Waging Peace 3
Brad Saab
One Missoula Church
July 12, 2020
Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath. 9 If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet. 10 Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright. 11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. —Proverbs 29: 8-11
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. —Ephesians 4: 26-27
Others’ sin does not give permission for us to respond with sin
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. —Romans 12: 14-21
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. —Matthew 5: 22
You can be REASONABLE without agreeing or affirming
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. —Philippians 4: 4-6
If Christians genuinely believe the Bible’s testimony…
• It is REASONABLE for non-Christians to fear death
• It is REASONABLE for non-Christians to do ANYTHING that MIGHT work to save their family and finances
• It is REASONABLE for non-Christians to put their hope and trust in government, academia, and big pharma
Is your goal winning arguments and embarrassing opponents or changing hearts and renewing minds?
The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. 22 Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. 23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. 24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. 25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. —Proverbs 16: 21-25
Raging and venting only attracts the already convinced, it doesn’t change anyone’s mind
Gracious alternatives for disagreement:
• “that’s a popular view; I think you’re in the majority there.”
• “I’m still not convinced because
• “How do you reconcile that position with
While freedoms, liberties, and rights are incredibly important goals, the ultimate mission for a Christian is your enemy’s salvation
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5: 6-8
Other Thoughts