same as Allah, the god of Islam. But, a blogsite like this one, with limited space and limited time on the part of the blogger, cannot possibly deal with a subject as complex as a comparison of world religions. However, I can offer some thoughtful commentary on one of the most important tenets of the Christian faith.

In the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post, Jesus declares that He is the one and only pathway to God, the Father. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” On its face, this represents a most significant and strong statement. Jesus declares, quite clearly, that He stands alone as the One who gives us access to God. Jesus insists that we can only come to God through Him!

One key aspect of this assertion rests with Jesus’ use of the definite article. As you know, in the English language we have the definite article “the” and we also have the indefinite articles “a” and “an.” You might be surprised to learn that the definite article exists in the Koine Greek language of the New Testament, as well. The use of the definite article translates perfectly from New Testament Greek to English.

So, when Jesus asserts that He offers the way to God, He makes it quite clear that He offers “the one and only way” to His Father. Could Jesus have made it any clearer? Why, then, do some people—even some Christians, even some members of the clergy—want to disregard Jesus’ statement in favor of a belief that He didn’t really mean exactly what He said? Here’s some possibilities:

1. They have loved ones, maybe family members, who have abandoned the Christian faith to pursue some other religion.
   
   
2. They fear that holding tightly to the truth that Jesus offers the only way to God will set them up to receive ridicule from their friends.
   
   
3. They want to believe that there’s no real need to evangelize—to tell others the good news about Jesus—because they don’t have the courage to confront others about their need of a Savior.
   
   
4. They want to get along as peacefully as possible with everyone and, thus, believe that all humans will find their way to God by whatever means they choose.
   
   
5. They don’t want to follow everything that Jesus has said. So, they pick and choose what they want to implement from His teachings. By discounting that Jesus offers the only way to God, they release themselves from following all His teachings.
   
   

When it comes to members of the clergy who do not accept the truth that Jesus provides the one and only pathway to God, I suspect that this last item offers the best explanation.

An obvious question remains: What do we believe? Do we take Jesus at His word and believe that He offers the one and only pathway to God? Or, do we believe that each of the world’s religions offers an equally efficacious pathway to the Creator of the Universe?

It will likely not surprise you that I’m chosing to believe exactly what Jesus said. In fact, the very foundation of every aspect of my faith rests on the absolute veracity of this truth. And, if you think about it, it’s a “win-win” proposition for me. If I’m right, I win! If those who believe in multiple pathways to God have a stranglehold on the truth, since I’m on one of those pathways, I also win.

The next time you hear someone declare that all religions provide an equally effective pathway to God, I urge you to remember the definite article. Whether that definite article appears in English or in New Testament Koine Greek, it speaks with a singular and unmistakeable voice, as recorded in John 14:

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Prove Your Love

 

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

—Ephesians 5:1-2

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

—1 John 3:16a

In early September of 1957, I was ten years old and recovering from a very serious bicycle accident. The front axle of my bike had broken as I rode down a steep hill on a dirt and gravel road. I had pitched forward over the handlebars and slid 110 feet down the hill. The only part of my body touching the road was my face. Following a 16-hour operation, a plastic surgeon had successfully rebuilt my face from a photograph.

One neighborhood girl, a year older than I, had taken a particular interest in my recovery. This was the first time in my life that any female, other than my mother, had shown an interest in me. Frankly, it was intoxicating.

Each day after school, JoAnn would stop by the front porch of my house where I was resting. She insisted that I lay down on the porch swing and put my head on her lap. I remember how soothing it felt when she would stroke my hair.

One day, JoAnn looked down into my eyes and said, “Do you love me?”

Her question caught me completely off guard. “I guess so,” I replied rather tentatively.

“Prove it!” she demanded.

“How?” I asked with great puzzlement filling my voice.

“If you really love me, you’ll know how to prove it!”

“I don’t understand,” I replied with consternation.

“If you really love me, you’ll know how to prove it!” she insisted.

By the end of that afternoon, my three-day “puppy-love affair” with JoAnn was over. I simply couldn’t figure out how to prove that I loved her. So, she stomped off my front porch and proceeded to become one of my worst enemies. In fact, from that day forward until she graduated from high school, six-and-a-half years later, she seemed to burn with an enormously hot hatred for me and took every opportunity to say bad things about me to other people.

In the breadth of three days, I experienced—for the first time—the joy of receiving significant attention from a female, the confusion of trying to figure out what she wanted from me, and the intense pain of rejection. Almost too much learning in too short a time!

As a footnote, I should say that once she graduated from high school, I have never seen her, nor heard anything about her, during the intervening 61 years. By the way, I did eventually figure out that she wanted me to kiss her. But alas, too little revelation, too late.

How does one prove “love”?

In the two Scripture passages at the beginning of this blog post, the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John make clear declarations of the irrefutable evidence of God’s love for us. God has shown His love for us by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die in our behalf, paying the penalty for our sins. Even more, through the power of His resurrection, we have a guaranteed home in heaven for all eternity.

So, when someone asks me how I know God loves me, I can affirm that He has most certainly responded to the challenge: “Prove it!”

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Repelling an Attack

 

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

—Romans 16:17-20

“Divide and conquer!”

Have you ever heard that phrase? In Latin, divide et impera (dee-VEE-day   eht   eem-PER-ah) means either “divide and rule” or “divide and conquer.” Many historians attribute this phrase to King Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great.

Known as a consummate warrior and harsh military commander, King Philip also created a very interesting secret strategy to develop an initial foothold in the Greek City-States he wanted to conquer. This strategy allowed King Philip to later conquer those living in each particular City-State without an enormous expenditure of either financial resources or human capital.

You might suspect this strategy involved a mighty conquering army that rushed into the land, dividing the native forces, and taking control. But, King Philip had a much more subtle plan.

He would select either a revered building, or a revered philosophy, or a revered individual of the particular City-State. Then, he would take action against that building, philosophy, or individual. He would tear down the building, or threaten to do so. He would attack the philosophy, or begin a process of diminishing it. He would start a whispering campaign against an esteemed individual and, through outright lies or half-truths, stir up controversy about that highly regarded person that would eventually bring about that person’s humiliation and destruction.

In each case, King Philip’s emissaries would so inflame the people of the particular City-State that the people would takes sides regarding the building, philosophy, or individual. Soon, the people would have divided themselves into smaller, contentious groups. As their in-fighting accelerated causing great turmoil and confusion, King Philip would sweep in with his army and take control of the City-State.

Most of the time, King Philip had to expend very little financial and human capital to achieve his objective. His takeovers usually required a minimum of actual violence. In fact, while he personally possessed a very ruthless and cold-hearted, narcissistic/sociopathic personality, many people—even his most ardent foes—saw a public persona that seemed kind and gentle on the surface.

(It is worth noting that the older Philip became, and the further he traveled away from people-groups most similar to his own, the more ineffective this strategy became. It was in these later attacks, in more far-away places, that he earned his reputation as a ruthlessly harsh commander in battle.)

Most of us may think of the term “divide and conquer” as a ruthless battleground strategy. But, it actually represents a very clever, decisive, enormously deceptive, and quietly subtle methodology. Sadly, as we look around us today at people-groups and institutions that have suffered destruction at the hand of a corrupt leader, we can often see this strategy of a King Philip II-like narcissistic/sociopath playing out right before our eyes. It is, quite frankly, heartbreaking.

And, that brings us to the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post. The Apostle Paul, as he concludes his long letter to the Christians gathered in Rome, warns them about the King Philip II-like strategy of “divide and conquer.” He urges them to watch out for those who would divide the believers in a particular gathering by pushing forward philosophies that do not square with what the Bible records that the Apostles were actually teaching. Such a strategy may possess a degree of subtlety that almost allows it to go unnoticed until it becomes too late to reverse. Yet, Paul makes it crystal clear how to respond: “… stay away from them.”

Yes! Stay away from those who begin a process of dividing the believers. Watch out for the very subtle activity that may represent the beginning of a campaign to fundamentally transform a body of believers, in order that a force coming from the outside may take control.

Follow Paul’s instruction to “… be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” Paul even tells the Roman Christians why he asks this of them. Because “… the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

The only real antidote for an attempt to “divide and conquer” comes from Paul’s parting wish: “The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

Is the body of believers (the church) to which you belong experiencing a hostile takeover led by outside forces that wish to fundamentally transform your group into something that seems evil to you? If something seems “evil” it likely is evil! You must follow Paul’s instructions: “… stay away from them.”

Am I suggesting that you leave your church? Of course not! But, do not allow yourself to become pulled into the sphere of evil influence that wants to conquer your church. Keep away from them! Recongize this is spiritual warfare. Use the spiritual weapons of prayer, fasting, and the obedient application of God’s written Word to turn back the evil. Gather together with like-minded believers and support each other.

If you decide to act—by taking steps to repel the evil—by all means: “Be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” Know the difference between behavior that seems righteous and godly and obedient to Scripture, and behavior that seems evil, and ungodly, and disobedient to Scripture.

No matter how many of your friends fall into the trap set by your very own “King Philip II” don’t become one of them.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Fully Reconciled

 

“If your brother [or sister] sins against you, go and show him [or her] his [or her] fault, just between the two of you. If he [or she] listens to you, you have won your brother [or sister] over. But if he [or she] will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he [or she] refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he [or she] refuses to listen even to the church, treat him [or her] as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

—Matthew 18:15-17

“This must be one of your most favorite topics. You write about it often.”

Of course, you are correct. It is a favorite topic of mine. Or, at least it has become a favorite topic of mine over the last three decades or so. Nevertheless, I must seriously ask you: “Has anyone among your circle of believing friends ever taken an evil action against you?” By that I mean, has any single one of the people around you who profess to believe in the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ ever lied to you, or lied about you, or spoken hurtful words to you, or spoken harmful words about you, or taken some hurtful action against you? In other words, has another believer ever sinned against you?

If you answer “No!” to this question, I suggest you might well represent one of the most fortunate people on earth. Virtually all of us, at some point in our lives, have had another believer lie to us, or speak ill of us, or take action against us, or in some other way commit a sin against us.

The question: “What do we do when another believer sins against us?”

The Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post represents one of the most often-quoted and least-followed commands of Jesus in all of the Bible. As usual, Jesus’ teaching seems quite clear. He offers four specific and distinct steps when another believer sins against us:

1. Go to the one who has sinned. Show that one what he or she has done. Wait to see how he or she responds. If that one confesses the sin asking for forgiveness, repents of the sin, and expresses a willingness to provide restitution when this can be done, then the party sinned against should extend forgiveness and treat the matter as concluded.
   
   
2. If the one who sinned does not confess asking for forgiveness, nor repent, nor expresses a willingness to provide restitution when this can be done, go once again to the one who sinned and take one or two other believers with you and confront that one for a second time. If he or she confesses the sin asking for forgiveness, repents of the sin, and expresses a willingness to provide restitution when this can be done, then the party sinned against should extend forgiveness and treat the matter as concluded.
   
   
3. If the one who sinned still does not confess asking for forgiveness, nor repent, nor expresses a willingness to provide restitution when this can be done, then make a report to the whole body of believers. This will offer the one who sinned the opportunity to receive the wise counsel of the entire church. If that one confesses the sin asking for forgiveness, repents of the sin, and expresses a willingness to provide restitution when this can be done, then the party sinned against should extend forgiveness and treat the matter as concluded.
   
   
4. But, if the one who sinned refuses to repent and seek forgiveness, then Jesus instructs the church to excommunicate that one in the hopes that separation from the body of believers will bring that one to full and absolute confession, repentance, restitution, and restoration.
   
   

You can clearly see why very few individuals, and even fewer churches, have the courage and tenacity to actually employ this potent instruction from the King of Kings. In our current society with its sociological norms and its propensity for divisions of almost every kind, it takes a willingness to go way out on a limb to actually confront a person when that one has sinned against you. It takes even more courage to follow through with the second, third, and fourth steps of this process.

But, whenever a believer, or body of believers, puts to use this very wise teaching of Jesus—confession, repentance, restitution, leading to full reconciliation—an increase in harmony among believers and within the church, along with a heightened effectiveness on behalf of Christ and His Kingdom, will often come to pass. It’s clearly worth the effort.

So, if we have one or more Christian people who have sinned against us and have breached the brotherly and sisterly relationship we must have with each other in the Lord Jesus Christ, we absolutely must lovingly, carefully, prayerfully put Jesus’ teaching on this matter to good use. For nothing surpasses the joy that comes from true reconciliation.

Is this a big issue for me? Yes, it is. And, it should be for all of us, as well.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}