The church sent them on their way (to Jerusalem), and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and elders met to consider this question. (Acts 15:3-6)
All believers should be glad when a non-believer finds the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. Those who don’t have likely been visited by the enemy. The enemy used the Pharisees to begin destruction of the early church through differences in the secondary beliefs of circumcision and keeping the law of Moses. In Galatians 2 Paul says, “We talked about this problem because some false believers had come into our group secretly. They came in like spies to overturn the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to make us slaves. But we did not give in to those false believers for a minute. We wanted the truth of the Good News to continue for you.” (Galatians 2:4-5)
The enemy knows that jealousy and anger splits churches, families, and workplaces. He uses people like spies to stir up trouble. God allows it to see how we handle conflict and to make us stronger. Will we handle conflict through jealousy and fighting and/or not addressing issues, or will we pray for the enemy to leave and address the conflict in love?
God wants us to have strong churches and families. He wants to promote us if we can handle conflict correctly.
Father God, I praise You because You have plans for me. I thank you for removing the enemy from myself and my loved ones. Give me the power of the Holy Spirit so I can work through conflict with love. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.