A Heart Of Grace During Disagreements

Feature 4 – November 2020 – Grace & Truth Magazine

A Heart Of Grace During Disagreement

It is interesting to read through Scripture and recognize aspects of the heart of God toward His people, particularly when others may be seeing a different side of the Lord. The character of His heart, in turn, is then often seen through the lives of those, who in humility, followed Him, even in days of difficulties and disagreements. What great blessing has come through the manifestation of His grace and love!

In Exodus we hear the attitude of Pharaoh, as he said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?” (5:2 KJV). Then in Exodus 9:14 the LORD told Pharaoh, “I will at this time send all My plagues upon thine heart ... that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth.” God’s people, the children of Israel, were witnesses to His power. It was on display and used to separate His people from Egypt and bring them close to Him, for He loves them!

Later, in chapter 32, before Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of stone, the people were worshiping an idol they had made for themselves. Therefore, the LORD was ready, in judgment, to consume the nation and start over with Moses and his descendants (v.10). For Moses, it would be a great honor! Instead, this humble servant of God pleaded with the Lord on the basis of His choosing of and care for them (vv.11-13).

Years earlier, Moses had learned that God in the midst of His people is a marvelous thing, and the Lord had worked in Moses, teaching him the importance of helping God’s people make progress in His ways. Moses saw God’s power, just as Pharaoh did, but this humble servant of the LORD knew it as the power of deliverance and separation from bondage, which is what He desires for all of mankind.

The Care For The Lord’s People
The Bible is full of many themes, sown throughout its pages. For instance, God is a jealous God, and it is His desire to have continuous intimacy with us. Another is that God wants to bless, and in a time to come the Man Christ Jesus will return and rule over all the earth, and through Israel He will bless all the nations. We may be reminded, too, that God’s chief interest on the earth today is the Church – all who are saved and added to the body of Christ. In these themes we recognize the heart of the Lord, in grace and love, for the care His people.

As the Lord’s own – those who are saved through faith alone – we are here on earth to care, in humility, for one another, displaying what He shows to us: a heart of grace. The apostle Paul said, “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily [is] the care of all the churches” (2 Cor. 11:28).

Where Two Or Three Are Gathered
Grace and care for one another should be evident even during disagreements among the Lord’s dear people. Consider the instructions for such situations in Matthew 18:15-20, which starts, “Moreover if your brother sins against you ...” (NKJV). My experience is that these instructions are rarely, if ever, used in a practical way to resolve problems between believers. Yet, let us focus our attention on the Lord’s actions in these verses rather than our failure to practice them.

Verses 18-20 outline for us three things our Lord will do:

1. If two brothers/sisters discuss their differences and conclude with some form of agreement, then that agreement is “bound in heaven” (v.18). It is bound in the Lord’s presence. What an amazing thing! Is our Lord interested in His people or is He not?

“Lord,” in relation to the Lord Jesus, implies His followers understand His authority over them. The Roman soldier in Matthew 8:8 called Jesus, “Lord.” That centurion was humbled by the thought of the Lord coming to his house. He was a man of authority who had a righteous view of Jesus as the real authority above all.

2. While still considering the situation of a disagreement, we see that if the Lord’s people simply agree as touching anything and ask the Father, then the Lord says, “it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (18:19). The sound of two believers agreeing as they talk reminds me of the burning incense in the temple. The agreeing is the fragrance of Christ filling the room. He always did the will of the Father, who has gone to great lengths to secure a people of His own. May the Holy Spirit give us a heart to follow His gracious example.

3. The Lord said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (v.20). Sometimes this verse is quoted to show that even small assemblies are important, and that is a good application. However, the context is about problems and disagreements among the Lord’s people. The Lord Himself will be there at such meetings. He draws close to encourage us to “let brotherly love continue” (Heb. 13:1).

We should meditate on the meaning of, and be humbled by, the verses that follow Matthew 18:20. Peter was told to forgive “seventy times seven” (v.22), meaning an unlimited amount. We are then told about a king who had a servant who owed him more than anyone could possibly pay in a lifetime! Perhaps it was more than an individual would earn in a lifetime. Does this remind us of our debt that we owed to our Creator? The king freely forgave this servant with no condition attached – amazing grace indeed! Then this same servant turned around and punished a brother who owed him about three days’ wages. The Lord spoke to me as I wrote this; I must confess that I have acted in ways similar to the unjust servant.

If we focus only on the practices outlined in Matthew 18:15-17, we may miss its true blessing. Our desire to see others blessed in their walk with the Savior is what matters. The Lord’s interest is in His people; we are encouraged to have the same. May the Lord help us to be more like Him. When we imitate the Savior in our care for His people, then our lives will change and these actions will bring peace into many of our relationships with fellow believers. Remember, the saints – true believers – are God’s children, and they are His chief interest in this world.

A Heart Like That Of Moses Or The Apostle Paul
Several years ago the Lord taught me something that has made a major difference in my relationships with other believers. In a short period of time I learned that having a servant’s heart toward fellow saints is one of the most often repeated themes in all of Scripture.

In Exodus 1, the king of Egypt wanted the midwives to kill all the male babies, but the midwives feared and served God, and they saved the children. In verse 20 we read: “Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty.” Real growth in the nation came out of the faithfulness of these few women, and they were blessed personally as well (v.21).

When we take the place of a humble servant to a fellow believer, then a wonderful thing happens: we gain a new and better understanding of that person. To further explain, here is a personal example. There was a brother in the Lord with whom I had trouble; sadly this went on for years. Then one day the Lord showed me that the next time this person and I were together, I was to seek to help him to advance in spiritual matters. This is what I did. Later the Lord gave me some insight about this individual that I could never have seen otherwise. It was quite a revelation to me.

Do we remember why the Lord gave King Solomon such great wisdom? Solomon had taken the humble position of a servant for the good of the LORD’s people. He said to God, “You have made Your servant king ... but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people ... For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Ki. 3:7-9). In verse 10 we read the Lord was pleased with Solomon’s request. We cannot all be leaders now, sent to judge God’s people, but we can all be servants to His own, and in this He will give us the wisdom of kings.

The Peace Of God
Seeking to do my will or trying to control others brings stress. For example, a boss may put stress on those who work under him by insisting that they conduct themselves according to established rules. Parents may experience stress when they seek to keep their children away from those who would cause them harm.

Some stress appears to be a necessary part of life. However, the Lord has demonstrated to me that there are volumes of unnecessary and harmful stress among His people. It is easy to fall into a trap of striving to make others do what we want them to do. Individuals may find themselves full of stress because others will not do what is desired. Apart from God-given roles, we are not to control the way others think and act. We need to release people from our control and seek their blessing, and God will bring peace into our lives. Prove these things for yourself.

Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (KJV). God’s people need peace in their lives, which is intimately tied with grace.

Let us take a moment to meditate on what the Lord is saying to us in the verses leading up to this instruction. In verse 12 we are called the “elect of God” and are to “put on ... mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.” Verse 13 once again brings before us the care for His people: “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” These practical steps remove stress and bring peace.

Today is the day of grace, and we have been called into this grace. The respected Bible teacher John Darby wrote in his comments on Titus 3: “Grace has banished violence and the spirit of rebellion and resistance which agitate the heart of those that believe not. These have their source in the self-will that strives to maintain its own rights relatively to others” (Synopsis Of The Bible). May God give us a heart filled with grace for His own.

By Scott Cassell

Let us put on the radiant garments of the new man, of whom Christ is the perfect example (Col. 3:10). His adornments are described: mercy, humbleness, gentleness, long-suffering and forgiveness. Above all, let us be clothed with love, the very nature of the new man. It is love which will cause us to be recognized as disciples of the Lord Jesus (Jn. 13:35).

Our inward state is no less important. In us there should dwell Christ, who is all (Col. 3:11), His peace (v.15), His Word (v.16). Just having the Bible in the house or even on our bedside table will not do us the least good. The most nourishing food will not do us any good while it remains on the plate. The Word must dwell in us richly (v.16). Another way which we may hardly have thought about, of being taught and admonished, is through hymns sung from our hearts to God (Ps. 119:54). Let us not deprive Him or ourselves of such hymns. Finally, here is a twofold question which will serve as a touchstone for all our words and actions. “Can I say or do this in the name of the Lord Jesus? Can I give thanks for it to God the Father?” —Jean Koechlin, Day By Day, Volume 5