What a shame it is that so many of God's people are so afraid of conflict

What a shame it is that so many of God's people are so afraid of conflict. The body of Christ is obviously divided into a thousand fragments, and mortally crippled as a result. Yet everyone is afraid of engaging or being engaged by someone that is not of their persuasion. So why is that? I will tell you why: People are afraid of anything because they are afraid, period. Fear is fear, and if you have it you will just be afraid of a whole lot of things. John told us that "perfect love casteth out fear," and also; "He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (I Jn. 4:18). So it is evident that most of God's people do not possess perfect love, according to the scripture, and according to the fact that so many are afraid to discuss the difference in their "beliefs" with anyone who is not part of their affiliation. The problem is the same problem that existed and prevailed over God's people in the prophet Hosea's day: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land" (Hos. 4:1). That is absolutely it my friend, and I will show you by the scriptures how it is true. Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn. 8:31,32). People are not free from the fear of conflict because they do not know the truth, which truth alone is able to make one free from such things, and which is also able to develop that perfect love that drives out fear.

It was the truth, and the love of it, that compelled the apostle Paul, of whom the scripture states: "Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons , and in the market daily with them that met with him" (Acts 17:17). Paul was not afraid of conflict because he possessed both the truth and the love of God's Spirit with which he was able to dispute without pride, malice, strife, and reviling; or any other such fleshly thing. Someone who possesses those virtues looks diligently for any and all openings where they may have opportunity to impart what they know by personal experience to be the divine life and liberty of the real word of God. Someone who does NOT possess those virtues looks for every way possible to avoid any such discussion of doctrine with anyone apart from their own little religious cubby-hole. In fact anyone who does not have the humble confidence that only comes with a sound knowledge and love of what really is God's truth, cannot even realize that such things can be done any way OTHER than through strife and quarreling; because in their conscience they know that that is how they will end up if they allow themselves to try. So if you think that what you know is the truth, but yet your conscience knows that you can't handle clean, gracious dispute; you should get seriously honest and reevaluate what you have been taught. Why? Because as long as God's people hide out in these little defenced cities of sectarianism, the body that Jesus gave his life for will remain as Isaiah saw it in prophecy: "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment" (Isa. 1:6). And friend, that state, in which God's people now reside, favors absolutely none of us. God bless.