Christian Conflict

Dear Victorious,

Would you say that conflict between Christians is inevitable? And if so, why?

Marmelle T. - Pontiac, MI

Dear Marmelle,

I suppose conflict between humans who aren't fully submitted to Jesus Christ is inevitable. Conflict is, in my opinion, caused by sin. God is the author of reconciliation. He is not the author of conflict. So if there is conflict, I look for the sin. Any human who isn't fully submitted to Jesus Christ is capable of sin, and therefore is likely to find themselves in the midst of conflict.

The sin that cause the conflict could be your sin, it could be my sin, it could be the sin of a third party - or any combination of these three. But sin will always be found at the source of the conflict. The objective then is to identify the source(s) of the sin that causes the conflict, call the culprits to repentance and find reconciliation in the conflict.

Is conflict more evident amongst Christians than it is amongst the general population? I don't think so. It is prevalent amongst people who are religious - but not amongst people who are fully submitted to Jesus Christ.