I have attended Christian funerals where, in the honest sadness (it hurts to miss someone), there was not a hint of despair. Mourners, believers and non-believers alike, unanimously accepted that the deceased believed that he had reached his goal and all was well.
Conversely, I have attended funerals where there were both honest sadness, and bitter revenge. Mourners, believers and non-believers alike, fighting over the legacy of the deceased—with no regard for the goal of his faith.
But it doesn’t take a funeral to cause a division. Churches have fought until there was nothing left to fight over. You would think that the combined centuries of Bible knowledge would cause someone to scream: “You can’t win! Any fight over filthy lucre ends badly—especially for the Christians!”
“What has money got to do with this problem?” someone inevitably protests. My answer is simple: Take away all the physical resources involved in the dispute and then ask if there is still anyone interested in the discussion. There never is!
Jesus tells anyone bent upon gathering power to get control over the things of this world: Settle with your opponent on the way to court. Lest you find yourself on the wrong side of a system that has its own ideas of guilty and not guilty (see Mt.5:25-26).
When evil fights evil—then evil prevails.
Thus, Paul says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
Because Jesus was gaining influence over the hearts of the people, his enemies accused him of doing his miracles by the power of Satan. He pointed out the obvious:
“Every kingdom involved in civil war becomes a wasteland… If Satan throws out Satan, he is at war with himself. How then can his kingdom endure?” (Mt.12:25-26).
The church cannot be wiped out by Satan, but congregations can—but only if we allow it to happen!
The best way to win a civil war is not to start one.
“Civil wars don’t end well.”
John Staiger
0 Comments