Yesterday I asked how you determine which battles to fight in light of the fact that we are told to live harmoniously and in unity. This morning a couple of men and I were working through Romans 14, and the issue came up yet again.
When I look at the New Testament as a whole it seems that we are not to challenge one another on style of worship, diet, which days we choose to worship, whether we dunk or sprinkle for baptism, there are probably others. It is probably a good idea to look closely at what Christ and Paul did in confronting people. Christ confronted the hypocritical legalism of the Pharisees. Paul confronted Peter when he did not represent the gospel accurately with his behavior. He rebuked the Corinthian church for engaging in sin. Christ gave explicit instructions on confronting sin in a believer’s life.
So it seems that we should pick battles that surround the truth of the gospel and confront sin when we know it is there. There are a number of passages that tell us how to do this. I will suggest that three are important if not the only ones that should be considered. Matthew 18:15 – 17; 2 Timothy 2:24 – 26; and Galatians 6:1.
That seems to be the assignment. Like most of them it is not easy and it does not seem to be one that we are doing very well.
So it seems that we should pick battles that surround the truth of the gospel and confront sin when we know it is there. There are a number of passages that tell us how to do this. I will suggest that three are important if not the only ones that should be considered. Matthew 18:15 – 17; 2 Timothy 2:24 – 26; and Galatians 6:1.
That seems to be the assignment. Like most of them it is not easy and it does not seem to be one that we are doing very well.
No comments:
Post a Comment