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Faiths Response to Conflict

So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. From the Negev he went from place to
place until he came to ethel, to the place between ethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and
where he had first built an altar. !here Abram called on the name of the L"#$. Now Lot, who was moving
about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. ut the land could not support them while they
stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. And %uarreling
arose between Abram&s herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. !he 'anaanites and (eri))ites were also living
in the land at that time. So Abram said to Lot, *Let&s not have any %uarreling between you and me, or
between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. +s not the whole land before you, Let&s part
company. +f you go to the left, +&ll go to the right- if you go to the right, +&ll go to the left.. Lot looked up and
saw that the whole plain of the /ordan was well watered, like the garden of the L"#$, like the land of
Egypt, toward 0oar. 1!his was before the L"#$ destroyed Sodom and 2omorrah.3 So Lot chose for himself
the whole plain of the /ordan and set out toward the east. !he two men parted company4 Abram lived in the
land of 'anaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the
men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the L"#$. !he L"#$ said to Abram after Lot
had parted from him, *Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the
land that you see + will give to you and your offspring forever. + will make your offspring like the dust of the
earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 2o, walk through the
length and breadth of the land, for + am giving it to you.. So Abram moved his tents and went to live near
the great trees of 5amre at 6ebron, where he built an altar to the L"#$.
2enesis 7849:7;
6ow does faith react in difficult relationships, 6ow should believers respond to conflict, <e live in an age
where conflict is every where. <e see it in society with the constant lawsuits and globally with the never
ending wars. ut even worse, we commonly see it in the church. !here are church splits, the divorce rate in
the church is virtually the same as the world, and there are many casualties in our families related to these
problems.
+n fact, when we look at the historical narrative of Scripture, we see that discord was even common
among the people of God. 'ain did not like his brother Abel. Jacobs twelve sons sold Joseph into
slavery. Even in the New !estament, we see a fight in the church of (hilippi between two women Eudia
and Syntyche. The church of Corinth was separating into religious factions and even suing one another.
(aul and arnabas got into a dispute over /ohn 5ark, about whether he should come on a mission trip with
them, leading to them to go their separate ways.
+n fact, discord is so prevalent, (aul said this in Ephesians =4>?4 *In your anger do not sin: Do not let the
sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
Paul essentially says that youre going to get angry youre going to have disagreements but in
your anger and disagreements do not sin because you will give the devil a foothold. Satan works where
there is disorder. +t gives him a stronghold to continually attack believers from.
Even now, if we look at our relationship with 2od and others and find anger and discord there, we can be
sure that the enemy of our souls is at work in our lives. Scripture says that God is not a God of disorder but
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of peace 17 'orinthians 7=4883. Therefore when there is disorder and conflict we lose the blessing of
God on our lives our ministries and our wor!place, and, instead, we open the door for the enemy.
Since, as believers, we will have times of conflict, how should we respond to it, +n 2enesis 78, we learn a
great deal about how to respond to conflict as we consider Abraham@s conflict with his nephew, Lot. +n
6ebrews 77, "braham is listed as a hero of faithAsomebody that should be modeled. +n fact, (aul
teaches in 2alatians 84B that he is the father of all who believeAhe is the father of those with faith. +f we
have faith and are living for 2od, we demonstrate many of his characteristics, and, in that sense, we are
Abraham@s children. Abraham is someone worth modeling and that is one of the reasons there is such a
great emphasis on him in the iblical record. 6is narrative is in 2enesis 7>:>9- he is mentioned several
other times in the "ld !estament and in four books of the New !estament 1#omans, 2alatians, /ames, and
6ebrews3.
+n this narrative, we learn from the *Father of Faith. about how *faith. should respond in discord with other
people. #cripture says that faith is not $ust the way that we are saved% it should also be the lifestyle
of the believer. 6ebrews 7C48; says, my righteous one shall live by faith. or *the Dust shall live by faith..
Faith should affect every aspect of our lives including how we respond to conflict.
What are some principles that we can learn from braham about how faith responds to conflict so that we
will not give !atan a stronghold and lose the blessing of God" !his is important to hear because + believe
many 'hristians have lost the blessing of 2od over their lives, because of discord.
+n fact, + think we should notice that in response to how Abraham handles this conflict, 2od reaffirms his
promise to him. Listen to what 2od says,
!he L"#$ said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, *Lift up your eyes from where you are and
look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see + will give to you and your offspring
forever. + will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust,
then your offspring could be counted. 2o, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for + am
giving it to you..
2enesis 7847=:7B
This is essentially God saying &"braham you have done well and ' will surely bless you.( +t is the
same thing 2od said to Abraham after he left Er and came to 'anaan in chapter 7>. +t@s the same thing
2od said after Abraham had won the battle with raiding armies in chapter 79, and it@s the same thing 2od
said to Abraham after he was about to offer his son as a sacrifice in 2enesis >>. #esponding properly to
conflict brought 2od@s blessing and affirmation in Abraham@s life. #imilarly how we respond to conflict
will affect the blessing of God upon our lives.
+n this narrative, that is often over looked, + believe we see principles about how faith should respond to
difficult relationships. )et it be !nown that these difficult relationships will many times be with people
close to us* a wife a husband a brother or a sister or a member of the church, Dust as Abraham@s
conflict was with his nephew Lot, who was also a follower of 2od. !hose who faithfully respond to conflict
will have 2od@s blessing on their lives.
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#ig $uestion: What principles can we learn about how faith responds to conflict, as we consider the conflict
between braham and %ot"
Faith #ee!s +nity by )iving in Communion with God
So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. From the Negev he went from place to
place until he came to ethel, to the place between ethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and
where he had first built an altar. &here bram called on the name of the %'(DF So Abram moved his tents
and went to live near the great trees of 5amre at 6ebron, where he built an altar to the %'(D.
2enesis 7847:=, 7;
Interpretation $uestion: What is the significance of braham)s altars mentioned in Genesis *+:, and verse
*-"
"ne of the things that must stand out to us in this teGt is the mentioning of Abraham@s altars. +n the previous
narrative, we saw Abraham go down to Egypt 12en 7>47C:>C3. 6e decided to not trust in 2od when he
encountered a famine in 'anaan. 6e took things into his own hands. 6e built no altars to worship and seek
the Lord, and, as a conse%uence, almost loses his wife. +n contrast, this narrative is enclosed by altars.
After leaving Egypt, Abraham repents of his sin as he returns to the first altar he built in the 'anaan. Soon
after, he works out the discord with Lot, and, then, he builds another altar to 2od in 6ebron. The word
&,ebron( actually means communion.
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From this we can learn a great deal if we are going to have a faith filled response to discord, then,
we must live in worship; we must live in constant communion with God. +n chapter 7>, Abraham does
not respond in faith when he encounters the famine- he heads to Egypt. .ut while in /gypt his faith is
strengthened. 6e learned that even while he was unfaithful to 2od, 2od was faithful to him. 2od
miraculously protected his wife when she was taken by (haraoh for marriage. +n thankfulness and trust to
2od, Abraham worships at the altar he originally made, and, soon after resolving the conflict with Lot, he
builds another altar and worships 2od. This is what enabled "braham to wal! in faith when discord
and conflict struc! his family.
6ow can we properly respond to conflict in our livesAconflict with friends, family, co:workers, and church
members, <e must be people that live in communion with 2od. <e must be a community of worshipAnot
Dust on Sundays but every day.
+n 2alatians 94>C, (aul shares what the fruits of the flesh, our sinful nature, are4 hatred, discord, .ealousy,
fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 1v. >C3. Therefore to be human means to be in
discord. Right after "dam and /ve sinned "dam by implication blamed God and then the woman.
!he woman blamed the serpent. $iscord was a result of sin. !herefore, many people know nothing of a day
without some type of discord with others. 't has been part of our human nature since the fall.
6owever, in the same teGt, (aul further describes how 2od has given us his Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit.
!he fruit of the Spirit is4 *love, .oy, peace, patience, /indness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self0
control 12alatians 94>>:>83. "ne of the reasons that 'hrist came was to give us his Spirit. 6e came to
restore what was lost in the 2arden of Eden. .y giving us his #pirit we can love those who hurt us% we
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can be patient with difficult people% we can respond with gentleness instead of harshness% we can
have self0control instead of anger. !his is the fruit that the Spirit has come to bear in our lives.
6ow do we have this fruit so that we can have peace in our relationships, 2alatians 947? says, *live by the
!pirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
'n each one of us there is a battle between the sinful nature and the #pirit. The acts of the sinful
nature bring discord but the fruit of the #pirit brings peace and fellowship. +n order to live in the
Spirit, or walk in the Spirit as some translations say, we must live in Gods 1ord prayer worship
service and fellowship with the saints. 1e also must faithfully obey the #cripture. <hen we choose
to get up each morning and not fill ourselves with the Spirit of 2od, we become vulnerable to the works of
the flesh. 1e will find ourselves angrier less patient and even prone to cut people off.
6ow was Abraham able to respond in faith when there was discord, Abraham was able to respond in faith
because he was living in the Spirit. 6e was living in communion with 2od. 6e worshiped before the
altercation and after it. 6e was abiding in 2od, and, therefore, the fruit of the Spirit was born in his life.
Are you a worshiper, Are you living in the <ord, +f not, you will be prone to the works of the flesh4 anger,
fits of rage, discord, etc. Are you living in the Spirit or walking in the flesh, Hou can tell by your response to
those who upset you or fail you, <e must walk in the path of our father Abraham. Let us worship before the
trial and after the trial, for only there will we find the fruit of the Spirit, which brings peace.
pplication $uestion: In what ways have you e1perienced a propensity towards discord when not living in
communion with God" In what ways have you e1perienced the ability to see/ unity when living in
communion with God" 2ow is God calling you to live more in his presence"
Faith #ee!s +nity by Considering 2ur 1itness to +nbelievers
*Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. ut the land could not
support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay
together. And %uarreling arose between Abram&s herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. &he 3anaanites and
4eri55ites were also living in the land at that time. So Abram said to Lot, *Let&s not have any %uarreling
between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine.. 12enesis 7849:;3
Interpretation $uestion: What is the significance of the narrator mentioning the 3anaanites and the
4eri55ites who were in the land"
6ere in this narrative, Abraham had Dust come back from Egypt with his nephew Lot, and they had become
very wealthy people. (haraoh gave Abraham great wealth for the sake of Sarai, and, obviously, much of it
had been shared with Lot. !hey had great flocks, herds, tents, and herdsmen, and, therefore, they weren@t
able to stay together. 3oses the narrator said that the land could not support them. "bviously, 5oses
is not saying that the land wasn@t big enough- he is probably referring to the amount of food available during
the famine. 'f "braham and )ots camps stayed together it would be hard to find food to support
them.
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+n addition, 5oses chooses to add another bit of information after describing Abraham and Lot@s conflict. 6e
says,
&he 3anaanites and 4eri55ites were also living in the land at that time. So Abram said to Lot, *Let&s
not have any %uarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are
brothers.
2enesis 784B:;
!he narrator says there were 'anaanites and (eri))ites living in the land and for that reason, he says *So
Abraham said to Lot.. !herefore, it wasn@t Dust because of the conflict with Lot@s herdsman that Abraham
approached Lot or because of the scarce resources- it was also because of the 'anaanites and (eri))ites
who were in the land.
!his could mean one of two things. 173 +t could mean that 'anaan is so saturated with the four camps of
people 1Abraham@s, Lot@s, the 'anaanites, and (eri))ites3 that there was great competition for food.
,owever thats probably not the reason 3oses mentioned the Canaanites and Peri44ites since
"braham doesnt tell )ot to leave Canaan all together but to choose somewhere else in the land. +f
there wasn@t enough food for those four camps of people, then it would have made more sense if Abraham
told Lot to leave the land all together.
1>3 !he more likely possibility is that Abraham approaches Lot to fiG the problem because of their witness to
the 'anaanites and (eri))ites. <e must remember that 2od@s plan for Abraham wasn@t Dust that he was
going to make his name great and make him a great nation. God was going to do all those things
primarily so that &all the nations of the world would be blessed through him 12en 7>483. Abraham
was called to be a witness for 2od to the pagans, and one day the messiah would come through his
lineage. +n fact, if you remember, when he first gets to the land he builds an altar right neGt to the *great tree
of 5amre.. !his was probably a pagan shrine where the 'anaanites worshiped. *5amre. actually means
*teaching.. !rees were a symbol of fertility so the 'anaanites would worship at these trees and place
shrines in them. !his particular set of trees probably was a place where the 'anaanite prophets would
teach the people. 6owever, Abraham places his altar to the 2od of heaven and earth right neGt to their
shrine. 6e was a bold witness- he desired for the pagans to know the true 2od.
At this time, Abraham was one of the only people in 'anaan that still worshiped Hahweh 2od. "t the Tower
of .abel in Genesis -- we see that the ma$ority of the world was already rebelling against God after
the flood. !hey also had become increasingly polytheistic, worshiping many gods. <hen Abraham came
to town he started building altars to the one 2od, the only 2od, as a witness to the pagans in the land.
"ne of the reasons that Abraham seeks to fiG this situation with his nephew is probably because of his
witness. This was perhaps even more pressing on "brahams heart after he had failed before
Pharaoh and the entire nation of /gypt. <hen he lied about his wife and (haraoh confronted him,
Abraham had nothing to say. 6e had lost his witness.
!herefore, after returning to 'anaan and going to the first altar that he had built, his initial worship in the
beginning of chapter 78 was probably repentance. ' have no doubt that he is repenting for not trusting
God but also repenting because of his bad witness in front of the /gyptians. Now, he is motivated to
honor 2od with his witness in the land. $ivision between him and Lot would only further push the pagans
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away from 2od. !he 'anaanites would say, *!hey are Dust like us.. And, it would give them no reason to
believe in and follow 2od.
Listen, saints, this is an important concept for us to understand. +t should help keep families together,
marriages together, friendships together, and even churches together. ,ow we interact with each other
will either promote our God or it will disgrace his name. <e see this taught throughout Scripture. Listen
to what /esus prayed in his high priestly prayer in /ohn 7B4>8. Listen to what he said4 *6ay they be brought
to complete unity to let the world /now that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
1/ohn 7B4>C:>83.
6e says, + pray that they may be *one. that the *world may know that you sent me.. Essentially, /esus is
saying this, *+ pray that believers will love one another and walk in unity, even when things are difficult,
because it affects evangelism.. +t affects people believing that 2od sent /esus into the world.
The world is always loo!ing at how we relate to one another and they value Christ not $ust on how
we live individually but how we interact with other Christians. +n fact, /esus said this, *they will /now
you)re my disciples by how you love one another 1/ohn 784893. "ur relationships say something about
'hrist, and it also says something about us. 1arren 1iersbe said this about the tragic effects of
Christian disunity on the lost*
+n my pastoral ministry, + fre%uently visited the unsaved relatives and friends of church members,
seeking to interest them in spiritual things, only to discover that they knew about every *church
fight. in town.
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Similarly, 2handi said, II li/e your 3hrist. I don7t li/e your 3hristians. &hey are so unli/e your 3hrist.8
Nonbelievers are always watching and looking for a reason to mock 'hristians and their 'hrist. !herefore,
when there is a scandal, it is always highly publici)ed in the news and on the +nternet. "ur unity is
important for evangelism, and this should make us seek reconciliation.
6ow do we learn to respond in faith to discord, "ne of the ways is by remembering the importance of our
witness to the 'anaanites in the land. "ur unity affects evangelism
$o you think about the lost or other weak 'hristians when at odds with people in the church, $o you
consider the witness and beauty of 'hrist,
#ee wea! faith only considers my pride my wants what ' thin! is right or how bad ' was treated.
.ut strong faith thin!s about the gospel other peoples faith and ultimately the glory of Christ.
6ow do you respond when there is conflict, <hat does your response say about your faith,
pplication $uestion: What should be our response to the reality that disunity amidst the people of God
deters people from the beauty of 3hrist and the gospel"
*. We should pray for the unity of the church .ust li/e 3hrist did.
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'hrist understood how critically important 'hristian unity is. !herefore, he prayed for it before he died, and
no doubt, he still prays for it today as our high priest in the heavenlies 16eb B4>93. Similarly, (aul prayed for
the church in (hillipi to grow in love for one another 1cf. (hil 74J3. 6e also prayed for the church of
!hessalonica that their love for one another would overflow 17 !hess 847>3. Are you praying for the unity of
the church,
'hrist prayed for it, (aul prayed for it, and we should pray for it as well. <e should also pray for 'hristian
families. <e should pray that the hearts of the fathers to be turned bac/ to the children 1cf. 5al =4?3. <e
should pray for 2od to heal broken families. As we consider the importance of unity to the gospel, we must
continually intercede for it as our Lord does.
9. <e should seek to reconcile on the basis of our witness.
!his is what Abraham did. +f we are in discord with others, if we are holding grudges, then we should seek
unity because there are 'anaanites in the land, who do not believe in our 2od. !he world Dudges 'hrist on
the basis of how you interact with your husband, your wife, your coworkers, and your church. #omans
7>47; says this, If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Are you doing
your part to forgive and reconcile with those who have hurt you,
pplication $uestion: What ways have you seen or e1perienced disunity in a church, a family, or amongst
3hristian friends that pushed people away from 3hrist" 2ow do we help bring healing and restoration to
those who have fallen away because of church conflict"
Faith #ee!s +nity by Focusing on 2ur Commonality in Christ
*So Abram said to Lot, *Let&s not have any %uarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and
mine, for we are brothers. 12enesis 784;3
'bservation $uestion: What is the reason that braham gave to %ot for see/ing to resolve their :uarrel in
Genesis *+:-"
+n this section, we see another wise principle from Abraham as he approaches Lot about resolving their
conflict. 6e essentially says, *Let@s not fight because we are family.. Abraham sought unity based on their
commonality. ecause they were family, he essentially said that being in discord was not an option.
,owever when there is discord typically people choose to focus on their differences rather than
their commonalities. <e make comments like, &1e dont thin! ali!e( &1e are from different
cultures( &1e dont understand one another(, instead of focusing on what is shared. Abraham didn@t
say, *<e have these differences let@s split.. 6e said, *1eve got this in common lets figure this out in
an amicable way.. !hat is a fundamental difference to the way most handle their conflicts.
<e see something similar to this in what (aul says to the (hilippiansAa church that was also having
conflict 1cf. (hil =4>3. 6e says4
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+f you have any encouragement from being united with 'hrist, if any comfort from his love, if any
fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my Doy complete by being
like:minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
(hilippians >47:>
!he word *if. essentially means *since.. *Since you have encouragement from being united in 'hrist, since
you have comfort from his love, since you have fellowship with the SpiritFthen make my Doy complete by
being like:mindedF one in spirit and purpose.. Paul says because you have so much in common in
Christ be one. 2od has done something uni%ue in the life of every believer. <e have become one in
'hrist by the work of the 6oly Spirit. !herefore, Ephesians =48 says this, &Make every effort to keep the
unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
(aul says because 2od has made us one, we must make every effort to keep it. &3a!e every effort( can
also be translated &3a!e haste( meaning that we must do this %uickly.
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(aul in the same chapter said
that we should not even let the sun go down while we are angry 1Eph =4>?3. <e must %uickly seek
restoration.
!his is a principle that has been lost in our friendships, our marriages, and our churches. <e are one and,
therefore, living in discord is not an option. For many they would rather stay at war move away or
never see! resolution. !herefore, we have a lot of 'hristians who commonly bounce from church to
church every time there is a problem. <e also have many who bounce from friendship to friendship and
marriage to marriage.
'n considering the church it is often a place where we find very little commitment. !here are splits
over the color of the carpet the style of worship and the time of worship. +n the church, there are
many petty discords and many big ones.
,owever $ust li!e "braham we must see! unity on the basis of our family relationship which has
come through our union to Christ. Listen, having peace doesn@t mean that we don@t ever go our separate
ways, but it means that we honor 2od and keep a peaceful relationship, even when it comes to that. 1e
need this mindset bac! in our churches% we need this mindset bac! in our families. 1e are one%
therefore we must ma!e haste to !eep the unity of the #pirit.
't has been said that you can choose your friends but you cant choose your family. 2od in his
sovereignty chose to unite us as a body and as a family. <e are called to treat each person in the church
as members of our family. Look at what (aul said to !imothy, *Do not rebu/e an older man harshly, but
e1hort him as if he were your father. &reat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and
younger women as sisters, with absolute purity 17 !imothy 947:>3.
5aybe, you are in conflict right now and all you can think about is how you disagree with this person or how
you can@t believe what this person said or did. 'n order to have unity we must choose to focus on not
our differences but on what we share in common. <e are children of God, people for whom 'hrist
died. <e have been filled and indwelled with the ,oly #pirit. <e have been given the same mission to
reach the lost for Christ. 2od has raised us up with him and seated us in heavenly places. <e are
citi)ens of heaven and many, many other things. <e must seek unity based on our commonality in 'hrist.
!his commonality is greater than any other commonality in the world, because it is eternal.
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Like Abraham, we must seek peace based on our family relationship, our commonality, which ultimately
comes from the Lord.
pplication $uestion: In what ways should our commonality in 3hrist help us see/ unity" 2ow can we /eep
a focus on this, instead our differences, in the midst of discord"
Faith #ee!s +nity by ,umbly Putting 2thers 'nterests First
&So Abram said to Lot, *Let&s not have any %uarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and
mine, for we are brothers. +s not the whole land before you, Let&s part company. +f you go to the left, +&ll go
to the right- if you go to the right, +&ll go to the left..@ 12enesis 784;:J3
Interpretation $uestion: Why does braham offer %ot the first choice of the land, even though God had
promised it to him"
!here is another aspect of Abraham@s response that we must notice. 6e humbled himself by giving Lot the
pick of the land. #ee in the #emitic culture "braham was the &patriarch( the oldest male and
therefore the chief. Lot was his nephew, the son of Abraham@s brother. +n that culture, Lot had to submit
to Abraham. 6owever, Abraham did something uncommon in that culture as he gave up his rights and
humbled himself before his younger relative.
.ut not only did "braham have a cultural right to the best of the land he also had a divine right.
2od had promised Abraham and his descendants the land of 'anaan. 6owever, Abraham still offers up the
best of the land to Lot. This not only shows "brahams humility but also his faith. +n the previous
narrative, when Abraham left the promised land and went down to Egypt. 6e tried to protect his family and
his interests by his own power, as he lied to (haraoh. ,owever here he offers the best of the land to
)ot no doubt in part because he trusts that God is going to give it to him and his descendants in
the future. "braham is not fighting for his rights because he has entrusted God with his rights.
See, if we are going to respond in faith to conflict, we must learn how to humble ourselves in faith and seek
the interest of others before our own.
3ost conflict and division is a result of our pride. 1e fight because we dont want to give in or
relin5uish what we are discerning as our right. 6owever, faith doesn@t respond that way. Faith sees any
right we have as coming from God and therefore God will defend those rights if it is truly his will.
6ere, in Abraham, we see a picture of the attitude of 'hrist. (aul describes this attitude in (hilippians >48:9
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than
yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of
others. ;our attitude should be the same as that of 3hrist <esus: Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider e:uality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the
very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
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'hrist gave up his rights as a member of the 2odhead and took the form of a servant on the earth, serving
others unto death. "nd we are e6horted to have this mind in us7a humble mind that puts others
first7a mind li!e Christs not grasping for his rights.
6ow do we implement this practically, <e do the same thing that Abraham did, as he sought to resolve this
conflict- he humbled himself and gave up his rights. 6e gave up his right as the patriarch and as the one
whom 2od had promised the land, in order to mend his relationship with his nephew.
/esus said this in 5atthew 948;:=C4
*Hou have heard that it was said, KEye for eye, and tooth for tooth.@ ut + tell you, $o not resist an
evil person. +f someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone
wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. +f someone forces you to go
one mile, go with him two miles.
*Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. was legal terminology from the 3osaic )aw for fairness. +f a
person sinned there needed to be an e%ual payment to the person that was wronged, or an e%ual
conse%uence given to the person that sinned. ,owever Jesus said that one of the characteristics of
the people in his !ingdom would be their willingness to humble themselves and give up their rights.
+nstead of demanding their rights, they would rather turn the other cheek and not only give away their shirt
but their Dacket as well.
Similarly, 3atthew 8*8 says this, *#lessed are the mee/ for they will inherit the earth.. !he meek are
commonly perceived as weak, but, actually, they are not. !hey have a great inner strength. Even though
they could fight, they instead humbly serve or suffer inDustice. Christ could have called thousands of
angels at his crucifi6ion but he instead gave up his rights and therefore the earth will one day be
given to him. +t will also be given to those who follow his eGample.
(aul taught the same thing in - Corinthians 9*: to a congregation that was suing one another. 6e says,
*&he very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why
not rather be wronged" Why not rather be cheated"
!his is the characteristic that we see in Abraham who is the father of faith. 6e humbled himself and gave up
his cultural right and divine right, in order to mend his relationship with his nephew.
)iving for a ,eavenly Country
2ow could braham do this, especially, if he /new this land was promised to him" 6ow can we do this with
our Dobs, careers, and other rights that are so important to us,
Not only was it because he had faith that 2od would give him the land, but it also was because
"brahams heart was ultimately not focused on the earthly land of Canaan but on the heavenly land.
The land of Canaan ;'srael< is primarily a picture of heaven. 6ebrews 7747? says this about Abraham
and others of faith4 *Instead, they were longing for a better country=a heavenly one. &herefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
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+t says he was really seeking a land without borders, a heavenly city, the heavenly /erusalem. +n 6ebrews
7>4>>, it talks about how we, as believers, have come to the heavenly Jerusalem where the righteous men
made perfect, the church, and the angels dwell. +n fact, when we continue to follow the story of +srael under
the leadership of 5oses, we see that they were called to build a tabernacle according to the pattern of
the heavenly one 1cf. EGodus >94J, 6ebrews ;493. 2od had given +srael, a land, a tabernacle, and laws
that were all $ust shadows of heavenly realities to ma!e them thirst for heaven and Jesus the !ing of
the heavenly Jerusalem.
<hy could Abraham willingly give up the land, +t was because earthly /erusalem ultimately wasn@t his final
destination. 6e had his sights on a heavenly kingdom. Earthly 'anaan was Dust preparation, a foretaste of
the heaven.
+t should be the same for us. <hy should 'hristians be willing to give up their rights here on earth4
humbling themselves, giving up their shirts, turning their cheeks, etc., +t is because this is not our home,
The more we have a grasp on our heavenly home the less our earthly home and its privileges will
have a grip on us.
6ow does faith respond to conflict and discord, Faith responds by humbling itself and seeking the interests
of others. Are you willing to humble yourself and seek the interest of others like Abraham and ultimately like
'hrist, 'hrist left heaven and its privileges to serve others here on earth.
Are you in discord with family or a friend, 5aybe this world and its privileges has too much of a hold on
your heart. 2od is calling you to humble yourself, give up your rights, and live a life of faith, seeking the
heavenly country that is waiting for you.
pplication $uestion: What ma/es it so hard to humble ourselves and see/ the benefit of those who have
offended us" 2ow can we grow in this practice, especially when in conflict" !hare a time where you felt
God was calling you to give up your rights in order to wor/ for unity.
Faith #ee!s +nity by Pursuing God and ,is .lessing
Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the /ordan was well watered, like the garden of the L"#$,
like the land of Egypt, toward 0oar. 1!his was before the L"#$ destroyed Sodom and 2omorrah.3 So Lot
chose for himself the whole plain of the /ordan and set out toward the east. !he two men parted company4
Abram lived in the land of 'anaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near
Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the L"#$. !he L"#$ said
to Abram after Lot had parted from him, *Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south,
east and west. All the land that you see + will give to you and your offspring forever. + will make your
offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be
counted. 2o, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for + am giving it to you.. So Abram moved
his tents and went to live near the great trees of 5amre at 6ebron, where he built an altar to the L"#$.
2enesis 7847C:7;
NeGt, we see that Lot took Abraham up on his offer. 6e looked around at the land but instead of focusing on
'anaan, the land of promise, he looked at the area of Sodom and 2omorrah. 6e saw that it was well
watered like Egypt, and he decided that he would go there instead of staying in the land of 'anaan,
12
because of its prosperity. !he narrator says this, *bram lived in the land of 3anaan, while %ot lived among
the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near !odom. >ow the men of !odom were wic/ed and were
sinning greatly against the %'(D 12enesis 7847>:783.
<e see that Lot, though a righteous man according to (eter 1> (eter >4B3 chose to pitch his tent near
Sodom at the edge of the promised land. "s we follow the narrative he first lives outside of #odom
even though it was a wic!ed city but then he moves into the land in chapter -=. +n chapter 7=, we see
that he is kidnapped from Sodom, and Abraham has to save him. Finally, in chapter 7J, he is not only living
in Sodom but has prospered there. 1e see him at the gateway of the city when the angels enter the
land to save him 17J473. !his probably means that he had become an elder in the city. +n fact, when the
violent men knocked on his door, as they desired to violate the angels, they cried out, *who made you a
.udge among us 17J4J3.
Finally we see that all the riches and prestige he had gained was lost when #odom was destroyed.
6e also lost his family because #odom was in their hearts. 6is wife looked back to Sodom as it was
being destroyed, and she was turned into a pillar of salt. 6is daughters, who also had Sodom in their
hearts, later raped their father to have children. Lot@s children were the founders of the nation of 5oab, who
throughout "ld !estament history were enemies of 2od. )ots decision to choose the world over the
things of God cost him everything.
Lot was a righteous man, but he made his decision based on the prosperity of this world. ,e didnt
choose the sin of #odom over God. ,e thought he could have the prosperity of #odom and still
have the blessing of God. 6e wanted both.
Sadly, this is true for many 'hristians. They want to follow God but they also want to be esteemed by
the world and have the prosperity of the world. 6owever, this desire for the things of the world often
destroys them as well. First /ohn >479:7B says this4
$o not love the world or anything in the world. +f anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is
not in him. For everything in the worldAthe cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the
boasting of what he has and doesAcomes not from the Father but from the world. !he world and
its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of 2od lives forever.
' remember as a youth pastor many of my students would get accepted into top schools in the
nation. !hey desired this path and their parents desired it as well, because they saw the prosperity that it
could lead to. 6owever, it never really seemed to be a maDor consideration that these were godless places,
like Sodom, and that being there could affect their spiritual blessing. For many of them li!e )ot the
prosperity of the world was their primary consideration. + watched many of them eventually turn away
from 2od and lose the values that they were taught.
5any times we like to think of >aniel and his three friends prospering and being lights in .abylon.
6owever, we never really focus on the fact that there were probably hundreds and maybe thousands of
6ebrew children that compromised while in abylon. !hey ate the king@s meat and turned away from 2od.
Those who do not compromise their faith and morals are often few and far between.
13
This is also true when Christians are wor!ing in the secular world. 3any times the primary
consideration is prosperity instead of see!ing spiritual blessings. A person gets offered more money
at a company, and they give no thought to the spiritual condition of the company. They dont as!
themselves &1here can ' be more faithful to God?( or &,ow can ' be more profitable for the
!ingdom,. 5any 'hristians makes their decisions solely based on money and prosperity, and, therefore
often find themselves in dry seasons as they have left their church home their former ministry and
accountability partners. Lot, though a righteous man, only cared about secular success and not spiritual
blessing, and it destroyed him and his family. First !imothy ?47C says, *?or the love of money is a root of all
/inds of evil. !ome people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with
many griefs.
@es the story of )ot is the story of many righteous Christians. Psalm - declares a blessing on the one
that does not walk, stand, or sit in the counsel, the way, or the seat of the ungodly. elievers can lose their
blessings by simply being in the wrong place. )ot wanted the prosperity of the world and lost the
blessing that came from God. The promised land did not have the prosperity of the world but it did
have the blessing and promise of God.
,owever let our focus not be on )ot but on "braham. Abraham wanted the blessing of 2od and not
that of the world. !his is why he could offer Lot the best of the land. 'n the same way we must desire the
blessing of God over prosperity if we are going to respond to conflicts with faith.
As mentioned before, it is no surprise that we see 2od pronounce a blessing upon Abraham right after this
discourse. "fter )ot lifted his eyes and decided on the prosperity of #odom God tells "braham lift
up his eyes because the land would be given to him and his descendants. 6is descendants would be
like the sand on the sea shore. Again, 2od revealed himself and blessed Abraham for his faithful response
to Lot, Dust as he did after Abraham left Er in chapter 7>. 2od will do this again in chapter 79 after Abraham
heroically defeats a raiding army, and, again in chapter >>, after Abraham offers his son to 2od. 2od was
pleased with Abraham, and it brought a renewal of 2od@s covenant with him.
So what do we learn about how faith responds to conflict in this section, +f we are going to respond in faith,
we must seek the blessing of 2od and not the prosperity of the world.
pplication $uestion: 2ow do we apply this practically=desiring the blessing of God when we encounter
conflict"
'onsider 7 (eter 84B4 *2usbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat
them with respect as the wea/er partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will
hinder your prayers.
1hy does Peter tell husbands to treat their wives with respect in this passage? 6e says so that their
prayers would not be hindered. /ssentially he tells them that when they are in conflict that they must
focus on the blessing of God. 6e says live at peace so you will receive a blessing, which is answered
prayer.
14
+@ll be honest- +@ve been in arguments with my wife where + didn@t feel like getting right with her. + didn@t feel
like apologi)ing, but + would remember this verse and feel compelled to get right. + didn@t want to lose the
blessing of 2od over my life or my family@s life.
There are many families where God does not hear their prayers because they live in discord. All the
family sees if their prosperity, their rights, and not the blessing of 2od. They live by sight and not by faith.
(salm 788 says the same thing4
6ow good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unityL +t is like precious oil poured on the
head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron&s beard, down upon the collar of his
robes. +t is as if the dew of 6ermon were falling on 5ount 0ion. For there the L"#$ bestows his
blessing, even life forevermore.
$oes this mean 2od gives eternal life to those who are in unity, Ao life forevermore or eternal life
simply means a greater 5uality of life a life full of Gods blessings. 2od promises his blessing to those
who walk in unity with their brothers. 6e promises that he will hear their prayers. 6e promises to anoint
them for the work that he has called them to do. 6e promises to make them fruitful.
!here may be some people reading this who have been missing 2od@s blessing for a long time- their
prayers are not being heard by 2od. God is waiting for them to wal! in faith to see! reconciliation
with those who have hurt or failed them so that he can spea! to them clearly again and renew his
favor over their lives as he did with "braham.
'f we are going to respond in faith to conflict we must !eep our eyes on Gods blessing. $iscord
removes 2od@s blessing. !he blessing of 2od must be more important than our pride and our prosperity.
Lot got the best, but he missed the blessing of 2od, and it eventually cost him everything. 3any Christians
withhold forgiveness and harbor anger towards others because their feelings and rights are more
important than obedience to God and receiving his grace. /ventually li!e )ot they will lose
everything if they do not forgive and get right with God and others.
Are you lifting your eyes to see your prosperity, "r are you looking in faith at 2od@s blessingAthe blessing
he gives to those who walk in unity,
pplication $uestion: In what ways have you e1perienced a clearer hearing of God)s voice and receiving
his blessing after restoring a relationship" 2ow can we /eep our eyes on God)s blessing instead of our
prosperity when in conflict"
Conclusion
6ow does faith respond to conflict and discord, <e get a great eGample of this as we consider how
AbrahamAthe father of those who believeAresponds in faith to Lot.
7. Faith Seeks Enity by Living in 'ommunion with 2od.
>. Faith Seeks Enity by 'onsidering "ur <itness to Enbelievers.
8. Faith Seeks Enity by Focusing on "ur 'ommonality in 'hrist.
15
=. Faith Seeks Enity by 6umbly (utting "thers@ +nterests First.
9. Faith Seeks Enity by (ursuing 2od and 6is lessing.
1
2u)ik, $avid 1>C7>:7>:C;3. 2enesis 1Mindle Locations >=>7:>=>=3. Enduring <ord 5edia. Mindle Edition.
2
Wiersbe, W. W. (1991). Be Obedient (p. 26). Wheaton, IL: i!tor "oo#s.
3
$tron%, &. (2001). Enhanced Strongs Lexicon. "e''in%ha(, W): Lo%os "ib'e $o*t+are.