By Christopher Seah
How should Christ’s people navigate our divisive times? That question was raised in an article I contributed in September. There, I proposed that believers should start by remembering that we are “all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). This does not guarantee total agreement on every issue. But it does make us think twice before speaking poorly of others. It also ensures that followers of Christ will have more things to agree on. Another verse that offers guidance to us as we navigate these divisive days is 1 Peter 3:15. Although Peter is talking about making a reasoned defense of our Christian faith, his advice applies to the way believers engage with those outside to our faith.
First, we begin by honoring Christ the Lord in our hearts. Since our basic identity is in Christ, our primary concern should not be loyalty to a label (“conservative,” “progressive,” “patriot,” “woke,” etc.). And it should not be the preservation of our own preferences; whatever we think is right for ourselves or would bring us minimal discomfort. The primary concern of our hearts ought to be to honor Christ as Lord.
Honoring Christ prompts us to keep the following questions at the front of our minds. What does God’s Word, Holy Scripture, say about a certain topic? What Scripture verses am I relying on to form my convictions? Am I applying those verses correctly or am I taking them out of context? What does the collective wisdom of my tradition/denomination have to say on the issue? And why does this particular issue, instead of others, matter so much to me? What’s in it for me?
Those questions get us to do the hard work of self-examination, discerning to what extent we actually conform to Christ. When we honor Christ as Lord, our main concern is not loyalty to a party label or to our personal preferences. But putting Christ above everything else requires repentance and faith—which God is working in us by his Word and Spirit! In repentance, God turns us from unbelief. By faith in Christ, he assures us that our sins—even our failure to honor the Lord—have been forgiven through Christ’s atoning blood. Ultimately, honoring Christ is not what we do. It is what God does in us (Phil. 2:12-13). And he is doing it!
Second, we defend our positions “with gentleness and respect.” Again, Peter is speaking about giving a reason for our hope in Christ. But there is wisdom here to help us conduct ourselves before the wider world. If professing Christians resort to name-calling, bearing false witness, and other forms of degrading speech against those with whom we disagree, how would that serve our larger mission, which is to proclaim the Gospel to those who have yet to believe?
Thankfully, the very hope that we are to give a reason for frees us to respond in gentleness and respect to begin with. Because Christ has saved us and forgiven our many sins, we do not need to resort to harshness, which often arises from fear and a desire to score points with our own side. We can afford to treat with “gentleness and respect” those whom we believe are wrong. We can feel free to listen carefully to them without fearing that our souls would be lost if we merely acknowledged their fears and concerns. And we can also stand for God’s Word without wavering, knowing that our Lord will care for us and turn to himself whomever he will (Jn. 5:21).
