Keeping it in the family
This week is on 1 Corinthians 6:1-8:
We're all ambassadors for a kingdom of grace and forgiveness. Our job is to introduce others to this place of God's grace and mercy. What do you think it does to our message if we're also making a public record of our cries for judgment and stories of mercilessness? When we bring someone to the court system, we choose judgment over mercy. When it is a fellow Christian, it makes a mockery of the message of grace we preach.
When we bring our issues outside of God's people, we're saying the kingdom of God is insufficient for our needs, that there is no hope of reconciliation. We can't find a single person among us, not even Jesus himself, who can make peace between us and the party who has wronged us. We are not willing to pay the price ourselves. We do not accept another paying the price. We want only to get our pound of flesh from the offending party.
When you put that message next to the message of grace, it produces confusion. Out of one side of our mouth, we're saying that even mortal sins can be forgiven. On the other side, we're saying that even a debt of a hundred dollars is a permanent indelible blot that can only be removed by force and the repayment of the debt in kind. Which will people believe is the truth? The thing we say, or the thing we do?
If your focus is the gospel, you're better off being wronged than seeking retribution in the outside world. Ideally the other Christian would be able and willing to pay the $3400 they owe you, but in the event they aren't, is $3400 (or whatever it is for you) blood money worth the potential of betraying the gospel? Is reconciliation possible for you, if it's not possible with you?
This is another one of those verses that make you think "Can anybody really live like this?" I'm not sure I could do it, and yet I must. Jesus says it's better to reconcile with your accuser on the way to the court than to face judgment. I can believe that.
Pray to be willing to forgive and able to accept injustice. Jesus paid such a price for us. Do we want to be the servant who is forgiven the millions of dollars only to try to put his debtor in jail for a much smaller amount? It doesn't end well for that guy. We have to do better.
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord's people? Or do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers!
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.
We're all ambassadors for a kingdom of grace and forgiveness. Our job is to introduce others to this place of God's grace and mercy. What do you think it does to our message if we're also making a public record of our cries for judgment and stories of mercilessness? When we bring someone to the court system, we choose judgment over mercy. When it is a fellow Christian, it makes a mockery of the message of grace we preach.
When we bring our issues outside of God's people, we're saying the kingdom of God is insufficient for our needs, that there is no hope of reconciliation. We can't find a single person among us, not even Jesus himself, who can make peace between us and the party who has wronged us. We are not willing to pay the price ourselves. We do not accept another paying the price. We want only to get our pound of flesh from the offending party.
When you put that message next to the message of grace, it produces confusion. Out of one side of our mouth, we're saying that even mortal sins can be forgiven. On the other side, we're saying that even a debt of a hundred dollars is a permanent indelible blot that can only be removed by force and the repayment of the debt in kind. Which will people believe is the truth? The thing we say, or the thing we do?
If your focus is the gospel, you're better off being wronged than seeking retribution in the outside world. Ideally the other Christian would be able and willing to pay the $3400 they owe you, but in the event they aren't, is $3400 (or whatever it is for you) blood money worth the potential of betraying the gospel? Is reconciliation possible for you, if it's not possible with you?
This is another one of those verses that make you think "Can anybody really live like this?" I'm not sure I could do it, and yet I must. Jesus says it's better to reconcile with your accuser on the way to the court than to face judgment. I can believe that.
Pray to be willing to forgive and able to accept injustice. Jesus paid such a price for us. Do we want to be the servant who is forgiven the millions of dollars only to try to put his debtor in jail for a much smaller amount? It doesn't end well for that guy. We have to do better.
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