THURSDAY January 16, 2020
The Wars and Fights Among Us
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
James 4:1-2
James addressed Christians who were struggling with worldliness, selfishness and carnality. The result of their sinful behavior was evident in the church. It brought conflict into the body of Christ. He warned them to be careful not to be at war with each other. Jealousies and covetousness caused them to want to be someone God had not called them to be.
Surely there is still a lot of striving among Christians. These wars can cause major divisions in a church. If you need an answer to why churches split, all you need to do is read James 4:1-3! Christians tend to argue and criticize more than the people in the world. People also can covet other people’s houses or cars. They begin to murmur or become jealous. Yet God wants us to be content and to be peacemakers.
Paul also spoke of division and contentions caused among Christians who favored one particular teacher over another. Some preferred Paul, others Apollos, Cephas or Christ, but what important truth did Paul bring to their attention? He told them: “Is Christ divided?” (1 Corinthians 1:13).
What really hurts is when someone brings a false accusation against someone who has done nothing wrong. Gossip can really destroy the character of a person. We are so quick to jump and make judgments when we do not know the true facts and circumstances. We should never act as judge and jury. How many among us have been falsely accused? It hurts. It brings wars among us. All these things are signs of the flesh and not of the Spirit. We need to be able to bridle our tongues and not say things that will cause division in the Church.
The work of Christ in redemption will achieve ultimately the expulsion of sin, the only divisive agent in the universe.
~A.W. Tozer~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!