Love Leads to Forgiveness

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

LOVE LEADS TO FORGIVENESS

1 Cor 6:1-6

6:1 If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!   5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother goes to law against another — and this in front of unbelievers!

NIV

There is no need to hang out our dirty laundry before the unbelieving world. This is the point that Paul is making here. However, everything he is saying stems from disputes between two believers that appear to be a legal matter. It would seem that if they were taking each other to a civil court over a dispute that it would have been over some matter pertaining to the law. However, there is this truth about how we believers will judge the world as well as angels. This kind of judgment would be of a spiritual nature because it will be dealing with their disobedience to God. Therefore, we might consider that disputes between believers are not about civil law, but of a spiritual nature. This is why we think Paul is telling them, and us, that if we are having a dispute with fellow believers it would be a spiritual matter which any worldly court would not be qualified to deal with. Therefore, it would be appropriate to go to another believer and ask for their counsel in solving this dispute. What is even more interesting is that Paul is not suggesting that we go to the godliest and most knowledgeable person in the church, but that any believer should be able to give the right judgment over this dispute. What bothers us though is the fact that any dispute between believers should not even occur. We are admonished to live in peace with each other, to love one another as we love ourselves. We are told to live in harmony with each other and thus how could a dispute that is a result of disharmony happen. Maybe there might be some legal matter which does occur between believers, which we could not imagine. Maybe something to do with either property or money might come between two people that are believers. But still, the matter of resolution should be handled within the church. There should be no reason for any believer to bring a legal suit against another, hanging our dirty laundry out in front of the world. All matters can always be solved between two who profess they love the Lord and are committed to living a life of love which includes forgiveness leading to harmony. Let us always be ready to forgive any offense of our fellow believers, for who of us is not guilty of offending God, who has already forgiven us, in Christ Jesus. It would seem the right resolution to all disputes is forgiveness which is a result of love.