Guest ChainOfGrace Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 Why Do Christians Fight So Much? JOHN 13:34-35 NKJ 34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Instead of being known for love, Christians are more likely to be known for disagreements and fighting with other Christians. Why? Those who fight are displaying their immaturity. Children can be expected to squabble over insignificant things, but adults should not. Yet even Christian leaders often fight with other Christian leaders. It is the devil's strategy to get believers in strife because it opens the door to him. Do you really want to open the door to the devil? JAMES 3:16 KJV 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. God allows us to face the temptation of strife so we can overcome and learn to walk in love. We are continually given the opportunity to walk in love. God's primary concern now is preparing us to inhabit eternity with Him. His plan is to make us like Jesus (Romans 8:29). To become like Jesus, we must learn to resist the temptation to not walk in love. SAY THIS: With God's help, I will walk in love. I refuse to fight and be in strife with other Christians. Love to all in Christ, ChainOfGrace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st. Worm Posted June 24, 2006 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 2 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,447 Content Per Day: 0.22 Reputation: 45 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/26/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted June 24, 2006 Hi Chainofgrace. Sorry, but I have to disagree with your entire premise. If more of their members had chosen to fight rather than meekly comply many years ago, perhaps some of our churches and denominations that have gone the way of liberalism and unbelief could have been salvaged. There are things worth fighting for and we are told to contend for the faith. If believers do not fight for biblical truth no one will do it for them. The Bible tells us not to squabble over things indifferent but in no way are we not to fight for the truth. The most recent example of how refusing to fight for the truth has made a mockery of our faith is the Episcopal debacle where niceness and lack of conflict have led to their demise at an all new level, even for them. SW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giaour Posted June 24, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 179 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 3,941 Content Per Day: 0.55 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/28/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/08/1964 Share Posted June 24, 2006 I find it comical to see Christians disagreeing about a topic involving "Christians disagreeing" . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tah Posted June 24, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 105 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,131 Content Per Day: 0.45 Reputation: 126 Days Won: 1 Joined: 05/12/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted June 24, 2006 Giaour..in a way I agree..it could be funny if it were not so serious a subject...... and I am inclined to agree with worm.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David from New Bern Posted June 24, 2006 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 75 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 527 Content Per Day: 0.08 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/21/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/03/1964 Share Posted June 24, 2006 Who would ever suggest that love is not confrontational? True love is confrontational. The born again experience is the result of a response to the confrontation of revelation. Our sanctification is the result of continued confrontation of conviction, and discipling is the process of confronting the natural mind with the truth of heaven. But of course most of the issues tearing our churches apart are often not spiritual ones, but the vast numbers of churches are eat up with passivity and compromise, because no one will stand for truth. Because they don't understand the confronting nature of true love. My friends toleration is the subtle attack of Satan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Openly Curious Posted June 25, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 55 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 4,568 Content Per Day: 0.68 Reputation: 770 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/18/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted June 25, 2006 could be sibling rivalry in the family of God Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greendrakkon Posted June 25, 2006 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 3 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 15 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/08/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/05/1976 Share Posted June 25, 2006 I will not argue over minor doctrinal issues. I will not argue over which version of the Bible you find easiest to understand. I will not judge people based on their appearance, clothing or economic status. These are my own, personal guidelines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalcald Posted June 25, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 5,258 Content Per Day: 0.76 Reputation: 42 Days Won: 3 Joined: 06/16/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/22/1960 Share Posted June 25, 2006 In general I agree with what worm said, particularly about contending for the faith and sound doctrine. We have examples today of where going along to get along has led some of the major denominations in the United States. However, the original poster I think has a point. How do we disagree? When we contend for doctrine, or show someone why we believe what we do, are we angry, deep inside? Is it about us and our feelings of being put down by someone who disagrees with us or maybe our feelings of not being skilled enough at showing the truth, and thus we get mad at someone who is better? Are we really concerned for those we argue with and their waywardness? If we have true peace in Christ, we will confront without fear, but we will do it without personal anger and bitterness. It is a hard thing. Also we argue so much because this is deeply important to us. So for example I may get mad at someone who disagrees with me about baseball, but not really, not really upset but this is about our deepest core beliefs about everything, about who we are, who God is, and that may be one of the reasons that so many of us get so upset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiosh Posted June 25, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 73 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,663 Content Per Day: 0.53 Reputation: 5 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/20/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted June 25, 2006 Why Do Christians Fight So Much? JOHN 13:34-35 NKJ 34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Instead of being known for love, Christians are more likely to be known for disagreements and fighting with other Christians. Why? Those who fight are displaying their immaturity. Children can be expected to squabble over insignificant things, but adults should not. Yet even Christian leaders often fight with other Christian leaders. It is the devil's strategy to get believers in strife because it opens the door to him. Do you really want to open the door to the devil? JAMES 3:16 KJV 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. God allows us to face the temptation of strife so we can overcome and learn to walk in love. We are continually given the opportunity to walk in love. God's primary concern now is preparing us to inhabit eternity with Him. His plan is to make us like Jesus (Romans 8:29). To become like Jesus, we must learn to resist the temptation to not walk in love. SAY THIS: With God's help, I will walk in love. I refuse to fight and be in strife with other Christians. Love to all in Christ, ChainOfGrace Hi CoG! I see what you are saying. The Body of Christ should relate to each other in love. This does not mean that we cannot disagree in love. There is an important word in James 3:16 ---envying. When I envy a brother, it brings out the worst of my pride. In my best moments I strive to pray before posting and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. In my heart is a love for the other poster and a respect for him/her as a child of the Father. Even when I strongly disagree, I do it with the best of intentions and for their good. In my best moments. However, there are times, I have to admit, that in the heat of debate I lose sight of the fact that my goal should be to seek truth and edify the Body--------NOT to prove that I am right, or smarter, or more clever, etc. When that happens, I can be less than kind and loving. I believe this is the kind of exchange you refer to???? Yes, I refuse to be in strife with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I can still debate points of faith in love and a mutual search to understand God more fully, and thereby serve Him more perfectly. Thank you for your thoughts on this important issue, CoG. Peace, Fiosh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yah'sGirl Posted June 25, 2006 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 13 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/25/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted June 25, 2006 I think that first of all we should stop blaming the devil for people's carnal behaviors and believe the word. The scripture declares in James 4: 1-4 1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of "your" lusts that war in "your" members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Bottom line is that the wars are coming from us, and our desires. We desire to have what somebody else has to consume it on us,and we are willing to fight to get it, and "pray" for it if we can't get it by the fight. Whether it is their gift or their intellect, or their clothing style, anointing, etc., etc., etc. Just so we can say we have it too. We ask for what they have and do not get it because we ask amiss to consume it on our lust/desires. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and believe the word when we see ourselves in it. If we believe the word when we see fighting among believers we will know it comes from lust or desire. Somebody has something that somebody else wants. Period. That starts the war according to scripture. It is already in us. We want to have and have not. We ask to have "it" and we don't get "it" because we only asked because they had it. Let's face it we need to call a spade a spade and maybe people will examine themselves and correct their unregenerated behaviors by the word of Yah (God). Let's keep it real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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