Resolving Conflict: Follow the Biblical Process
· Jesus laid out a process of restoration for a believer in error or sin in Matthew 18:15-17
· The first step is to go privately, prayerfully and humbly and confront the person in error (Galatians 6:1)
· If step 1 fails and the error continues, you take 2 or 3 people with you to judge the facts
· If step 2 fails, you take the situation to the church
· If step 3 fails, the church then excludes the one in error from the fellowship
Resolving Conflict: Live Humbly and Graciously, Prioritizing the Interest of Others
· A new conflict now looms in the early church: fellowship meals between Jews and Gentiles
· A lot of conflict can be avoided by humbly honoring others as more important than yourself (Philippians 2:3-5)
· This means don’t grumble and complain, but live with love, grace and forgiveness
· Strive to be the strong, mature believer, not the weak one
· If a person is continually in conflict, demonstrating a critical spirit, then they are in sin and need to be confronted
Resolving Conflict: As a Last Resort, You May Need to Lovingly Separate
· Sometimes Godly people strongly disagree and it is not a sin issue
· To lovingly separate means that it is done with grace, forgiveness and communication
· This is the “last resort” strategy to bring peace and for you to walk in alignment with Jesus