By: Ian McKerracher

I recently had a disagreement with a couple of friends of mine, both pastors. Thankfully we came away with our love for each other undiminished. But that was no small feat in today’s conflicted and polarized world. Today, I see that small victory as an example of how all Christ followers should relate to one another.

The church is made up of various parts, all working together with one overarching goal, that we “all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4:13-14). High ideals indeed! Nobody ever said it was easy to be a Christian.

Nevertheless, being a Christian is for me the most significant part of my identity. I have experienced the life changing impact of the new birth, and I rejoice in the fellowship of like-minded people. But our churches are filled with “Christians” whose “faith” inspires little more than occasional attendance at Sunday worship. And when things don’t go the way they want, they are prepared to start a war.

Doubtless, conflict is a chief characteristic of unregenerate human nature, whether we are talking about wars between nations and ideologies, or the little wars fought behind the doors of our homes, in our churches, and with our neighbours. And these little wars pale into insignificance compared to our ongoing conflicts with God. All this conflict is the natural state of man and is a constant reminder of our need for a saviour. The gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s great conflict resolution mechanism.

Never forget, however, that reconciling our various conflicts is not the endgame in God’s plan. It is a means to the end. In John 13, Jesus introduced the “New Commandment” that we love each other as Jesus has loved us. “By this, all people will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). That does not mean that we will never disagree, but it does mean that for Jesus’ sake we will not let disagreement lead to conflict. If we apply the conflict resolution of the Gospel to our social frictions our love is assured to continue, regardless of opinions and attitudes.

But why would God elevate absence of conflict as the prime definition for His followers? His kingdom is described in three words: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (See Romans 14:17). This is what the loss of the resident conflict in human nature looks like in the three areas I mentioned before: with God, with others and with ourselves. The Holy Spirit is given so we can have victory over the greed, pride, and lust that cause inner and outer conflicts.

We, the church, exist for the purpose Paul describes in Ephesians 3:10-11. It is, “through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God [in all its countless aspects] might now be made known [revealing the mystery] to the [angelic] rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This is in accordance with [the terms of] the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Amplified Bible). Redeemed human beings, loving one another in the Spirit, and living without conflict, are to showcase the manifold wisdom of God in Christ. To residents of the heavenly realm we are to be a revelation of the transformative power of God! If He can enable us to love each other enough to overcome our natural tendency towards conflict, He can do anything!

GIVE TODAY!

This makes me want to speak graciously and gently to all my detractors, even those who hate Christ and hate me because of my relationship with Christ. I want to pay close attention to the selfish corners of my heart where the improper things live. I want to ensure they do not own me or define me. I want to reconcile quickly wherever I have allowed conflict to sully a friendship.

This is why God created the universe in the first place. It was made for the church, a training camp in which He produces people proven to be without conflict in their hearts. My salvation is not about me. It is about Him and His eternal purposes. Once the job is done, He will roll up the universe like a scroll and pack it away (Heb. 1:10-12). Our part is to submit to His will and work to further His agenda. And first on the agenda is dealing with our prickly hearts, laying aside our conflicts to create a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. Each of us are called upon to figure out what that looks like for ourselves and DO IT! “Thy Kingdom come!”

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