Do you need help addressing a conflict with a fellow believer?

Proverbs 31: ⁸ Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. ⁹ Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

The Truth

Believers hurt each other sometimes.

The Problem

Members and leaders of church organizations who possess the influence to lead believers to repentant conflict resolution aren’t consistently exercising their duty and authority to do so.

The Reality

Church members and leaders all have a duty to hold believers accountable to each other – always (Galatians 6:1-2, Romans 14:12). Members sometimes make mistakes and sin against other believers. Members who themselves did not participate in an initial wrong against another believer become responsible for that wrong when they fail to exercise their spiritual leadership to correct the problem (James 4:17, Ezekiel 14:10). Church is the body of Christ who’s mission it is to save the world from sin. Ignoring sin among believers is to work against the mission of Christ.

The Solution

Members must never forget that the authority given to the churches by Jesus is given to individual members first (Revelation 2:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, Acts 17:11, 1 Corinthians 11:1). Jesus is the only head of the church (1 Timothy 2:5, Matthew 20:25–26, Matthew 28:18, Ephesians 1:22). It is the collective membership in Chirst (the church body) that designates leaders in the church and it is membership that MUST take responsibility for supporting and correcting leadership when necessary (1 Timothy 5:19-20). Jesus addresses each of the seven churches in Revelation by speaking to the collective membership, in some cases telling them that the elders are sinning. Corruption will never be corrected by appeals to ideology from the sidelines. Sin must be confronted with the choice to repent or to fail to repent. Each believer is held accountable to the commands of Jesus regardless of whether a leader is teaching truth or falsehood. We are not to follow leaders because they are leaders (Galatians 1:8). We are to support and obey leaders who faithfully submit to Christ and His commandments which we can know by testing their leadership against God’s Word.

The Mission

Enable members and leaders through education and encouragement to be better able to support conflict resolution among believers, have the courage to not let such wrongs go unaddressed and to contribute to addressing wrongs according to the principles and motives given us by Jesus Christ.

Daniel 7:9–10
9 “As I looked,
“thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.