LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 72

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72

CONVENTION BIBLE STUDIES

Poor miserable sinners, we come before God as beggars .
We have nothing to offer Him for what we have done . We
sin against God and one another, causing conflict and aggravating disputes .
In spite of our deplorable condition—and because of our
sinful nature—we sometimes resist, even resent, God being
placed into the midst of our conflicts .
Nevertheless, great is God’s faithfulness . “But God shows
His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died
for us” (Romans 5:8) .

Distinguishing Reconciliation from Conflict
Resolution
Reflect on Romans 5:6–11 and gather together in small
groups to answer the questions in your outline:

Small-Group Reflection Questions
1 . Note that the Bible does not teach that God resolved
our conflict, but rather reconciled us to Himself .
What is the difference between conflict resolution and
reconciliation? (Note Paul’s definition of the ministry of
reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5:18–19 .)
2 . In all of life, with whom is our most serious conflict?
(Read Isaiah 59:2 and Romans 5:8–10 .)
3 . What is the consequence of being an enemy of God?
(See Romans 6:23a .)
4 . From God, do you prefer conflict resolution or
reconciliation?
5 . As we respond to our conflicts with others, how can we
reflect that same reconciliation that God has shown us?
For Christians, there is a significant difference between
conflict resolution and reconciliation . The great I AM is a
God of relationships . He loved us so much that He didn’t simply resolve our conflict with Him, but rather reconciled us to
Himself through His only Son .
From God, we definitely prefer reconciliation . But why
is it that we more often gravitate towards conflict resolution
rather than reconciliation?
Is it not because conflict resolution is easier? We convince
ourselves that we understand how to deal with material issues
such as money, positions, power, and control . We know how
to reorganize, set goals, and persuade others to agree with our
positions . Some of us enjoy a good fight, seeing it as a competition to win .

Confession and Forgiveness Lead
to Reconciliation
Reconciliation between people is not so easy because it
requires two critical components: confession and forgiveness .
“Oh, we know about that—we do that every week in worship .”
But is it really so easy to do in everyday life?
Our first challenge in reconciliation is to get the log out of
our own eye . We have learned to rationalize almost anything .
Consider how common phrases self-justify:
2010 Convention Proceedings

• I just made a mistake .
• It was an error in judgment .
• I didn’t mean it that way—you are too sensitive .
These are the world’s ways of dealing with sin . Because
worldly people don’t believe in the forgiveness of sins, they
have no other choice . They must minimize sin . And we, one
people forgiven, can fall prey to the temptation of using these
same words to justify ourselves .
When meeting with church board members who were
strongly polarized, I discussed reconciliation with them and
the need for confession and forgiveness . But both sides were
quick to point out, “We haven’t sinned . We don’t need to confess and forgive . We just have disagreements .”
In reality, they were denying their sin . I had learned from
individual meetings how they met in separate groups to speculate on others’ motives and judge the opposing members as
evil . I saw e-mails slandering people from “the other side .”
They accused one another of manipulation and lies . They held
deep resentments and withheld forgiveness that they claimed
wasn’t necessary .
In short, they were exemplifying what John warns against:
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us .  .  .  . If we say we have not sinned, we make Him
a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8, 10) .
When we deny sin, we deny our need for Christ . We justify
ourselves . “Thanks very much for Your offer of forgiveness,
Lord, but I am doing fine all by myself . I have arrived! I was
raised in the church . I go to worship and Bible class . I have
been elected as a leader in my church or LWML or LLL . I
graduated from Concordia University or Seminary . So, you
see, I may make a mistake or error in judgment, but I really
don’t sin anymore . I don’t need Your forgiveness and I don’t
appreciate Your presence in my conflicts .”
In his book Grace upon Grace, John Kleinig contrasts the
blessings of being a beggar in need of God’s grace with the
dangers of being self–sufficient:
Because our spiritual life depends on our receiving from
God, Christ teaches us to become beggars together with Him .
Like Him, we receive everything from God the Father (John
3:35; 5:19; 8:28) . This makes it hard, yet at the same time easy,
for us to live as His disciples . It is hard because we take such
great pride in our own achievements and self–sufficiency . We
do not like to ask God, or anyone, for anything . Far better to do
without than to become dependent on others! Yet it is also easy
because our spirituality does not depend on our performance
but on our receiving from God . No one is more or less spiritually advantaged . To change the picture, we must all become
as little children, helpless infants that are totally dependent on
their mothers (Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:14–15; 1 Peter 2:2) .3

So what is a beggar to do? John comforts us with God’s
promise: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
(1 John 1:9) .
Beggars who bring nothing on their own lean totally on
Jesus’ blood and His righteousness . In confessing our sins to