I’ve been reading some US political history lately (not really my thing to be honest), trying to expand my mind and see what I might be missing. I followed some advice from a trusted family member and it turned out to be interesting after all. I had been thinking we were in a unique situation in our country lately, with all of the different and very strong opinions out there, everyone insisting they are right and have data on their side, that it’s not really opinion but “fact” that supports their point. Well, it’s probably no shocker to many of you that this situation isn’t new at all, and my reading of history showed as much. People have had deep convictions, strong assertions, and serious disagreements before, and of course will again. That reminds me of a wise man who once said there was really “nothing new under the sun” when you get right down to it (King Solomon, Ecclesiastes 1:9). The question in my mind as a minister of the gospel is how the Christian is to handle these things.
I’ve been working with myself and my congregation for a while on how to approach religious differences with humility, love, and respect, but also emphasizing the need to treat God as holy and defer to His authority. I’ve given some sermons on the topic and wrote a blog a year or so ago, where I focused on what the Bible says about how to handle religious differences (for more info see https://www.blancohillschurch.com/new-blog-1/2023/3/13/truth-with-love). But what about non-religious differences as mentioned above? Ever heard (or said), “I had to tell them,” “I couldn’t let that pass”, “ignorance can’t be ignored”, “I had to set things straight”, or things like this? The behavior that follows these statements is likely suspect; is it something Christ would point to and say, “I’m proud of you for doing that”? I wonder if sometimes we sort of turn on our Christianity when it comes to religion, and forget that we are to be this way all the time, even when dealing with non-religious matters. Let’s see what God has to say on the subject.
I’ve always read Colossians 4:6 (“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt,…”) as pertaining to spiritual matters because of the context, but now that I look at it again, it does say “always”, so doesn’t that mean I need to control my speech all the time? Jesus Christ helps us with this as well in Matthew 12:34-37. Jesus teaches that what comes out of our mouth is a reflection of what is on the inside, in our hearts. Ouch. Maybe we need to take another look at our hearts. Do we really NEED to say the things we say or post? Or do we just want to? In our daily walk, do we have some innate need to be right, to win, to change others to conform to what we believe is the right way to think? Recall also the warning in Matthew 12:36-37 that even idle words will have to be accounted for. The Greek word ‘argos’ translated as ‘idle’ in this passage is defined as that which is inactive, unfruitful, and metaphorically used in the sense of ineffective or worthless (Vine, 1940). This means we need to be careful about the usefulness of what we are saying, that it is from the heart, and we will give an account to God for it.
The Apostle Paul through inspiration by God said that those who had been baptized into Christ were buried with Him and baptized into His death, and then like Him raised to walk a new life (Romans 6:4). This wasn’t a condition just reserved for religious conversations or events, like a garment to be worn on special occasions, but rather refers to an entirely new and total existence…after all, the Christian is a completely new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17), so we need to act like it…all the time.
Think about our end goal. Yes, it is to get to Heaven, but also to influence others to get to the same place and experience the wonderful gifts God has for His people (Hebrews 5:12). In our political conversations, in any conversation for that matter, or even in the little things we do on a daily basis…how are we doing in achieving those goals? Bringing more people to God or pushing them away?
In Galatians 5:16-24 the Apostle Paul shows the stark contrast between living a life according to the Spirit and living one according to the flesh (a worldly non-spiritual way). Don’t skim over these lists of actions which accompany each way of life too quickly because they are there for a reason. Right alongside some of the more heinous seeming ones like murder and hatred, are others that apply to our subject matter today. Are we being contentious? Are we causing dissention? These things are deeds of the flesh and have no place our lives as Christians. Think about our interactions with people and consider whether we are showing the produce (fruit) of having the Spirit in our lives. After our conversation do they think, “wow, now that person is showing love” (v.22)? How about joy? Peace? Patience? Do they think about us and what we represent and immediately think of goodness? Faithfulness? How about self-control and gentleness (v.23)? It is critical that we show these traits in our daily lives…in all facets of our lives, not just about religious subjects. After all, those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (v.24). That language makes this a pretty serious matter.
Finally, consider 2 Timothy 2:24, “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,”
Let us humbly approach our God and sacrifice all parts of our lives to and for Him, all glory, praise, and honor belong to His holy name.
Questions or comments? All are welcome!
Jeff Mullen
Blanco Hills Church of Christ
830-554-0701
blancohillschurch.com