The Practice of Godliness: Godliness has value for all things (20 page)
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Authors: Jerry Bridges
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PEACE WITH MEN
When Paul listed peace as one of nine traits of the fruit of the Spirit, he was probably thinking primarily of peace with other people. He had already warned the Galatians against “biting and devouring each other” (Galatians 5:15). And in his list of the acts of the sinful nature, immediately preceding his list of the fruit of the Spirit, those actions that are totally opposite to peace are predominant: hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy. As he began to list traits of godly character that the Galatians needed to keep foremost in mind, peace with one another must have been near the top of his list.
The importance of this aspect of peace is amply evident from major references to it in the New Testament. Here are just a few:
Blessed are the peacemakers. (Matthew 5:9)As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)Make every effort to do what leads to peace. (Romans 14:19)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. (Colossians 3:15)
Make every effort to live in peace with all men. (Hebrews 12:14)
Whoever would love life and see good days ... must seek peace and pursue it. (1 Peter 3:10-11)
Three times in these references we are exhorted to “make every effort” toward, or “pursue,” peace. The Greek word used here also means “persecute,” conveying the idea of intense effort or vigilance in tracking down something in order to harass and torment. In a positive sense, it means single-minded pursuit: to leave no stone unturned in our efforts, to lay ourselves out and to humble ourselves, if need be, in order to achieve the goal of peace with others.
The pursuit of peace does not include an easygoing, peace-at-any-price kind of attitude; it does not include capitulating to wrong or injustice just for the sake of maintaining appearances. That kind of behavior often leads instead to strife within ourselves. The conflicts that are disturbing our peace with others must be courageously but graciously faced and dealt with. Pursuing peace does not mean running away from the causes of discord.
Let’s consider some practical, biblical steps we can take to pursue peace in conflicts with other believers:
First, We must
remember that we are fellow members of the same body.
Paul says, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). Farther on in the same chapter he says the goal is “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other” (verse 25). It is incredible that different parts of the same body could be at war among themselves! I am convinced that there would be much less disharmony and conflict among believers if we constantly kept in mind that we are members of the same body.
remember that we are fellow members of the same body.
Paul says, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). Farther on in the same chapter he says the goal is “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other” (verse 25). It is incredible that different parts of the same body could be at war among themselves! I am convinced that there would be much less disharmony and conflict among believers if we constantly kept in mind that we are members of the same body.
Paul puts it even more strongly in Romans 12:5: “each member belongs to all the others.” Not only are we members of the same body, but we
belong
to one another. That person with whom you have difficulty maintaining peace belongs to you, and you belong to him. What a contradiction to the unity of the body when there is discord among its members.
belong
to one another. That person with whom you have difficulty maintaining peace belongs to you, and you belong to him. What a contradiction to the unity of the body when there is discord among its members.
Not only must we remember that we are fellow members of one body,
We must also keep in mind that it is Christ’s body of which we are members.
It is
His
glory—and the honor of His church—that is at stake in our relationships with one another. Few things are as dishonoring to the cause of Christ as Christians quarreling among themselves. Yet we expel people from our fellowship for adultery, while we tolerate discord between ourselves and other believers. We have failed to understand and obey the biblical imperative to “make every effort to do what leads to peace.”
We must also keep in mind that it is Christ’s body of which we are members.
It is
His
glory—and the honor of His church—that is at stake in our relationships with one another. Few things are as dishonoring to the cause of Christ as Christians quarreling among themselves. Yet we expel people from our fellowship for adultery, while we tolerate discord between ourselves and other believers. We have failed to understand and obey the biblical imperative to “make every effort to do what leads to peace.”
Third,
We must recognize that the cause of discord often lies wholly or partly with us.
We must seek a genuine spirit of humility about our own responsibility rather than entirely blaming the other person. On occasion, I have been an observer to discord between believers in which both parties wholly blamed the other for the conflict. Neither was willing to accept any responsibility for a misunderstanding. As we pursue peace we must be prepared to face up to and acknowledge to the other party any wrong attitude, action, or words on our part.
We must recognize that the cause of discord often lies wholly or partly with us.
We must seek a genuine spirit of humility about our own responsibility rather than entirely blaming the other person. On occasion, I have been an observer to discord between believers in which both parties wholly blamed the other for the conflict. Neither was willing to accept any responsibility for a misunderstanding. As we pursue peace we must be prepared to face up to and acknowledge to the other party any wrong attitude, action, or words on our part.
Finally,
We must take the initiative to restore peace.
Jesus taught that it makes no difference whether you have wronged your brother or he has wronged you. Either way, you are always responsible to initiate efforts toward peace (see Matthew 5:23-24 and 18:15). If we are serious about intently pursuing peace, we won’t be concerned about which of us is the offending party. We will have one goal: to restore peace in a godly manner. Unresolved conflict between believers is sin and must be treated as such; otherwise, it will spread throughout the body like cancer until it requires radical spiritual surgery. Far better to deal with it when it is easily contained.
We must take the initiative to restore peace.
Jesus taught that it makes no difference whether you have wronged your brother or he has wronged you. Either way, you are always responsible to initiate efforts toward peace (see Matthew 5:23-24 and 18:15). If we are serious about intently pursuing peace, we won’t be concerned about which of us is the offending party. We will have one goal: to restore peace in a godly manner. Unresolved conflict between believers is sin and must be treated as such; otherwise, it will spread throughout the body like cancer until it requires radical spiritual surgery. Far better to deal with it when it is easily contained.
There may be times, however, when you have pursued peace to no avail. The Bible recognizes that possibility (Romans 12:18), but be sure you have done all you can to restore peace.
The “going to your brother” of Matthew 5 and Matthew 18 relates to conflict among believers; pursuing peace with unbelievers requires a somewhat different approach. Obviously, we are not members of one body. We do not share the work of the Holy Spirit in enabling us to restore peace. How, then, should we handle conflict with unbelievers?
First,
If we have offended an unbeliever, it is our responsibility to take steps to restore peace.
Sometimes this is more humbling than going to a believer to acknowledge a wrong; the unbeliever is not as apt to respond in a gracious and forgiving manner. But humbling or not, we must do this if we are to maintain a Christian testimony
If we have offended an unbeliever, it is our responsibility to take steps to restore peace.
Sometimes this is more humbling than going to a believer to acknowledge a wrong; the unbeliever is not as apt to respond in a gracious and forgiving manner. But humbling or not, we must do this if we are to maintain a Christian testimony
What should we do, however, when the unbeliever wrongs us? When there is no common bond, no fellowship to be restored, no mutual presence of the Holy Spirit to aid in restoration, then we tend to think in terms of revenge—if not in action, at least in our thoughts.
I believe Romans 12:17-21 provides the answer. As we look at this passage we see that first,
We are to do everything we possibly can to maintain peace,
as far as it depends on us.
We are to do everything we possibly can to maintain peace,
as far as it depends on us.
Second,
We are in no way to seek revenge.
We are not to repay evil for evil; we are to leave the matter of justice in the hands of God. So often when we have been wronged, or think we have been wronged, we imagine getting even with the other person. We don’t
intend
to take revenge, but we actually do it in our minds. Such an attitude is clearly contrary to Scripture. Verse 19 says that it is God’s prerogative to mete out justice; His judgment alone is always according to the truth. He alone knows all the facts and all the motives behind them.
We are in no way to seek revenge.
We are not to repay evil for evil; we are to leave the matter of justice in the hands of God. So often when we have been wronged, or think we have been wronged, we imagine getting even with the other person. We don’t
intend
to take revenge, but we actually do it in our minds. Such an attitude is clearly contrary to Scripture. Verse 19 says that it is God’s prerogative to mete out justice; His judgment alone is always according to the truth. He alone knows all the facts and all the motives behind them.
As we are willing to leave justice with God, we have His assurance that He will repay. God is a God of infinite justice; no wrong inflicted on us ever goes unnoticed by Him. Although we may never be aware of the repayment, we do have God’s promise of it.
Of course, our goal with regard to an offending unbeliever should not be a desire for revenge, either God’s revenge or ours. The purpose of God’s assurance of justice here is not to satisfy our own sense of justice, but to remove it as a consideration from our minds. God in effect is saying, “Don’t concern yourself with justice. Leave that to me. You concern yourself with something else: winning over the offending unbeliever.” We can win him over, or at least make an effort to do so, by repaying evil with good. However we may understand the expression “heap burning coals on his head” (verse 20), it seems clear that our intent should be to win him over.
Because peace is a fruit of the Spirit, we are dependent upon the Spirit’s work in our lives to produce the desire and the means to pursue peace. But we are also responsible to use the means He has given us and to take all practical steps to attain both peace within and peace with others.
Commit to memory such passages of Scripture as Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:7, Romans 12:18, or any others you find especially helpful. Begin to meditate upon them and ask the Holy Spirit to bring them to your mind on the next occasion in which you especially need to follow their teaching. Remember that practicing godliness involves spiritual exercise—meditating upon and applying God’s word under the direction of our teacher, the Holy Spirit.
14
Patience
Clothe yourselves with... patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Colossians 3:12-13
Christian character is like a single garment woven from threads of varying colors and shades. From a distance the garment appears to be a single color, but closer examination reveals that it takes a combination of different colored threads to produce the overall effect. The casual observer is not too concerned with those various threads; he notices and appreciates the garment’s overall effect. But the creator of that cloth has to consider each thread individually, ensuring that the right shades and colors correctly follow the pattern of the design.
Some of the traits of godly character appear to blend together much as different shades of thread in a garment or colors in a rainbow. Patience, for example, closely resembles joy and peace in its effect upon our lives. The word
patience,
as we use it in everyday speech, actually stands for several different words in the New Testament, and is used to describe a godly reaction to a variety of situations. These different words and usages blend together to produce an overall quality.
patience,
as we use it in everyday speech, actually stands for several different words in the New Testament, and is used to describe a godly reaction to a variety of situations. These different words and usages blend together to produce an overall quality.
The truly patient Christian must display godly patience in all of the various circumstances requiring it. Just as the designer and weaver of a beautiful cloth must consider each thread individually, so the Christian who desires to grow in patience must give attention to each facet of this quality as it applies to his life.
SUFFERING MISTREATMENT
One aspect of patience involves enduring abuse. The biblical response to suffering at the hands of others is called
long-suffering
in the
King James Version,
and that rendering perhaps best describes its meaning. This aspect of patience is the ability to suffer a long time under the mistreatment of others without growing resentful or bitter. The occasions for exercising this quality are numerous; they vary from malicious wrongs all the way to seemingly innocent practical jokes. They include ridicule, scorn, insults, and undeserved rebukes, as well as outright persecution. The Christian who is the victim of office politics or organizational power plays must react with long-suffering. The believing husband or wife who is rejected or mistreated by an unbelieving spouse needs this kind of patience.
long-suffering
in the
King James Version,
and that rendering perhaps best describes its meaning. This aspect of patience is the ability to suffer a long time under the mistreatment of others without growing resentful or bitter. The occasions for exercising this quality are numerous; they vary from malicious wrongs all the way to seemingly innocent practical jokes. They include ridicule, scorn, insults, and undeserved rebukes, as well as outright persecution. The Christian who is the victim of office politics or organizational power plays must react with long-suffering. The believing husband or wife who is rejected or mistreated by an unbelieving spouse needs this kind of patience.
The apostle Paul especially stressed the need for long-suffering in the life of a godly person. He mentions it in his first letter to the Corinthians, in his list of qualities that characterize love. He includes it as one of the nine traits which he calls the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians. When he describes to the Ephesians a life worthy of God’s calling, he includes the trait of long-suffering. He also includes it when he gives the Colossians a list of godly qualities with which Christians should clothe themselves. He stresses it to the Thessalonians, and commends his own life to the Corinthians and to Timothy partly because patience is one of his character traits.
How can we grow in this aspect of patience, that suffers long under the ill-treatment of others? First, we must consider the
justice
of God. In his instructions to slaves who needed to be patient under the unjust treatment of harsh masters, Peter tells them to follow the example of Christ: “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). Note that the opposite of retaliation is to entrust ourselves to God, who judges justly. God’s justice is absolute, and, as Paul reminds us in Romans 12:19, He promises us, “I will repay.”
justice
of God. In his instructions to slaves who needed to be patient under the unjust treatment of harsh masters, Peter tells them to follow the example of Christ: “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). Note that the opposite of retaliation is to entrust ourselves to God, who judges justly. God’s justice is absolute, and, as Paul reminds us in Romans 12:19, He promises us, “I will repay.”
One of the thoughts that most disturbs a suffering Christian who has not learned patience is this issue of justice. He is concerned that his tormentor will escape justice, that he will not receive the punishment he deserves. The patient Christian who suffers leaves this issue in the hands of God. He is confident that God will render justice, though he knows that this may not occur until the time of our Lord’s return (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7). Instead of hoping and waiting for an opportunity for revenge, he prays for God’s forgiveness of his tormentors, just as Jesus and the martyr Stephen prayed for their executioners.
To develop patience in the face of mistreatment by others, we must also develop a conviction about the
faithfulness
of God to work on our behalf. Peter tells us that “those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:19). We should entrust ourselves to God’s justice and commit ourselves to His faithfulness. God will deal not only in justice (and we pray, in mercy) with our tormentor, but also in faithfulness with us.
faithfulness
of God to work on our behalf. Peter tells us that “those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:19). We should entrust ourselves to God’s justice and commit ourselves to His faithfulness. God will deal not only in justice (and we pray, in mercy) with our tormentor, but also in faithfulness with us.
Joseph exemplified such a commitment to the faithfulness of God. After he had been abused by his brothers, he was able to say to them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). God can and does take the deliberately harmful acts of others and turn them into acts for good, both for us and for others. The person who is patient under mistreatment by others is the person who has developed such a confidence in the wisdom, power, and faithfulness of God that he willingly entrusts his circumstances into His hands.
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