#1- Christians are to be known for our love for each other. Not our fights with each other.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”- John 13:34-35
Don’t miss the fact that Jesus commanded us to love each other. Loving each other is not optional, and we’re to be know for the love we have for each other.
I’m not so sure unbelievers get the impression that we love each other based on how we fight with each other.
And that certainly doesn’t attract them to us.
It pushes them away.
Put bluntly: you’re literally driving people away from the arms of Jesus and towards hell when you choose to get into it with another Christian- especially on a public forum.
I’m not saying that contending for personal liberty or protecting others is something we should just sniff at. I think both of those matter tremendously.
But if you are going to disagree and debate, then- for the sake of honoring your brother or sister in Christ- it should be behind closed doors. If at all.
Because I think, among fellow Christians, there may be a good reason to not even have the debate at all among ourselves, because…
#2- Being argumentative is not a fruit of the Spirit.
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.- 2 Timothy 2:24
I’ll be honest: I love a good debate. That’s just how I’m wired. I love the passionate exchange of ideas and thoughts. A part of me finds it exhilarating.
But I don’t know that what we’re seeing transpire online between fellow Christians is really the exchange of ideas, where points are heard, rebutted, or conceded in a passionate but kind and gracious manner.
It’s more often just a flat-out fight filled with personal insults to the motives, intelligence, and character of people “on the other side” along the way.
It’s not really a space where people are seeking to understand the other side to persuade the other side.
It’s more of a feeling that people just “can’t let it go” (whether “it” is a post, comment, news article, etc.) and feel compelled to jump in and make their point.
And there’s a whole lot of points being made.
It’s just not making a difference. Because, as Andy Stanley said, you can either make a point or make a difference, but you can’t do both.
If you want to make a difference and persuade others…I’d suggest leading in with questions in a personal exchange. But when you do that, do it to listen and understand, and – when appropriate and with much graciousness- correct.
Otherwise you’re just spoiling for a fight. And that’s not very Christ-like, especially considering that…
#3- Christians are told point-blank to not quarrel over disputable matters.
Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.- Romans 14:1
I’m not defining who is weak or who is not, but the point is not which side is which.
The point is not quarrel over disputable matters.
How do I know it’s a disputable matter?
Serious people who love Jesus and do their homework are disputing it.
Guess what?
Regardless of what you’ve been led to believe by your preferred cable-network news channel, there are, on both sides…
People who really love Jesus
People who have a deep concern for other people
People who really do have reasonable, rational, well-thought out conclusions that are not just talking points from their favorite talk-show host.
Not only that…
Both sides have their own set of valid points.
Both sides have their own studies and experts.
Both sides have their own facts.
It is intellectually dishonest to pretend otherwise.
It is intellectually honest to concede that both sides have valid points and concerns.
That doesn’t mean you have to agree with their points, conclusions, or give the same weight to their concerns as yours.
But intellectual honesty demands acknowledging that “the other side” (regardless of which “side” that happens to be from where you sit) is not filled with morons who have lived under a rock, want to destroy the country, and are just fine with the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people or government tyranny.
The “other side” has many people who love Jesus, do their homework, and have just come to different conclusions.
Thus…it’s a disputable matter.
Neither my passion for an issue nor my profession removes the fact that fellow Christians have legitimate differences of perspective, emphases, and opinions. That’s just a fact.
It’s a disputable matter.
So- as Christians- we should not argue over it. In fact, Paul even went further than that later on in the chapter:
So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.- Romans 14:22
That doesn’t mean there may never be a time where you talk about it, even in a public forum. In fact, some of you may be in positions where your profession more or less requires you to take a firm stand one way or another.
But within the body of Christ, it is best to leave disputable matters in the realm of between your conscience and the Lord.
Because at the end of the day, we aren’t called to win people to our side of the debate.
We’re called to win people to Christ.
And our time would be far better spent engaging in that activity than arguing among ourselves about who is right and who is wrong on this matter.
I understand personal liberty or others’ physical protection is at stake. I get it.
But the greater reality is that people’s eternities are at stake.
Yes, we could lose a degree of personal liberty if the government can just mandate things by fiat.
But the truth is there are billions on this planet locked in spiritual prison by their sin, and what they need is not liberation from government overreach but liberation from the power and penalty of sin.
Yes, it is likely that the unvaccinated or unmasked will cause people to become sick, some of whom will die.
But the greater truth is that 100% of the planet is already infected with the deadliest disease known to man- sin- which has a 100% mortality rate and, worse, dooms people to hell unless they come to know Jesus.
It is far more prudent for us to expend our passion and energy moving in the direction of keeping people from going to hell than it is to get people to mask, vaccinate, or to stop the government from mandating those things.
Before you argue…STOP.
If your first reaction to what you’ve read is to say “Yeah but,”, I’d suggest you stop right there and examine your heart.
I’ve found that if my first reaction is to debate, it’s because I’m trying to take the Holy Spirit’s microscope of of me.
And, while it may be fascinating and certainly easier to evaluate or argue about the behavior or other people, what the Lord really wants to do is change my heart and make me into who He wants me to be.
Which requires me to stop obsessing over what someone else is doing and let the Lord convict my own poor attitude and actions.
That’s not comfortable.
But at the end of the day, that is not only the best thing for me…it’s best for those around me.
Because when I’m less concerned with making a point and more concerned with representing Jesus…
I’m more humble
I’m more gracious
I’m more understanding
I’m less dramatic
I listen way more than I talk
I lay down my need to be right and convince everyone I’m right
I’m way more concerned with building others up according to their needs than I am getting people to see it may way
I stop arguing
I start loving and serving.
And that simply makes me a much better person to be around.
Let’s be that person.
The world needs it.
The Church needs it.
And God commands it.
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This article originally appeared at dillonschupp.com.