06/11/2022
If someone says or does some little thing wrong, uses an incorrect word in a sentence, or slips up in some other trivial way, do we feel obligated to immediately correct them? Do we look forward to arguing, or defending our point of view until we have won this point, or contest of wills, at all cost? Is our adherence to this obsessiveness in our nature so overwhelming that we come across as harsh, mean spirited, or bitter? Well this is not the nature of Christ, nor is it how we as Christians should behave. We are transformed in Jesus, not into some pious person who believes himself to be perfect, or who is intolerant, and intransigent, but into a gentle, and forgiving, person who is able to teach of Jesus Christ, and win souls to God without driving them away. So let’s honestly ask ourselves whether we win souls to the Lord through quarreling over minor points of theology, and biblical interpretation, or whether we gently win new believers by teaching of the kind and virtuous nature of Jesus.
“Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness…”
2 Timothy 2:23-25 ESV
Adamantly correcting someone who does not believe as we believe is a common justification for intolerance, and harsh bitterness, but we just read the words of Paul as he said something that deflates that argument; he said that we are to be someone who patiently endured evil. This is not the same as saying we are to embrace evil, but that we should do as he continues to tell us, and gently correct them. This implies that we correct them in a way that does not drive them away, but teaches them, and helps to transform them.
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Ephesians 4:29 ESV
A newborn baby nurses at its mother’s breast, and does so as she lovingly cradles it there. She does not prematurely try to feed it solid food, but patiently feeds it a diet that is appropriate for its age and development. To feed a newborn meat could hurt it, and so it is with those around us that are newborns in the faith. To force that meat on a child who is not prepared to receive it only causes it to cringe, and to spit it out; so ever so slowly we introduce our children to new foods, and likewise, we offer new Christians food that is appropriate for mature believers.
“I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”
1 Corinthians 3:2-3 ESV
When we argue, and exhibit intolerance towards one another in our faith, we are like a little girl trying to nurse a baby… we will certainly fail, and although we are trying to act as if we are mature, we are not. Like the Corinthians that Paul is addressing, we are still of the flesh.
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.”
Hebrews 5:12-13 ESV
A man is called to Christ by God, and appears in church on Sunday. His heart has been circumcised, and He is fertile ground for the gospel message. So at the conclusion of the sermon he comes to the altar, and accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior. The next Sunday he attends a morning Bible study, but says something regarding faith that is childlike in nature. Immediately he is chastised, and harshly told how wrong he is by someone in the class; he is not taught kindly, but corrected with a tone of haughtiness. The third Sunday the true saints of the church look around the sanctuary and ask “Where is the man who gave himself so sweetly to Jesus just two weeks ago?”, but he is not there, and may never return. The man who came looking for Jesus, who heard about Him, and gave his life over to Him, was lost… although he heard the gospel and made a profession of his faith concerning the Son of God, he hadn’t met this man Jesus there.
“And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”
Luke 17:1-2 ESV
If we see such a thing occurring, we should go to this new believer and intercede. Our love and kindness should become instruction for both the haughty intolerant one, and the new Christian who was hurt. To the offensive one we gently correct, and to the child in faith we demonstrate Christ’s true and welcoming nature. In this way we cover a multitude of sins through Christ who abides in us.
“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
James 5:19-20 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your patience and tolerance as we grow measure by measure in our faith. Thank you for revealing to us that we will not be perfected until our Lord Jesus returns, and until that day we will be sitting before you, reading your Word, praying on our knees asking forgiveness, and being led to bear the fruit of the Spirit; one step at a time. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who smooths the rough edges in us as you make us into the image of Jesus. Praised be your name for every argument we avoid, and for each kind word we speak as we instruct our brothers and sisters, your children, in their faith. Let none be lost because of our missteps or intolerant nature. Help us to overcome our cavalier desire to defend you… who needs no one’s defense. Open our hearts, minds, and souls to you, and our ears to your Holy Spirit. Bridle our mouths, and teach us to be good, and kind as you are. Wash us in the blood of Jesus, and remove every blemish that our forgiven sin has left upon us. Pronounce us worthy in Christ on the day of our judgement, and seat us at your table forevermore. Let all of heaven join us as we revel and rejoice in the presence of the souls you led us to bring to you.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:22-26 ESV
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”
Acts 20:28 ESV
Rich Forbes