| “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you.” |
| —Matthew 18:15 |
As “Christ’s-ones” we do many things well and, to the extent that we bend our selfish human wills to God’s will, we are ever learning to do things better. As the Holy Spirit opens up a straight path before us, we have the opportunity to obediently follow that pathway.
Sadly, one gigantic area of consistent failure is the way we handle conflict between believers and, especially, within the church. Experiences I have had in the past have made me very zealous about encouraging my fellow believers to properly resolve conflict between believers and within in the church.
It is very important for me to emphasize that, personally I do not hold a grudge against anyone in past churches who may have harmed me. With extraordinary help from God, I have come to peace, within my own heart and mind, regarding the way I was treated. And, as best as I can do by relying on God’s grace, I have determined that I am ready, willing, and able to forgive should anyone who has harmed me asks for forgiveness.
While I have written about certain aspects of this subject several times over the years, when considering the matter of conflict resolution, I believe that from time to time we all need to review Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:15-17:
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
“But if they 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 they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
To many, these words at the end seem particularly harsh. But, I know for a certainty that when this process is followed—to the letter—harmony is restored. So, let’s be certain we do our part to follow Jesus’ instructions for resolving conflict with our brothers and sisters in Christ—and especially within the church. It’s indeed what Jesus expects us to do.
Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, May 12, 2016
