The Church and disputes with the World

THE CHURCH AND DISPUTES WITH THE WORLD
It is understandable that the world will have reason to dispute with Christianity in general and with the Church in particular because the belief system of the Church is based upon a spiritual reality that is not understood by the material and non-spiritual rationality of the world. If you talk to a person of the world, you will not expect them to believe that God in Christ created the universe, and that Jesus was raised from the dead and is now Lord over the Universe and Lord over our lives. 

Christians understand the material and non-spiritual rationality of the world, but they also understand a transcendent reality that comes from the revelation of God to our spirit so the Church does not have to be engaged in disputes with the world because Christians can engage in good will discussion within both kinds of realty. They can have healthy debates with all people and agree to disagree with each other on all kinds of day-to-day issues that depend solely upon observation rather than revelation from God. 

A Christian can live effectively in the world of material rationalism and be successful and productive and operate with a motivation of God’s love to bless everybody in that world that God loves creating no basis for antagonism. A Christian can let that love be on display knowing that it is only the Grace of God that changes the basis of reality for an individual from the natural realm into the spiritual.

1Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges (to discern, examine, determine if right or wrong) all things, yet he himself is not correctly discerned by the world.

When Jesus said his Kingdom was not of this world (John 18) he was making a distinction between the spirit of the world and the Spirit of the Kingdom of God. He was sending his disciples into the world to serve and to save and to heal the disordered soul of humanity, and when he saw his disciples wanting to judge the world for their sins, he rebuked them.
James wanted to call down judgement of fire upon those that opposed the message of the Kingdom of God and Jesus rebuked him saying ‘you don’t know what spirit you are of’ (Luke 9:55), and he explained to his disciples that the authority of the political State of worldly government operated from a power base that oppressed and lorded itself over people. (Matthew 20:22).

Jesus taught them that this was not the way for them to exercise their spiritual authority, which was based on servanthood, just as Jesus demonstrated his own spiritual authority when he emptied himself of Divine privilege and became as a servant Saviour to all the world (Philippians 2:7). And he did not judge the world.
John 12:46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day 
In other words, there will be an accounting, but it will be in God’s way and in God’s time.

Paul wrote that God does not authorize or empower Christians in their condemnation of the sins of the world but he empowers the message of reconciliation through Jesus. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and has committed to us this message of reconciliation. (2Corinthians 5:19). And he also wrote ‘For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? (Church discipline issues) God judges those outside (1Corinthians 5:12).

We are here to live a life of faith that is consciously aware that we are IN Christ as a New Creation (him always with us and us always with him) having inherited all the spiritual blessings of the Father as sons and daughters with his Son. We can live this life of spiritual blessing and share the good news of the Grace of God with people and prepare their hearts to receive Jesus as Saviour. The Apostle Peter encourages us to always be ready for this - but in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect… (1Peter 3:15)

At one end of today’s global worldly population there are multitudes of worldly people of good will made in the image of God, that have little or no faith in God and are simply living out of a good conscience as best they can. They are depending upon their skills and experience and integrity to live a good life and be happy. At the other end of the worldly population there are wrong hearted people (also made in the image of God) who behave in a self-serving and ungodly way that is harmful to themselves and all those around them. God sees the hearts and will deal differently with each individual as he decides.

There is also the political State of worldly government that operates from a power base that can be corrupted and oppress and lord itself over people, asserting itself for its own ideological ends. It creates institutions and deceptive power hierarchies to preserve and consolidate its power and wealth. 
Jesus told his disciples not to build his Church into a political power base to contest with political worldly power over the State. When Jesus was sentenced by Pilate, who embodied the political State of Rome in that moment, Jesus said. 
“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” ( John 18:36)
Judas had meanwhile betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver because he realized that Jesus was not a political activist in a contest for political power and he was bitterly disappointed in him. The closest thing to power for Judas was the money.
This does not mean that Christians should not get involved in politics as citizens of the State, and it is a good idea if they can have leadership influence as that may be their gift and calling. That is simply being a responsible citizen. 
But they do not speak for the Church, they simply live out of Christ. They have no authority to speak for the Church and they have no mandate to judge unbelievers for their sins. 
If as a parent and as a citizen in a democratic country I am offended at a school that my child attends in allowing transgender males to occupy female bathrooms, it is my business as a citizen to oppose this politically and take whatever action I can to see that kind of a practice was changed. That is being personally active as a citizen that lives in a political world where we have freedom of speech and protest and the right to vote, but it is not Christian political activism in God’s name against the State. 

There have always been times when Christians have been persecuted for their beliefs and this will never change, and no secular laws will ever effectively change this attitude of the world against Christians who give obedience to God rather than man because of being forced to do something against their conscience before God. When Peter and the apostles was forbidden to preach the Gospel by the leaders of the nation of Israel, he said to them.
‘We must obey God rather than men’. (Acts 5:29). And consequently, they were put in prison, but an angel released them. Peter later writes to the Church and advises them on how to respond to persecution.
1Peter 3:15 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
If Christians live the gospel of good news of the love and forgiveness of God and preach that, the Holy Spirit will bear witness to that, and God will supernaturally confirm it.
Mark 16:19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Church leaders must ask God for wisdom in these matters and teach their people to follow the ways and the words of Jesus. We are living in times when God is allowing the works of darkness to be seen for what they are, and the more the darkness is revealed the more God’s light will be upon his people. The Church does not need political power, it needs God’s power from Heaven, and one is gained at the expense of the other – we do the choosing. And God chooses ordinary Christians to often shine as lights in this way, not always Christians of prominence or wealth or political power. A person simply needs to stand for God in their particular situation of challenge.
1Corinthians 1:27 Look at your brothers and sisters who were chosen, that not many were wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.

The spirit of God’s Church has compassion on the suffering of humanity, acting to bless and comfort people in their pain and suffering, to be loving and forgiving and motivated to bring people closer to God so that their souls will be healed and saved.
The Christian heart and mind and will of God’s Church of love and mercy has created institutions based on these values for centuries. Those institutions have served the world through education and nurture and care of a suffering humanity. 
This heart of God’s mercy towards the world is the overflow of the justice and mercy of God that has been poured upon us through the New Covenant and gratefully received, and we know that when we show mercy, we are shown more mercy (Matthew 5:7). It is the activity of God’s grace upon the human heart that brings the individual spirit into life out of death
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).