Quarrels among Christians

Submitted

It is not grace but corruption which engenders strife. If, therefore, my brother’s corruption be raised against me, shall I oppose my corruption to his and so enter into wrath, or shall I not rather beg of God that His grace in me may invite the grace that is in my brother so that we may settle the whole in peace? If we are real Christians, we must both desire only what is just and right, or we do not live like Christians; and if we both agree in desiring this as the end, how is it that we differ violently about the means? If either have done or desired the wrong, the other who may be more under the conduct of grace should kindly and affectionately represent it; and if he cannot be heard, should leave the matter to God without raising the unholy and unhappy tumult of heat and resentment in his own mind. He that can bear and forbear most is certainly most like the Christian. It is misery and deadness to a real believer to walk and to war after the base fury and discord of the flesh. When he deserves well of men and patiently suffers evil from them, then he most follows his Master and is most right in himself.

The apostle directs, not the vengeance of the law, but Christian arbitration for believers. Law is the last refuge and can only be lawful when right is not to be had by better means.

If Christians who have a matter of difference would graciously agree to meet with each other in prayer and to pray kindly for each other before the throne of grace, surely, if they meant the attainment of the right and truth which they prayed for, they might soon find it out and settle it accordingly; it is the flesh which comes in and mars all. One cannot stoop, and the other will not. They are not as wise as Luther’s two goats that met upon a narrow plank over deep water. They could not go back; they dared not fight. At length one of them lay down while the other went over him, and so peace and safety attended both. Why should believers not try this method? Alas! While grace remains idle or neutral, the world jeers and triumphs; the devil is busy and tempts; good men mourn and lament; the weak are stumbled and turned aside; a long train of iniquities and jealousies fills the breasts of those who humbly hope to dwell with God and with each other throughout eternity. These things ought not so to be.

If my brother be in the wrong, how shall I show myself in the right? By wounding him more than he has wounded himself? By doing wrong likewise and rendering evil for evil? No, let me pray that God would open his eyes and not shut my heart. Let me ask that He would give him more grace and me more patience to meet what is not gracious in him, and at the utmost, that I may not be a partaker with him of anger or of those sins which may follow upon it.

Am I in the wrong? What then shall I do? Shall I persist in it and make myself more in the wrong? This would not be gracious; this would bring misery by heaps upon myself. Rather let me go first to God and then to my brother, acknowledging my fault or my error to both. There is no shame in confessing our sins to God nor any meanness in owing them to men. It is the mark of a noble and generous spirit in common life; it is the wisdom, as well as the duty and privilege, of a much better life in the Christian.

Oh, thou love of the brethren, whither art thou fled? We profess to believe in the communion of saints, but where are the saints who have this communion? We talk of the unity of God’s church with respect to its members, but where are the members who live in this unity? Oh, shame upon us that we differ at all, that we differ on trifles, that we love to differ, that we urge and promote differences, and that the healing spirit is not more to be found amongst us.

Lord, if Thou wouldest differ with us at any time as we are ready at all times to differ with others, oh, how should we stand before Thee, or what could we answer for ourselves? Give, oh, give more of Thy grace that we may be humble in our own hearts, true and just in our desires, mild to others, and deeply submissive to Thee.

How pleasant and how good it is
When brethren in the Lord
In one another’s joy delight
And dwell in sweet accord.

Such love is like anointing oil
In consecration poured;
Such love is like the morning dew,
With sweet refreshment stored.

To those who dwell in brotherhood
The Lord His blessing sends,
He crowns them with the crown of life,
Of life that never ends.
— Psalter 369

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen