Christian Consistency in a Contentious World

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 5:15-16

Pay careful attention, then, to how you live—not as unwise people but as wise— ¹⁶ making the most of the time,^[d] because the days are evil.

(CSB)

The contentiousness of society has taken a bipartisan turn towards violence.  Democrat uncertainty over how to confront President Trump have led to people taking matters into their own hands, confronting Cabinet members in public places.  (1)  Thankfully, there were no injuries or worse in these confrontations.  However, the bombs sent by Cesar Sayoc Jr. to Trump critics indicate an escalation of contentiousness with the potential of injury or loss of life.  (2)  However, the shooting last weekend at the synagogue in Pittsburg by an anti-Semitic Trump hater indicate escalation of contentiousness to a deadly violent level.  (3)

The Apostle Paul could have written Ephesians 5:15-16 after recent contentious and now violent events regarding how believers in Jesus are to live in these contentious times.  I challenge anyone reading this that believes the Bible has no relevance in modern society to reconsider their belief.  Further relevancy is found in 1 Peter 5:8 with Peter reminding Christians to be sober-minded and alert.  The context of 1 Peter 5:8 provides guidance on how to maintain Christian consistency in a contentious and violent world. 

1)      Humility under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6) – The commonality in the contentiousness we see in the world is rooted in selfishness.  Democrats confronting Trump cabinet members see President Trump as a threat to their belief government has the answers to all their problems in life.  The bomber believes he has a calling to eliminate opposition to Trump.  The shooter believes Jewish people are the threat to society similar to the Nazi belief in the need to eliminate the Jewish race.  Humility to God eliminates selfishness as one surrenders their life to God through acceptance of Christ, creating peaceful consistency of life.  A consistent Christian lives humbly for God, waiting for God to exalt him or her at the proper time (Isaiah 40:31). 

2)      Trust God with the cares of life (1 Peter 5:7) – Scripture reminds us to cast our cares on Jesus because He cares for us.  Jesus illustrated this in the Sermon on the Mount when He reminded us that God even cares about sparrows and the flowers of the field that wither away (Matthew 6:25-34).  The result of not casting our cares on Jesus is reliance on the passions waring within our hearts that contribute to contention (James 4:1-3).  Christian consistency of trusting God for our needs prevents us from seeking fulfillment of these needs through coveting others possessions or seeking fulfillment with wrong motives. 

3)      Alertness to the schemes of Satan (1 Peter 5:8) – This passage of scripture is not saying that the Devil makes us fall into temptation for temptation comes from our own internal fleshly desires (James 1:14).  Instead the passage is a reminder to be alert to the schemes of the devil who uses our fleshly desires to separate us from God and His desires for our life.  This scheme of creating contention between humanity and God is nothing new and was the scheme used in the Garden (Genesis 3:1-7).  Christian consistency in a contentious world involves awareness of this mode of operation by Satan. 

4)      Resistance and firmness of faith (1 Peter 5:9) – Armed with the awareness of Satan’s schemes, Christians can resist the temptations to contend with God and others and remain firm in their faith, trusting God.  1 Peter 5:9 also reminds us that the temptations and trials we experience are not unique and experienced by others stressing the importance of associating regularly with other believers in Christ. 

Jesus taught that the world will know we are disciples of Christ by our love for each other (John 13:35).  Unfortunately, the Christian community can become contentious differing little from the contention seen in the world.  Instead of falling for the scheme of the Devil to cause contention between humanity and God and with each other, it is time for the Christian community to unite under God and work together in harmony to spread the Gospel and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15).  My prayer is that the Christian community will become the voice of harmony in a contentious world. 

1. Martin, Jonathan. Democrats Confront Democrats Over How to Confront Trump. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, June 25, 2018. [Cited: October 31, 2018.] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/25/us/politics/trump-liberal-activists-shaming.html.

2. Correa, Matthew Haag and Carla. What We Know About the Mail Bombs Sent to Trump Critics. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, October 25, 2018. [Cited: October 31, 2018.] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/nyregion/pipe-bombs-sent-democrats.html.

3. Murphy, Saeed Ahmed and Paul P. Here's what we know so far about Robert Bowers, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect. www.cnn.com. [Online] CNN, October 28, 2018. [Cited: October 31, 2018.] https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/27/us/synagogue-attack-suspect-robert-bowers-profile/index.html.