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By: Pastor Schlicht

How do you feel about Dane County’s mask order? Do you feel comfortable with churches holding in-person services? Do you think school should start in-person? Should it be completely online? Do you feel like the Democrats are right? The Republicans? Neither? There is a lot of opportunity for disagreement these days, isn’t there?

How can we relate to people who think so differently than us? Specifically, how do we relate with other Christians—church members, family members, dear friends—when their conscience disagrees with ours? What do you do when your conscience allows you to do something, but another Christian’s conscience will not allow them to consider it without guilt? What do you do when you have a strong opinion on the moral ramifications of a decision which another Christian finds rather innocuous? What can we do when Christians, who have the same moral standard in God’s Word, act and think so differently on important matters of conscience? How can we not feel judged? Some of the greatest hurts in a church and in a family come down to these disagreements. 

Thankfully, God’s Word is not silent when Christians disagree. Romans chapter 14 and the first part of chapter 15 address these disagreements directly. Although the issue there is about diets and the Mosaic Law, the wisdom contained applies to all disagreements between Christians over disputable matters. I’ve drawn out two principles from this section below:

Principle #1: Welcome those who disagree with you. (Romans 14:1-2) Perhaps we’ve forgotten, because we so rarely see healthy dialogue in media, but it is more than possible to love those with whom you disagree. In fact, you should accept or welcome them! Remember that every Christian is your eternal brother or sister! Welcome them and be willing to set aside your own pride to consider their point of view. Love should be the leading step in every conversation between Christians. Discuss these matters with a gracious spirit. Do not adopt a condemning attitude which judges other Christians as if they don’t care about glorifying God. Seek to persuade or encourage, not vent or attack in any public discourse.

Principle #2: Celebrate Your Deeper Unity (Romans 15:1-7) Who you vote for is not as important as who you pray to. Never let anyone convince you otherwise. Any disputable matter on earth is not as important as the deeper unity you share with your brothers and sisters in Christ. What unites you is eternal, what divides us is temporary. Someday, 999,999,999 gazillion years into eternity, no one is going to be talking about the 2020 election, right? (I should qualify that disputable matters, i.e. not doctrinal teachings, are not unimportant. I’m not trivializing them. It’s okay to debate them. Tweet about them. It’s ok to mention them on Facebook. But let’s not major in minors.) Disputable matters such as politics, or whether you support Dane County’s orders, or how to educate children, etc., are not the heart and core of Christianity. Therefore, do not let them be the heart and core of your life and influence either. 

Ultimately, the Apostle Paul’s inspired solution was not to say who was right and who was wrong. He didn’t try to force one side to give up their freedom or the other side to betray their conscience. His answer was informed love and self-sacrifice. Just as he always does, Paul cites the heart of Christ himself, who gave up the freedom of heaven to follow earthly regulations out of love for us. 

For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”… May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:3,5-7

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For Personal Reflection: 

If someone were to analyze your conversations, your tweets, your posts on Facebook—whatever public discourse you engage in—by percentage, what subject would dominate? Just by proportion, and therefore perception, what issue/s would seem most important to you? Is this the impression you want to give about your priorities as a Christian?

People enjoy being with people who agree with them. This is what news and media banks on. Polarization is rampant today. Why is this important to be aware of as a Christian?

Why does a church need to be careful of a subculture in which a majority of people hold too tightly to views on a group of disputable matters?