A Healthy Admonition

Is there such a thing as healthy conflict? When we have challenges to our faith and belief do we avoid them? Should we shy away from challenges to our faith and practice?

Introduction

Illus: Conflict with a Marine who was LDS and challenged me in front of other Marines. He was intoxicated and wanted to fight. I chose to walk away.

Conflict versus admonishment

The church can either shy away from any from of admonition because it can cause conflict and strife.

I believe what Paul does with Peter is stands up to him boldly.

Principles of Faith

Paul opposes Peter:

A challenge can be appropriate (11)

Paul witnessed Peter act contrary to the gospel

Peter knew the gospel was for the Gentiles

Peter and Cornelius ()

He knew that Jesus saw people differently

English Standard Version Chapter 10

13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.

He proclaims the common social/religious practice of the Jew and Gentile

Yet, he also knew what God had proclaimed about his Kingdom: Acts 10:34

English Standard Version Chapter 10

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,

Paul said the same thing: Gal 2:6

English Standard Version Chapter 2

6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.

Paul would challenge Peter (Oppose - anthistemai) because his theology did not line up with his practice

He proclaimed no partiality, yet he would not be seen sitting with Gentiles

He feared the circumcision party

A challenge must be warranted (12)

How is it that Paul could admonish Peter?

He had the authority to do so

Apostleship defense

He did so biblically

He had grounds to do so

Peter was not acting like a child of God

showing no partiality

He ate with Gentiles until the Jews showed up

Circumcision party referred to in

English Standard Version Chapter 11

2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

Peter defended himself against men and sought to obey God

Was this before or after Paul’s confrontation? If associated with this would be before Vision and Cornelius

Peter was acting contrary to the gospel and this warranted a admonition

Paul had witnesses to this behavior

App: We should ask ourselves if we are acting in line with the gospel? If we are called out appropriately then we should be willing to submit to Jesus and His Gospel.

A challenge must seek the unity of the body (13)

Paul was not confronting Peter to shame or guilt him

He did so because he saw that others were following him down a path that was contrary to the gospel

Peter’s actions were causing others to sin

The rest of the Jews

acted hypocritically

This is often the charge of the world. Sinner who act like they are better than everyone else.

We are not, we are sinners like them.

Yet, sinners saved by God’s grace.

App: Help people to see that we are, or were like them, sinners.

Then offer the gospel of Jesus that transforms sinners to saints.

Paul was using this as an example to the Galatians how the gospel could be misapplied

This is the context of the Letter

So, Peter was not acting in light of the gospel and that all men are redeemable if God so chooses.

Paul had a desire that Peter, Jewish Christians, and the Galatians all lived in light of the gospel, that God shows no partiality when it comes to salvation.

Illus: Many types of people in the church. Northerners, southerners, Republicans, Democrats, etc . . .

App: We have the right to confront one another if there is something that causes disunity and a misapplication of the gospel.

A challenge must be rooted in the gospel (14)

The truth of the gospel

This is what Paul was really concerned with

Misapplied, it could drive believers away

Is one really saved if they are not circumcised?

Is one a Christian if they don’t look and act like me?

Consistency

This usually plays out in our interpersonal relationships

The gospel should be the one source of how we relate to other Christians

How we treat the world

It should infrom me of how I deal with other people

Do I love them as I should?

Am I imposing things on them other than the gospel?

do they act as I think they should?

This can play out in our intrapersonal relationship

The gospel applied to our own life

Do we believe we are sinners saved by God’s grace?

Is my identity in Jesus Christ?

Am I living in God’s grace

Am I placing expectations on myself other than the gospel

perfection

If we do believe an admonition is appropriate we need to do one very important thing first:

We must spend time with the gospel of Jesus Christ and ask ourselves if this is a gospel issue?

Conclusion

Challenges (admonitions) can be appropriate, must be warranted, must seek unity of the body, must be rooted in the gospel

God can, and does, use his people, the church, to hold each of us accountable

We are held accountable by men on this earth to prepare us for the great day when we meet Jesus Christ

Our Sanctification is preparing us for glory

Be holy as God is holy

Peter later write sin 1 Peter 1

English Standard Version Chapter 1

15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

We should be open to adminishment

We should seek to admonish one another

We should expect admoinition, this is how God works

Illus: What if I showed up late to Worship service? What if I decided to read my favorite book as opposed to preaching the gospel? What if I shirked my duties as your pastor. You would not stand for it?

As a child of God in His Kingdom we are under his form of correction and admonishment. He chooses to use others for our sanctification.

Let us not be a church that runs from admonishing one another nor ignore the sins that are in our midst.

Rather, let us be a people who embrace being held accountable, lest we go astray from the one true Gospel and stand one day guilty before Jesus for offering the world another gospel.

If we do we may just hear Jesus say to each of us, Depart from me I never knew you. May it never be so.