I
take seriously the symptoms of problems in relationships. There can be very
healthy growth when people become dissatisfied with superficial relating, or
role playing, or putting up with misbehaviour from others. When people step out
to help each other deal with things that are wrong in relationships, there is
potential for tangible growth that makes people feel more real, and causes
genuine healing, freedom, and maturity in Jesus Christ our Lord. However, there
is another side to this picture.
The
thing I am dealing with is that experience when people who have been saying yes
to God about their journey through life suddenly face something they do not
want to do. There are many variations of saying no to God, but the result is consistent.
The relationships that were growing while people were walking in the unity of
the Spirit through the bond of peace,[1]
begin to be consumed with problems and conflicts that cannot be solved for the
simple reason that they aren’t the real problems and conflicts. The real
problem is that someone’s inner person has said no to God,[2]
and now they are immediately in conflict with those who are still saying yes to
God.
Paul
addressed this with the Corinthian Christians when they were divided over all
kinds of problems in the church.[3] As
Paul addressed these difficulties, some of the people wanted to follow Paul’s
instructions, perhaps not even realizing that they had drifted back into
worldly ways as much as Paul had discerned. At the same time, others had become
comfortable with the sinful and fleshly behaviors in the church because their
flesh, or sark, was getting some benefit to the changes.
While
Paul spoke against the divisions in the church, and reminded the people that
such things should just never be,[4] he
also presented a distinction between these two groups of people so that those
who were continuing to say yes to God would be encouraged to continue doing so
even while this created a certain amount of separation from those who were now
saying no to God.
Paul
put it this way: “there
must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be
recognized.”[5] Paul was not teaching that factions were good, since he had already
taught against divisions. However, since there were some who were saying yes to
God, and others saying no, there “must”
be such factions to show that some of the people in the church were genuine in
their obedient faith, while others were hypocritical in their conduct.
The
apostle Peter gave another example of this when he made a significant negative
change to relationships in the church. Much earlier, when God had told him it was
time to accept Gentile believers into the church as equals to Jewish believers,
Peter said yes and joined God in what he was doing.[6] Later,
something happened that made Peter say no to this work of God, and he returned
to sharing fellowship only with the Jewish believers.[7]
The
apostle Paul had to confront Peter about this “hypocrisy”, partly because it was wrong, and partly because Peter’s
actions had even caused brother Barnabas to segregate himself from Gentile
believers. This change created two groups, or factions, with one side remaining
genuine, and the other becoming hypocrites. The fact is that Peter was a
different man when he was saying yes to God in contrast to when he said no to
God’s word, his will, and his work.
Whenever I am in a conflict situation, whether I am a
participant, or a counselor to someone else, I want to know who is still saying
yes to God, and who has said no to something that is the real source of the
problem. Once we sincerely search our own hearts in this regard, repent of any
no-saying, return to obedient-faith, we can accept that we will be separated
from those who do not want to join us in stepping into the boat, so to speak.[8]
While
it may be sad to see such situations in the church where there are factions
between those who are obeying Christ by faith, and those who are not, Paul
consoles us with the reminder that, when such divisions occur, they “must” be there. After all, those who
want to say yes to God cannot create a pseudo-unity by joining those who are
saying no to God. And, saying yes to God does not guarantee that others will
join us in joining God’s work. So, when we can’t get the whole church to walk
in the Spirit in obedient faith, we have to make sure we are on the side of the
faction that is recognized as “those who
are genuine.”
From
my heart,
Monte
© 2014 Monte Vigh ~
Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise
noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
[1] Ephesians 4:3
[2] Paul refers to our
inner being, or inner self, in Romans 7:22; II Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 3:16
[3] Paul begins dealing with
divisions in chapter 1, and continues referring to this throughout his letter.
[4] I Corinthians 1:10
[5] I Corinthians 11:19
[6] You can read about
this in Acts 10
[7] Galatians 2:11ff
[8] A favorite
word-picture for saying yes to God, based on Matthew 8:18ff
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