Peace with One Another - Part 1

Welcome to this weekend – podcast with Charles Stanley. What do you do when someone opposes you in a crucial matter or disagrees with you in anger. Today's podcast helps by giving us a lesson in cultivating peace with one another. Would you consider the normally would you live in which you work, would you have decided no is an environment of conflict.

This contention there is a sense of resentment that I feel there is discord is anger and sometimes hostility. That's the kind of environment you live in.

That is not a happy environment and it is not a happy environment.

More than likely you feeling hurt and it could be that you feel harm and certain heartbreak and the question is why do we have to live like that. Why can't we have peace with each other. Well that's what I want to talk about in this message. I want you to turn if you will, the book of Romans is the apostle Paul gives us some very clear instruction here that I think would be good for all of us to consider this time and this message I'm talking about personal relationships. I'm not talking about nations, warring against the children talk about personal relationships, and in this rogue chapter of Romans.

He is admonishing us how we treat one another and I want us to come down to the 17th verse and listen to what he says when he says never pay back evil for evil to anyone respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you being at peace with all men.

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God. What is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

But if your enemy is hungry, the him if he's thirsty, give them a drink for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good notes. Rinsing of the Scriptures that God gives us very clear instructions how we treat each other and I want you notice primarily verse 18 verse 20 says, if possible, so far as it depends upon you. Be at peace with all men. The implication is there may not always be possible implication is you may not be able to do it. So let's look at this passage Scripture with the whole idea of living with peace and in peace with one another and I will take you through some verses of Scripture, just a real idea how very important this is because so many times God mentions it.

When you turn.

First of all, the mark. The ninth chapter and the 50th verse will come back to that in a few moments because I want to explain it later but listen to what he says. He says salt is good and its assault becomes unsalted with what would you make it salty again have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another. So Jesus is telling us to be at peace with one another in second Corinthians chapter 13 verse 11 again is an admonition. He says to us. He says finally brother, rejoice, be made completely comforted be like-minded live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you in Ephesians chapter 4 verse three. Speaking of the whole church in writing that if Asian Christians. He said therefore the person of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you been called.

How is that which you walk in all humility and gentleness, with patients showing tolerance for mother-in-law being diligent that's working hard at it, to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace that allots a verses about living in peace of the children so we know from God's word. It certainly is his will, his choice his desire that you and I live at peace with the children. Does he really and truly expect you and me to live in peace with everyone else know he does not is his desire, but he knows that we are not going to do that. Does that mean is this our senses know he just knows human nature and so let's think about the challenge we face is the challenge we face and that is we live in a world wherein every single person in this world has been corrupted by that is infected by a sinful nature whereby we have responded in this fashion. We are in conflict with God. We are in conflict with ourselves and we are in conflict with other people. So how can we be expected to live in peace when everyone has been corrupted by an old sinful nature and only those of us who trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior have the power within us to live a peaceable life in lease with most people when it people act their normal way. If they act according to their humanness. According to their carnal nature is certainly not going to have the account of attitude. So we have to ask ourselves the question, what's the problem why can't we do it well. There are some surface answers that people usually give a thing will know this is the reason there is naturally going to be personality conflict.

You know what is nothing wrong with him and nothing of me, but I just don't like him and I can get along with them and so forget what I can understand people having personality conflicts with, you know what you can have a personality conflict without having a war between you.

You can have personality conflicts and accept the fact you know that's who you are. That's what you think this is who I am. This is where I think, and so you know, we can still be friends. Are we still get long. We don't have to shut each other out and tear each other down. So sometimes people thing was personality differences in God didn't expect me to get along with people whose personalities different man. Yes, he does some others as well. The problem is we have conflicts in our beliefs will certainly understand that you can have conflicts in your theological beliefs.

You can have conflicts in your political opinions and beliefs is a Democrat Republican someone who is neutral and whatever it might be in. We all have our opinions and our ideas about them like why can't we live with each other and so somebody says we have belief differences will understand that. So why don't you just be able to believe what you want to believe and just consider that they are wrong and just move on in life and just live your life what you have to fight the one you have to tear someone else down criticizing and gossip against him simply because you don't particularly agree with them what you know sometimes it could be that we are wrong. How many of us would have to admit that after more consideration and discovering more information. We had to say you know what you are right and I was wrong is there is is there is sin in admitting you're wrong. No, because the truth is, all of us have been and will be wrong about things in our life. We thought we had all the facts we knew exactly what to do and exactly how things ought to go, somebody says the problem is just her personality differences. The problem is our belief system is different. We just don't believe the same way, or it could be that we have conflicts in our behavior. Some people think it's right to do this.

Some people do not think it's right to do that.

Some people say was not a matter of right and wrong, but is not wise or someone else's will.

This is this the way I am. This is the way I feel this is where I believe this is way operating and so someone else's will that may be all right for you, but I can accept that and so whatever. Instead of being able to live in peace. This criticism instead of building each other up finding what the problem is is tear each other down and then oftentimes the problem is just a matter of communication that is I heard what you said no you are what you think I said no. This is what I said no that's not what you said. And so the truth is you and I can make it very clear what we say. But the person who hears us, doesn't necessarily hear what we say they hear what they wanted to hear all day they heard and they interpret everything from their background, their perspective, their viewpoint of things and so oftentimes it's a matter of miscommunication. For example, I made to the best of my God-given ability to explain the passage Scripture explained is simply, as I know how help you understand exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ said and you may hear it from an absolutely totally different background you made come from a very legalistic background weights all black-and-white cut down the middle drought right or wrong. In this view of that view. And there's nothing great and no in between, so that no matter what I may say as far as you're concerned, that was right because you're interpreting it from a very legalistic viewpoint that leaves no room for the grace of God and so oftentimes it's commit miscommunication. It's misunderstanding and sometimes it's just a matter of disagreement with all Christians have to believe exactly the same thing about every passage of Scripture wall will be on the church because we will not always agree that in fact there are some subjects that the body of Christ remembered real will never agree on.

You don't have to make any moves. That way you can still be at ease with disagreements yet.

Some people cannot. They have to be right there pride in their arrogance is such that they have to be absolutely right no matter what happens, and so these are all surface reason, but people as they lose their marriageable service reasons they lose their children of the service reason they lose their job.

Their friend because they can't get past or honorably the way you believe and I don't act the way you act and you didn't hear what I said you thought you heard what I said but here's what I said you interpret tell a different you know what that they divide their homes. They divide their friendships, they lose their jobs. Why can't we just live peaceably with one another all day with the problem is the problem is not any of that. These are all surface reasons that he will find out the real problem is turn the Galatians chapter 5 Galatians chapter 5 is what you will discover because the apostle Paul Mr. chapter tells us what the bottom line is this is the reason we are not living at peace with each other. So he says beginning in verse 19.

Remember now that doesn't mean that all of these reasons are always the same, but some of them. He says, for example, nether deeds of the flesh of the flesh is our naturalness and humanness. That is, the flesh is the way a person acts when their own selfishness and self-centeredness and egotism and prod are ruling and reigning in their life and so here's what he says now he says the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, adult resource rate enmities, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions infection, you know, the problem is the problem is we allow our naturalness, our humanness as self-centered in the South. Selfishness and pride we wanted our way and because we have a sinful lives within us, that is ready and willing to pop up and claim dominance over life at any moment we have to deal with that and those of us who believes have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior. We have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us and the truth is we do have the power and the capacity to live a godly life with most people. Most of the time you say you mean to tell me that even though your Christian that you can always live peaceably with everyone.

Listen to what he said back again to Romans in this rev chapter he says if possible. The implication is that is not always possible. If possible, so far as it depends on you. You can't control someone else's life.

If possible, so far as it depends upon you. We are to live. He says with peace with all men. And so the problem is we have this sinfulness within us, our capacity, our propensity toward sin our humanness and naturalness in the spirit of God is not in control of her life. What we do, we just acting out abnormal list, just like the unbeliever does and so that's the major root cause and because that's the root cause that's what we have to deal with, so there will be differences always be differences and we have to decide do we want peace or do we not and you see the truth is, that's a choice we make. It's a choice you not make whether we will live in peace over the we do not live in peace now.

With that in mind, let's think about the course of action that you and I should take when we really and truly desire to live in peace with someone or some group of people, whatever it might be.

Now let's decide first of all that we are going to live and in peace with someone we really desire to do that and so we have an argument or problem. A major problem that comes up.

How do we deal this I want you to list these things because they're very important, very simple but not always easy to do that if you going to live at peace with someone and there is a dispute matter what it is, it can be very very difficult and complicated know it could be something not so difficult and complicated the will of God is that you not be at peace. That person is the first issue you listen, say, men is the first issue the first issue I have to decide is this is this relationship valuable enough to me that I want to preserve this relationship by learning to live in peace with this person over these people. Number one question, do I value this relationship drive valued enough that I'm willing to learn how to live in peace of this person. If you don't place any value wanted it that you say well you know what is friendships okay but it's not worth that my friend what you've done as you have pull down the shade you've built up the wall. You close the curtain and what you saying is I don't want peace.

I don't want this kind of relationship. Let's say for example you say yes? Yes this relationship is valuable enough for me to save it. If I possibly can.

It's valuable enough for me to do whatever is necessary for me to do so that's in the morning so you settle that issue. Second step is this start talking use the less the problem is too much talking on a watch this when two people are talking and they're willing to keep on talking and number three they're willing to keep on listening. It's not enough to talk.

I must be willing to learn how to listen if I value the relationship and I'm willing to talk about the disagreement laid on the table put it out there. I will talk about it and I'm willing to listen to the other person. You see, when people stop talking it's all over. You've got to be willing to keep talking. You've got to be when the keep listening and you see next. You got to be willing to be honest, open and transparent.

That is, you know what I do make mistakes. I could be wrong about this. I got my have a weakness at this point in my life know that sometimes I'm not writing. Maybe I think I'm right here, but you know it's possible that I'm not right and so what you have to do is be open and transparent and honest and then here is the major issue you have to get to the root cause. What is that is what is the real issue between us, not some surface out there. What's the real issue. What's the bottom line. Why is it that we can have peace with nature. Is it something back in our past. Is it something really weird doing now is it the way we think. Have we been so taught his kids growing up that this is what you should expect the words, what is the root cause now you see that's the thing that oftentimes is difficult to arrive at once. The root cause and from persons, as were the root causes because you more than likely shade comes down wall goes up curtains get drawn. That's not the way to do it. We said being open, honest and transparent. Being willing to admit you know that I could be wrong but you see if I'm willing, if at some really really and truly willing to search for the root cause and what I'm saying is you know maybe I don't know why we're not getting along. Maybe I don't know but I'm willing to find out find the root cause because there is one there may be more than one thing but find you see, you will search for it on the basis of the value you place on that relationship and if you love that person. Listen, don't tell me you love somebody, but you not want to find the root cause. Don't tell me you love somebody, but yet when the tall don't say your yes I love that person. But if you have to put a button behind your love more than likely just cancel what you said is not. I love you but is not.

I love you. It that puts it all conditional. But you wouldn't have found that what the root causes. Now once you find out what it is you are willing listen.

You say I'm willing to work at this, I see my part of this, it may be from your perspective that most of the other person's fault. Don't tell them that you so you know what I'm going to work at this, let's work at this together that I do believe that because believers are filled with the Holy Spirit you just think about this moment. If two people, both of whom are saved with the grace of God in the realm of the same Holy Spirit who is not guiltless of the Holy Spirit in him is not going to be in disagreement with the Holy Spirit in her nether humanness may say we in this agreement of the Holy Spirit is negative in this agreement, so at some point if we genuinely and truly, really and truly honest about our value that relationship. We gonna work at and we gotta make it work.

Thank you for listening to peace with one another, if you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley were in touch ministries IN TextEdit OIG cast as a presentation in touch ministries Atlanta, Georgia