Before the Law or Before the Saints

December 17

Going Before the Law or Going Before the Saints by John W. Ritenbaugh

I Corinthians 6:1-7

(1) Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? (2) Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (3) Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? (4) If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? (5) I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? (6) But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers! (7) Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?

Paul is saying, "If you go to man's law in charging your brother, you have already lost! It does not matter how the judge decides it; as far as God is concerned, you have lost the case!"

Paul's instructions are clear. In a case involving brothers, a Christian had better be prepared to "lose," as an act of faith, out of respect for Christ, the Head of this church. By faith, we know that He will judge the situation. Does He have enough wisdom to do that—and power to carry out His judgments? Do we have enough faith to allow Him to do it?

Is there a legal basis for this? Absolutely—He owns us! We are His slaves! He purchased every single one of us with His blood! He has legal right to judge between brothers.

We are to submit to the authority of Christ by faith and allow Him to judge if no judgment can be reached within the church. If a judgment is reached within the church, but the church has judged wrongly, then the brothers must be willing to accept it with the knowledge that they can, by faith, appeal to a higher court, and that Christ will vindicate the righteous.

It may not happen right away, but if we pray for that in faith, then we can patiently wait for it.

He will do it!