double double, toil & trouble: part 4 - chapter 17 - how to handle theological conflict

7/31/2019 Double Double, Toil & Trouble: Part 4 - Chapter 17 - How to Handle Theological Conflict

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Chapter EighteenHow To Handle Theological Conflict

1. Make Forgiveness Your Passionate Pursuit

Ephesians seems to be just bubbling with wonderful truth for me.Chapter four, verse 29 through chapter five verse two is a text that hasbeen so appropriate for me at times when I feel this fleshly anger arisingin my heart against these Plaintiffs. Even as I recount these verses toyou, I sense my constant frailty with regards to some of the issuesmentioned in the text. Yet I also sense a constantly mounting desire tobe an example of these verses.

You must let no unwholesome word come out of yourmouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of theone in need, that it may give grace to those who hear. And

do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you weresealed for the day of redemption. You must put away everykind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarrelling, and evil,slanderous talk. Instead, be kind to one another,compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christalso forgave you. Therefore, be imitators of God as dearlyloved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved usand gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering toGod.

The main theme and driving force behind the repentance called

for in these verses is found twice in the context. It is the love of JesusChrist. In 4:32 God in Christ forgave me. And in 5:2 Christ loved me andgave himself for me. Therefore, in light of Gods love for me in ChristJesus, I ought to forgive those who sin against me.

This is hard enough as it is when it comes to conflicts in theology.There are just some people who want to die on an anthill, and they wantto take you down with them. They are willing to destroy anotherpersons reputation on account of the smallest theological disputes. Toterminate me as a pastor simply because I believe in double-predestination is completely asinine. But strangely, I forgave each time

I was assaulted with accusations.

What became difficult to forgive, however, was the fact that theseaccusations were going to cost me my job, my livelihood, my income,and put my family in jeopardy. So heres the irony of this whole thingfor you, if youre paying attention. I, a Calvinist, one who believes in thesovereignty of God and His immutable goodness and mercy towardthose He has elected and loved in Christ, am acting as one who believed


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none of it. I had quickly become a Pharisee who did not practice what Ipreached.

It was only through a reminder of those texts that were so dear tome that began to once again build up that supernatural ability to

forgive. Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up forus all how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?This includes my job, my livelihood, my income and my family. If Godgave me Jesus, Hell give me everything else I need. And my God willsupply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus(Phil. 4:19). These are the kinds of truths I was preaching to myself.And from those roots that God Himself had developed in my heart, grewthe fruits of forgiveness.

You see, I was much more able to forgive others when I stoppedputting my livelihood in their hands. When God is my hope, my

strength, my salvation, my income, my livelihood, then I foundforgiveness to be a sweet release from the constant tension that wasbuilding up in my heart. Since He is in charge, I can let everything goand trust in Him. Any offense, though always injurious, doesnt have tobe taken personally anymore. Its not about me, anyway. Its all aboutHim! Oh, the wondrous joys of sovereignty as it gives birth toforgiveness! I get excited about it just writing about it! It feels so goodnow to envision myself embracing Alex and the other Plaintiffs with thelove of Jesus Christ, rather than envisioning myself in some Matrix-styledtae-kwon-do fight. That kind of thing is fleshly energy expended withonly me in mind. The other is divine energy expended with the glory of

God in mind. That is so much more satisfying.

2. Treat Everyone With Gentleness and Humility

In closing, it is the forgiving attitude born out of the love of God inJesus Christ that enables you and I and every other pastor and Christianto follow that divine counsel that Paul gave at the beginning ofEphesians 4. In verses one through three he writes,

I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to liveworthily of the calling with which you have been called, with

all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with oneanother in love, making every effort to keep the unity of theSpirit in the bond of peace.

You see, beloved, when the love of God in Christ is beingregularly, habitually and consistently exercised through the fruit offorgiveness you will be able to handle yourself in any theological disputewith humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance. These are all


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exemplified in Jesus Christ for us. The first two attributes are the veryones, and in fact the only ones, that Jesus uses to describe Himself. InMatthew 11:28-29 Jesus call there is so inviting that I almost want tojust quit writing and heed that call.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and Iwill give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn fromme, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you willfind rest for your souls.

Oh beloved! He is gentle and humble! That is the perfect pictureof our Savior. As pastors we must exemplify these attributes of ourChief Shepherd. As Christians we must constantly display this towardone another. How many theological disputes and conflicts do you thinkwould be solved if we took Christs yoke upon our shoulders and walkedwith one another in this beautiful fashion?

Well, Id personally like to be the one to tell you that youd havenone. But thats just not reality. I did walk with my people in thismanner. My own wife and deacons encouraged me that Christ shinedthrough in this way in the first months of the conflict. Maybe I shouldhave taken a clue from them when I didnt get that encouragementanymore! Nevertheless, while we are to live in gentleness and humility,that is not always a guarantee that we will be able to minister and liveconflict free with other believers.

3. Treat Everyone With Patience and Tolerance

That is why Paul included the other two words: patience andforbearance. The first word describes the ability to remain up under thepressure of conflict. The second word speaks of the divine ability to justbe able to put up with others, tolerating them, their views, their issues,their personalities, their idiosyncrasies, etc. Where gentleness andhumility do not resolve conflict, patience and tolerance will. If thetheological issues cannot be worked out, they can be lived with. It mustbe lived with. Because if it doesnt, then the smaller doctrines overwhich we cannot agree with reflect the larger doctrine of the church. Ifthe world sees us bickering and fighting over lesser issues, they are

disinclined to desire partnership with the bigger one called the localchurch. Our behavior is what adorns our doctrine. Our godly conducttoward each other is what makes our doctrine sound.

So how do you measure up on the forgiveness issue? Have youforgiven those who have caused you harm over disagreements? Haveyou determined to treat them as if they had never done anything wrongto you at all? Have you prayed that God would prosper them despite


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what they believe? Do you ask God to bless them and their families,their work, and all their endeavors in life? This is what true forgivenessmeans.

And how do you measure up on the other four issues? Are you

really a humble and gentle person? Or are you generally prideful andhardnosed? How much do you really put with from other people? This isespecially important if youre a pastor reading this now. How long haveyou been able to bear up under the load of conflict with others in recentdays, weeks, months or years? Do you wait patiently on the Lord tomature and change others, or do you try to help God out and rush thingsalong a bit?

My prayer in closing is that these would be the focus of your lifemore so than the doctrinal, exegetical and hermeneutical issuespresented about double-predestination. If I cant live, eat, drink, breathe

and feel like Christ, then what I believe is meaningless. You maydisagree with me about my view. You may disagree with others whohold similar views. But love them as Christ loves you! He loved you andgave Himself for you. So love others and give yourself for them! Do itfor the sake of the unity of the body of Christ, that body that He bledand died for. Prove the legitimacy of the crucifixion and resurrection ofJesus by the way you love the others for whom He died. Yourrelationship with other Christians has been made inseparable due to theblood. So treat them as such and never turn back.

double double, toil & trouble: part 4 - chapter 17 - how to handle theological conflict

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