Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Each day, you will find contention throughout the world. You will find it in Earthly courtrooms as a plaintiff argues with a defendant. You will find it in government, when politicians argue fiercely about the pros and cons of certain legal opinions. You might hear High School students argue certain points of a specific topic during their debate class. It can even be heard quite regularly, when people argue their opinions over the supper table.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Everybody seems to have their own opinion about something, but in the church there is only one opinion to have. It’s contained in the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is no debate and there is no fighting. Any and all discussions are closed for comment when it comes to Holy Scripture. God’s Word is the beginning and the end of the conversation, and those who choose to be argumentative, will only incur the wrath of God.
Romans 2 ⁵ But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶ Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
⁷ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: ⁸ But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, ⁹ Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
¹⁰ But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
¹¹ For there is no respect of persons with God.
Contention happens because there are two opposing sides to a certain viewpoint. It’s kind of like two college teams that battle it out on a basketball court. But If those two same teams were picked to go to the Olympics together, they would have to unify with each other. Rather than fighting with each other, they would focus on a higher goal such as winning a gold medal for their country. There would no longer be any room for contention among them because they would be on the same side and fighting for the same thing. In the church, we are supposed to be joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. People are not supposed to be contentious with the teachings of scripture, but unified in one mind and one spirit.
1 Corinthians 1 ¹⁰ Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
In the church there is only one side of the story to which there is no debate. The Bible says what it says, and that is the end of the discussion, amen. When people manifest a contentious spirit, many times it’s because of their inability or unwillingness to accept the teachings of Holy Scripture. Rather than accepting the fact that they are living in sin, they become argumentative instead. Ever since I became a believer I have run into many people just like this. If they don’t like what scripture says, then they become contentious. Sin has got such a grasp on them, that rather than repenting, they vent their opposition to scriptural truth instead. Those who do this will receive God’s indignation. The Apostles were soldiers of Truth, fighting on the front lines for Christ Jesus. Many times they met people who were very contentious with the things that they were teaching.
“But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.” 1 Thessalonians 2:2
When there is submission to the will of God, there is not going to be contention. Rather than resisting, you will humbly obey instead. Obedience to the perfect will of God, is the proof of our love towards Him.
John 14 ²¹ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. ²² Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? ²³ Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. ²⁴ He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
We’ve talked recently about how women must be in complete submission to their own husbands. Obedience to your husband is the proof of your love, just as obedience to Christ is the proof of our love towards Him. The rebellious refusal to obey provokes God to anger. When a wife disobeys her husband, what do you think the response is going to be? Not everybody abides in God’s love. His love shines down upon those who obey Him, not the disobedient and rebellious.
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” John 15:10
When people are argumentative about the teachings of scripture, it shows a rebellious streak in their heart. Rebellion is bad news because it’s a purposeful resistance against the will of God. This type of attitude will be punished by God in a public manner.
2 Timothy 3 ⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. ⁹ But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
2 Timothy 4 ¹⁴ Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
¹⁵ Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
Those who refuse to obey the will of God, don’t love God. Those who don’t love God will be cursed.
“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” 1 Corinthians 16:22
2 Thessalonians 2 ¹⁰ And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
¹² That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
All of my years as a believer, I have met many people who profess to follow Christ, yet when you tell them what the scriptures say, their conversation suddenly turns sour. They become belligerent and argumentative simply because of what the Bible says. They claim that He is their God, yet they completely reject the things that He teaches. If people truly want to inherit eternal life, it will require perfect obedience to God’s truth, without discussion, without contention, and……..
……. Without Debate
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.♥️
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 