"When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?"
Christians should not have grievances with other Christians at all. If Christians were without sin, we would be able to avoid disagreements altogether. But no one on earth, not even the best of Christians, is without sin. Therefore, from time to time a Christian is going to wrong you, or you are going to wrong some other Christian. What should happen in such a case? After repeatedly talking to the person personally, we go with another Christian repeatedly and finally we take it to the church (according to Matthew 18). We do not go before non-Christian officials.
Consider an example: you have a lawn care business and one of your customers is a fellow Christian in your church. You mow his lawn several times, but he never pays you. Do you turn him over to the collection agency? No, people within the church have the capability of clearing up the matter. What if there is no proof of who is telling the truth? Allow yourself to be wronged. It was wrong for him to rob you. But it is wrong of you to take him to the civil authorities over the matter.
No comments:
Post a Comment