Sin Nature vs Same-Mindedness

What was true in the first century still is today. Conflict within the body of Christ is inevitable; prophesied first by Christ in the parable of the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:24-30), then later by His apostles (e.g., 1 Cor. 1:19).

Conflict can be brought to the church by outsiders (e.g., Acts 20:28-29; Jude 4), or arise within as we struggle toward spiritual maturity (1 Cor. 3:1-3). The source of the former is Satan, who seeks to destroy the bride of Christ. The source of the latter is each individual's sin nature which "...sets its desire against the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16-17):

"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." --Gal. 5:19-21

Take note that Paul lumps such sins as jealousy and disputes together with the more repulsive offensives of immorality and carousing. We need to take all sin seriously, acknowledging that the practice of any sin can lead to corruption and division within the church. Therefore, when feelings of anger and resentment enter our hearts toward one another, we should view their destructive import the same as we would feelings of lust and immorality.

Note also that the "deeds" of the flesh are the manifestations of conflict, not their source. "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?" then, asks James. "Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?" (James 4:1). The source is our ungodly desires that flow from the sin nature we inherited from Adam (Gen 3; 5:1-3). Desires that are ungodly are those which run counter to the character of Christ and the purposes of God. They favor expediency and pragmatism over patience and forbearance. They reflect unbelief, not trust. They honor human wisdom, not the mind of Christ. Until we realize this and deal with it according to God's word, we will be treating the symptoms of the problem and not its root cause.

More on this in a future posting: How to Be of the Same Mind.