Conflict Resolution

CONFLICT RESOLUTION Galatians 5:16-26 November 15, 2020 Conflict between people is inevitable. It would be crazy to think we could go through life and never have a disagreement with another person. By the same token, conflict between nations is inevitable as well. And, as you know, there is a very wide spectrum of options for conflict resolution. The first stage is typically negotiation. The other nation states their beliefs, their goals, and the purpose behind their actions. Your side does the same. You try to find common ground and work towards a mutually beneficial solution. The next step up is often economic. Is there something we could buy from you, or sell to you, that would make you willing to alter your position? If not, is there a sanction - something economic we can deny you - which would make you alter your position? When that fails, nations resort to war. War is the ultimate conflict resolution. Soldiers, sailors, and airmen are the ultimate tools of conflict resolution. War is violent, and the consequences are profoundly unpleasant. But, some causes are so important, they are so impactful, they justify this extreme unpleasantness. From time to time I hear people say the wars against Iraq were all about getting cheap oil for America. There is a tendency to forget that Iraq invaded Kuwait, and when they were driven back, they set 650 oil wells on fire and created an environmental catastrophe. Then, just a few years later, they played host to the 9/11 terrorists. Negotiation, and economic sanctions didn't persuade them to behave morally. So, although war is extremely unpleasant, it was the appropriate tool for conflict resolution. In our text today, Paul says - guess what? The exact same thing that happens between nations, happens inside each Christian. There is a constant battle going on between what the world wants us to do, and what the Holy Spirit wants us to do. Paul writes (5:17), "The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions." From the day we become a Christian, until the day we die, we all travel between negotiations, sanctions, and eventually - all out war, the ultimate conflict resolution. Paul says we were born into bodies completely infected with sin.1 On the outside we look great. We look healthy and happy. But, if you could see inside, you would be horrified at how you come into this world. We are broken, and malformed, and diseased. Our souls are distorted and mutated. Babies are cute and cuddly, but think about their personalities. They are completely selfish. Baby doesn't care if you are tired, or working, or hungry. Baby wants, what baby wants, and they want it right now. Small children don't share anything willingly. Everything they see belongs to them. Teaching a child to focus outside of themselves involves conflict. We start with negotiation. Give your brother back the toy, and you can play with the i-pad today. It progresses to sanctions. Give your brother back the toy, or you will not be allowed to play outside. Eventually, it progresses to full conflict. Get back on that chair, get back in time out, you are not going anywhere until you apologize - do not test me mister. And, at some point, when the child becomes old enough, we turn the battle over to them. Mom and Dad will no longer act as the conscience. An authority void is created. So, the child either battles within themselves to be a better person, or they don't. Paul says most of the world doesn't want to fight that fight. Conflict isn't fun. So, most people just give in - they surrender. Then comes the day when you give your life to Jesus Christ. You make the decision to embrace the gift of salvation offered by Jesus. You give your life to God. In return, God gives you the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit starts us on a journey which is both now, and not yet.2 Right now you are saved. You are saved and nothing can take your salvation away. But, at the same moment, you are thrust into a full out war for your behavior. The world wants you to behave one way. The Holy Spirit of God wants you to behave another way. And, there is no negotiation, and no sanction, that will suffice. Paul says the only resolution will come from complete warfare. The world says cheat on your taxes - that money belongs to you. Cheat on your wife - you deserve variety. Cheat to get ahead at work - if the other employees deserved the promotion, they would be cheating too. At the same time the Holy Spirit is telling you - love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Taxes pay for policemen who keep us safe. Your wife is loving and faithful, and has never intentionally hurt you. And maybe you are the better employee, but you don't know everything about that other person's life. Maybe God has big plans for them when they get the promotion. Now, it is no fun being caught in the middle of this conflict. Wrestling with what your sinful flesh wants, versus what the Holy Spirit wants, is no fun. Here's the upside. You would not have that conflict, if you didn't have the Holy Spirit. And, you wouldn't have the Holy Spirit if you weren't saved. That conflict is proof, you are saved. Paul says embrace the war, because it means you are headed to Heaven. But, before you get to Heaven, while you're still here, I'd really like you to win the war. So, I'm giving you some performance markers to help you see how you're doing. In a war you want to see progress. We should be occupying enemy territory. You must own the ground. We should have complete domination in the sky. We should totally control their ports. We must inflict our will on their behavior. Paul gives us a list of 15 performance indicators which show that the flesh, the enemy, is winning. What they have in common, is that they are all harmful to your community.3 Sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, and wild parties. It is very common for a new Christian to ask - since I am saved, since I have given my life to Christ, what does it matter if I go to a wild party, get drunk, maybe end up in a fist fight? I'm still saved, so what does it matter? Why can't I do those things? And, Paul's answer is, it hurts the people around you. Your behavior is physically and emotionally harmful to other people. Not only that, but they also look at you and they say - why should I become a Christian? I don't see any difference in his life. Other than you can't sleep in on Sunday morning, and the church wants all your money, I don't see any difference. And, that is very, very harmful to their souls. Your faith is not lived in isolation, it is lived in a community.4 And, you are responsible for the impact your actions have on your community. Then, Paul gives us a list of 9 items which show the Holy Spirit is winning. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those blessings all focus inwardly. If you want to improve yourself, embrace the Spirit and not the flesh. It's like supplying your troops with better training, better equipment, better food, better medical. When the Spirit is winning your life gets better, and you do not hurt anyone else. Who doesn't want that? And, then Paul shares some important information on combat strategy. He says you will not win this war simply by struggling against your flesh.5 You were born into this flesh. It has owned you since the moment you took your first breath. Even if you really, really want to live a better life, your flesh will keep dragging you backwards. You win this war by throwing yourself into an alliance with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has power and authority you don't possess. The Holy Spirit is God himself. And, in a battle between God and flesh, God always wins. Is there an addiction which owns you? You won't beat it by simply saying - I just won't do that anymore. If you really want to beat it, spend time with the Spirit. Do you have a favorite sin you keep going back to? Something you can keep hidden? You're the only one who knows about it? Well, you and God. And, the Holy Spirit has been bringing this sin to your attention over and over? You will not stop embracing this sin by the strength of your own will. You need the information, the willpower, and the encouragement the Spirit is waiting to supply. If you really want to win, use your allies. How long does this war last? It lasts until the day you die. The enemy will always search for new ways to destroy and discredit your faith. When we die, we are buried in the ground, and we turn back to dust. On the day Jesus returns we are resurrected. We receive brand new bodies. And, these bodies, are not tainted by sin.6 These bodies look as good on the inside as they do on the outside. We will not struggle against our flesh in the life after this. We will live in perfect harmony with the Holy Spirit. That will be the end of our conflict. Until then, fight on. 1 R. C. Sproul, general editor. New Geneva Study Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1857. 2 Karl Paul Donfried, "Justification and Last Judgment in Paul," Interpretation, 30 no. 2 (April 1976), 140-152. 3 Frank J. Matera, New Interpreter's Study Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003), 2088. 4 G. F. Wessels, "The Call to Responsible Freedom in Paul's Persuasive Strategy. Galatians 5:13-6:10," Neotestamentica, 26 no. 2 (1992), 461-474. 5 NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 2054. 6 William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2002), 62. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ 2