Internal and External Conflicts

This Sunday’s (01/19/25) sermon comes from James 4. It deals with internal conflicts between the Old Man and the indwelling Holy Spirit and how the conflict manifest itself in the conflicts between church members. While I do not believe with the concept of peace at all cost, it appears much of the internal strife in churches is not over fundamental truths of God’s Word but disagreements over trivial matters. It is those who are controlled by their self-centered fallen nature that demands to have things their way without consideration of others who may have a different opinion. In recent weeks I have been listening to a podcast by Terry Young on “the History of the Early Church”. While the podcast is very interesting and informative it sadly reminds us of the divisions in the early church. The Apostle Paul gives us a solution to the problem in Galatians 5:16 [“This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” While that may sound simplistic, many would agree to die daily to self and walk in the Spirit can be a struggle. We should all be grateful for God’s grace, the privilege of prayer and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to aid us in living a victorious life that yields the peaceful fruit of righteous.