JACQUES GAUVIN, RELIGION

Priorities And Trials

This is still Satan’s world and many trials are constantly being devised and instigated. People of the world are expected to be deceived and or devious and they often try us with trials that range from devious to harmful. But the worst trials are from brethren who should know better. Those trials go from troubling to heart breaking. A prime example would be the scattering of the sheep done by the ministers from the former Worldwide Church of God.

Oppressors and offenders abound. They come in all walks of life. Offenses range from mental to physical and from petty to costly. These offenders are often called fools by God in His Holy Book the Bible. Let’s have a look at what the Bible says to try to improve our abilities to deal with such people and situations.

Proverbs 26:4 and 5 (NKJV)
4Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. 5Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

That was the New King James Version. Now read the same two verses in the New American Standard Bible for comparison.

Proverbs 26:4 and 5 (NASB)
4Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. 5Answer a fool as his folly deserves, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Verse 5 of Proverbs 26 seems to contradict verse 4 in the NKJV but not in the NASB. The NASB clarifies, simplifies and renders the concepts making them more easily applicable. Simplicity in truth of the word of God is something that I find very palatable, enjoyable, beneficial and useful. What good is knowledge if you don’t understand it?

Next let’s look at instruction for personal faults.

Matthew 5:23 and 24 (NKJV)
23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

If your brother has something against you it is because you have been acting like a fool. You have said or done something that offended or harmed your brother in some way. In this example it is not for your brother to come and confront you but rather for you, as a conscientious Christian, to go to your brother to express genuine regret, to apologise, to make amends and to ask for forgiveness. In other words, to be reconciled to your brother. Or in a case of lesser severity, as in a misunderstanding, to take the time to give your brother an explanation for your behaviour as a considerate brother and friend.

Matthew 18:15 to 17 (NKJV)
15“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

This passage seems to be describing a situation where a brother has privately offended you without giving you an opportunity to respond or to defend yourself. In such a case you are directed here to go out of your way to let him know in a private way that you will not let this offense go without recognition and admittance that a sin was committed that will require an apology and perhaps some kind of restitution and a request for forgiveness by the offender to then offended. If the offender refuses such a resolution then the offended must take further action in bringing this event into subjection to God’s will.

The expression ‘to hear’ is closer in meaning to ‘to heed’ or ‘to consider’ or ‘ to follow the advice of’ or ‘ to respect and adhere to sound instruction, to sound reason.’ It means to admit that you were wrong and to change your attitude and your ways. Without this change further action is to be taken by the church toward this individual.

Matthew 5:23 and 24 and Matthew 18:15 might seem to give opposing advice to some. After all, one tells the offended to go to the offender and the other tells the offender to go to the offended. The way I see it is that in both cases the object is to improve the situation by working toward peace, harmony and restitution or reconciliation. Either way is acceptable as long as the object of the exercise is to improve your relationship with each other and with God. Do not become simply an accuser of the brethren but rather a restorer of peace and righteousness. All Christians should be peacemakers and not browbeaters or oppressors.

If you don’t find the words right away you can take time to gather your thoughts and save your thoughtful reaction for an appropriate time.

Also these passages are meant to be guidelines. In practise they can prove to be oppressing or impractical. For example, suppose you were at a Feast site and while there you offended a brother in the faith. A while latter you decided to make a special offering to the God through the church but remembered the offense that you had committed and therefore felt obliged to go to your brother first for reconciliation. However you do not know his name nor where he lives and it would be very difficult, time consuming and disruptive to others for you to try to find out. Another problem might be that you discover that he lives on the other side of the world and it would cost you a small fortune to go to him and the cost would far exceed the amount you had to offer to God.

Solution, do the next best thing.

Romans 14:21 (NKJV)
It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

The prime focus in this passage is to not “do anything by which your brother stumbles.” To stumble is to fall short of adhering to the gift of the spirit that is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control or to be stirred to wrath or to be discouraged or unreasonably humiliated or offended.

2 Corinthians 6:3 (NKJV)
We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.

This passage reinforces Romans 14:21 in that the ministry, that is supposed to set an example and set a standard, is not to offend anyone. On the contrary the ministry should encourage a zeal and a hunger in every individual for truth, righteousness, mercy and justice.

James 1:12 (NIV84)
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12 (GNB)
Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.

To persevere or to remain faithful under trials means from not losing your union with the gift of the spirit to getting angry without sinning. The crown of life is symbolism for the reward of life which is a gift from God that He has promised to those who listen to His words, heed to His laws, follow His example, adopt His statutes and generally respect, obey, and truly love Him and all His ways. It is accepting the whole package that is Christianity. Comparable, in a simple way, to using a complete chess set and playing a game according to all the rules and etiquette.

To properly love God one must exchange one’s own ideals and solutions with God’s ideals and solutions. Vengeance belongs to God. Faith is the enemy of desperation. Patience must replace frustration. And trust must out power doubt.

Prioritizing is required to keep a balance in your Christian life. Here are some things that you need to consider in prioritizing; Christian family, physical family, Christian friends, common friends, acquaintances both Christian and secular, Christian offenders, worldly offenders and enemies. It is a preposterous expectation to treat everyone the same. Jesus did not treat His disciples in the same way as the money exchangers or the Pharisees.

Consider your financial responsibilities: first pay your tithe to God then take care of your physical family. In some cases you may be required to take care of your physical family first if funds are lacking. If a physical family member needs your help at the same time as a Christian family member your prime responsibility is to your physical family member. The scriptures plainly state that someone who does not provide for his own family is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:8 (NKJV)
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

As for your enemies you are not to hate them or ignore them but to feed them, but certainly not before you feed your own family and attend to the needs of your spiritual family.

To give up your morals, beliefs, righteous and Godly ways and to replace them with the atrocities of your enemies is against the will of God as it is a breaking of the covenant, the testament, the contract, the agreement that God has made with you as Christians.

The same priorities should be followed when dealing with offenses. Remember that God wants you to grow and increase in the gift that He has given you. One must act with caution and wisdom. It is not wise to lose a family member to please an enemy. God will not test you beyond what you can endure but it is up to you to make the right choices and to set proper priorities in your efforts to grow the family of God in both numbers and in amassing truth and righteousness and godly character.

Get angry but do not sin.

Ephesians 4:26 and 27 (The Living Bible)
If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry, get over it quickly; for when you are angry, you give a mighty foothold to the devil.

Remember this passage also:

Isaiah 58:1 (NKJV)
Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.

Do not stir or provoke your children to wrath.

Ephesians 6:4 (The Living Bible)
And now a word to you parents. Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice.

Colossians 3:21 (AMP)
Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or fret your children [do not be hard on them or harass them], lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated. [Do not break their spirit.]

2016 Jacques Gauvin

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