Romans 12:18 (NKJV) If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Proverbs 20:3 (NKJV) It is honourable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel.
It is easy to be contentious, begin to strife and start a quarrel because it is what our flesh wants. Therefore, we need to actively guard against it especially in dealing with one another in the family of God. The Apostle Paul says that it is a sign of carnality and when someone causes strife, faction, and division in a church, they will never progress from spiritual infancy. A divided church brings shame to the name of Jesus.
Churches which consist of people from different backgrounds with various preferences and opinions can easily become breeding grounds for quarrels. However, it takes a mature Christian to submit to the leadership, accept that there will be differences, and pursue peace and unity. Isn’t it much more productive to focus on outreach than on minor differences that scholars have failed to resolve for centuries?
For instance, worship is all about God, and not about us. God is the only audience, and we are all worshippers. Therefore, if our heart is right, why should worship styles matter? The intentional effort to unite, pursue peace and to love without hypocrisy is a sign of maturity. What really binds the church as one is the love of God in our hearts and His bond of love among us. What a testimony it is to the broken and divisive world when all nations, colours, tribes, tongues, and denominational backgrounds worship under one roof!
Some may protest that it is their personality or culture to be frank and confrontational. However, because we are born again, we have redeemed personalities. The born-again experience with the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives enables us to live, speak and behave differently. Our words can be seasoned with salt, and we can bridle our tongues because we have self-control. We can also renew our minds and change the way we speak and treat others.
An elephant that grew up chained to a tree has been conditioned from a young age to never try and break free because of the physical pain involved every time it moved, and so even when it became a big elephant, it would never challenge the rope that tied it to a pole. It would be different, however, if it knew that now, weighing two tons, the rope and pole have no hold on it anymore.
Therefore, let’s not be like this elephant! You and I have been freed from the slavery of sin, especially in being easily offended, critical, loving with hypocrisy, malicious, vindictive and every form of evil. We have moved on from carnality into spiritual maturity even though it is a lifelong process when it comes to consecration. God has enabled us, but it remains a choice for us to make to intentionally live peaceably with all men.
Sermon Series: You Can Do It! (Part 1)
与众人和睦相处
罗马书12:18 若是能行，总要尽力与众人和睦
箴言20:3 远离纷争，是人的尊荣，愚妄人都爱争闹
争议，开始冲突，再到争吵，做这些事不费吹灰之力，因为这是我们肉体所想要的。因此我们要积极提防，特别是在对待神家庭中的其他人。使徒保罗说，当有人在教会中引起冲突、内讧和分裂时，这就是肉欲的标志，他们永远不会从属灵的婴儿阶段继续成长。分裂的教会使耶稣的名蒙羞。
由不同背景、不同喜好和意见的人组成的教会很容易成为争吵的温床。然而，成熟的基督徒会顺服领导，接受分歧，追求和平与合一。与其拘泥于学者们几个世纪以来未能解 决的微小分歧，关注外展不是更有成效吗？
例如：敬拜是关乎上帝的，不关乎我们 。 神是那唯一的听众，而我们都是敬拜者。因此，如果我们把心摆正， 又何必拘泥于以何种风格敬拜呢？有意识地团结、追求和睦、不虚伪地去爱是成熟的标志。真正使教会成为一体的是上帝在我们心中的爱和我们中爱加倍之爱的 纽带。当所有国家、肤色、部落、方言和宗派背景的人们都在一个屋檐 下敬拜时，这对于那分崩离析的世界将是何等的见证啊！
有人可能会不同意说，我的性格或民族文化就是直率和对抗的。然而，因着我们的重生，我们拥有被救赎的个性。重生的经历加上圣灵的果子，使我们能够以别样的方式生活、说话和行事。我们的话可以加盐调味。 我们能够约束自己的舌头因为我们能够自我控制。我们可以心意更新，改变自己 说话和待人接物的方式。
一个从小就被铁链拴在树上的大象从不尝试挣脱，因为每次挣动时的 疼痛。这就是为什么就算当它长成大象时，永远不会挑战绑在杆子上的绳子。但若它知道，如今那条绳子和那个杆子已经再也不能拿它重达两吨的身体怎样了时，情形就会不一样了了。
因此，让我们都不要像这个大象一样。！你和我都摆脱了罪的奴役，特别是在容易受冒犯、 爱论断、假装爱、恶意、报复和各种形式的邪恶方面。我们从肉体走向 灵性成熟，尽管成圣是一个终生的过程。神已给我们能力，但有意识 地与众人和睦仍是我们要作出的一个选择。
讲章系列：你能做到！（第一部分）