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The Christian Response to Being Wronged
by Gregory John Monroe The following comes from reading 1 Corinthians 6: 1-8. There have been times that things have gone horribly wrong when Christians worked together in business. Let's say, for example, that one of the parties committed fraud. Money and time was lost, bad feelings ensued, and off to court the Christian partners went. That seems a reasonable and practicable course of action. But is it the way God would have us handle it? Scripture tells us to not be conformed to this world; to renew our minds that we may prove the good and acceptable will of the Lord. Reading the Word every day is the surest way to transform our thinking into His ways. This renewal of the mind is important because as a person thinks, so he or she is, or becomes. In the business situation above, or any other involving conflict, God would have us renew and transform our minds to think and act in one of the following two ways. Firstly, He'd rather not have His children go to court before unbelievers for conflict resolution. Instead, He'd rather have us know that we're equipped by His grace to judge these kind of small matters within the church. I say small because we're being readied to judge the world, even angels. Of course, for this to work, churches would have to have in place an in-house court, council, or whatever hearing mechanism you want to call it. Also, agreeable hearts are needed to abide by the church's ruling. Secondly, God would have us know that although the first way -- letting the church decide our conflicts -- is preferable to unbelievers deciding them; the best way, the Christ-like way, is to not have a spirit of getting even at all. Instead, we're to take the insult. Accept the fraudulent offense. Yes, our brother or sister sinned against us, but we are sinners too who have wronged someone. Being spiritual appraisers, we should understand and sympathize with their spiritual condition. Prayer and forgiveness are in order. We should pour out our hearts that the Lord will forgive the offender, for he or she is apparently in the grip of Satan, and know not what they've done to themselves. Pray for their awareness and repentance. We must remember that life does not consist of the material things that will fade away. We want to seek the righteousness of God. We want to breathe His life; that which is pure, clean, and loving. What I've described as the way things should be can be difficult to swallow. But it is God's point of view. It is His will. It just goes to show that, indeed, His ways are higher than our ways. The best way to reach His level is to daily renew our minds with His word, letting His thoughts take our thoughts captive. Many will be shocked by Gregory's book, The Three Angels' Message. It ID's Antichrist and the "mark of the beast," and the role both are playing today in the end-time issue of worship. The book's biblical & historical proof can't be denied. Get more info now at http://www.tinyurl.com/6pk3pyq Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |