CONFRONTATION… “Can’t we all just get along?” In our modern era confrontation is a sin, and punishable by the ridicule and disdain of the body of Christ. It is deemed unloving and judgmental. With that said, I am confused as to what James meant. Maybe someone can explain how we can do what James said without causing discomfort or making a judgment. James 5:19,20 “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, if anybody be detected in any misconduct, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in a spirit of meekness. And let each of you keep watch over himself, lest he also fall into temptation.” Most people dislike confrontation and resist being confronted. Nevertheless, we must understand that delay in admitting and dealing with problems only makes facing them more difficult. Small sparks can become great fires with the passing of time. Memories of the facts fade over time and we may actually cross a line when restoration is no longer possible. No wonder the Scriptures warn that leaven (a picture of evil) will spread, whether dealing with moral issues (I Corinthians 5:6) or facing doctrinal error (Galatians 5:9). Yes, the longer we wait the harder it becomes to confront. In the interim there can be stress and the work may suffer through lack of unity. King David may have appeared content before Nathan confronted him, but in Psalm 32:4 he confessed, “day and night thy hand was heavy upon me.” We note how often the Lord Jesus confronted people. From the cleansing of the temple at the beginning of His ministry (John 2), to his courageous words before Pilate (John 19), Jesus faced error with truth. He regularly confronted the Pharisees, and He confronted those he encountered along the way such as the Samaritan woman, the rich young ruler, In Matthew 18, He laid out the simple steps by which His followers should resolve wrongs done to them. After His resurrection, He would follow this pattern in restoring a disciple who had denied Him (Luke 24:34; John 20:15-17). Incidentally, this account of Peter’s denial and subsequent restoration is touching in its gentleness but forthrightness, and ought to be pondered by every elder. With the coming of the Holy Spirit and commencement of the church, we can trace the boldness of Spirit-filled leaders on every page. We see Peter confronting Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), Stephen facing his accusers (Acts 7), and Paul dealing directly with religious opposers throughout his travels (Acts 13-28). Scripture faithfully records them all, including Paul’s face to face rebuke of Peter regarding inconsistencies in his words and actions (Galatians 2:11-14). Considering these records, we can only imagine the harm and damage that would have come to the church had these difficulties not been addressed and cleared up quickly. The assembly is a family, a place where God’s grace shines. Wise elders will use wisdom in distinguishing between the normal evidences of immaturity and dangers to the work of Christ through willful sin or error. Vigilance will discern danger signs (sometimes subtle) such as issues which keep getting “tabled” by most Christians, or set aside due to the fear of causing separation. The old saying “We’ll agree to disagree” might be tolerated in matters of personal preference, but in matters of truth or the direction of the body of Christ, it is not acceptable. This includes facing the heresies and teaching of false teachers no matter how many support them. Pray for boldness Do we tremble at the thought of confronting people and problems? Let us remember that the apostles both prayed for boldness (Acts 4:29, 31) and requested prayer for boldness (Ephesians 6:19; Philippians 1:19,20). What can motivate us to action when needed? The Lord said, “I am…the truth …” (John 14:6). Loving Christ means loving the truth, not only its theory, but its life application. Christians must be more interested in justice and truth than in personal comfort and popularity.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 09:55:11 +0000
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