By Steve A. Hamilton

Introduction: When you visit the Zoo, do you expect to find a wolf and a lamb in the same cage? Do you ever expect to see a cow grazing with a bear? Do you encourage your kids to play with snakes?

We don’t expect any of these situations to exist without some serious repercussions. We don’t think a wolf can stay in the same cage with a lamb without eating it. We know a bear would rather eat a cow than graze with it. We think as sure as a child tries to befriend a snake, the child will get bit.

Yet, the Lord describes the church as such animals that characteristically don’t get along as dealing with one another so that they can coexist. The Lord knows that we are all different. Yet, he expects us to get along with one another. This lesson is about dealing with one another.

I. Isaiah foretold of the Messiah’s kingdom, i.e. the church of Christ, as being composed of lions and lambs (Isa. 11:6-10).

    A. Isaiah prophesied the church would be composed of people with widely different backgrounds. Even people who historically have not gotten along together.

    B. Isaiah says the nations in the day of the Messiah would not hurt nor destroy in all God’s holy mountain because of the knowledge of the Lord (vs. 10).

    C. Therefore, we must realize that people with differences (whether physical, spiritual, doctrinal, etc.) when they come together into the kingdom as a result of their obedience to the gospel, must learn from the “knowledge of the Lord” not to “hurt or destroy.”

    D. Paul said it well in Gal. 3:26-29. Historically, Jews and Greeks, servants and masters, men and women weren’t accustomed to an equal relationship as found in Christ.

    E. The Galatians were having problems at this time. They were acting like wolves and sheep in the same place (Gal. 5:15).

    F. Yet, this kind of conduct was condemned (I Cor. 3:3). These brethren thought in terms of wolves and lions (worldly) rather than in terms of citizens united in God’s kingdom as a result from knowledge in the Lord.

II. How do we deal with brethren when we differ?

    A. Study (“knowledge in the Lord”).

        1. Ignorance of God’s word causes problems!

            a. Ignorance was the cause for the children of Israel’s condemnation (Hos. 4:6).

            b. Peter told the Jews they killed the very Messiah they looked for in ignorance (Acts 3:17).

        2. We must study to avoid doctrinal disagreements (II Tim. 2:15). How many arguments have you started without looking for scripture before you advanced your position? Something to think about.

    B. We must allow we could be wrong.

        1. Prov. 12:15, should let us know we all start any discussion from a bias. However, wisdom is not found in the man who declares himself to be right before the discussion begins.

        2. Therefore, we must prove the things taught against the scriptures (1 Thes. 5:21-22).

        3. We should not be offended when we are asked for the authority from the scriptures for the position we hold. We all have a responsibility to determine whether a given doctrine is true or false (Eph. 5:8-11).

    C. Patiently wait to hear the other point of view.

        1. Nicodemus made this point when the Jews wanted to summarily convict Christ as an evil doer (John 7:51). “Did you even consider His position?”

        2. Solomon said it was a shame to speak before we heard a matter (Prov. 18:13).

        3. The temptation is to be the first out of the block in an argument. Yet, this will cause us problems (Prov. 18:17).

    D. Don’t call names even if we disagree. It is dishonorable and wrong (Luke 7:33-35). Wisdom will win out because it knows from where comes name calling.

    E. Don’t impugn the others motives.

        1. We don’t know the things, thoughts, intents, wishes desires, likes or dislikes of a person unless he reveals them to us (1 Cor. 2:11). The only reason we know the things of God is because He has revealed them to us via the scriptures.

        2. Judging a person’s unknown motive is sin (Rom. 1:28-32). The word evil-mindedness (NKJV) is defined as malignity in the KJV. Malign means “to utter injuriously misleading or false reports about” [Webster]. Notice that those who practice misleading another as to ones motives is worthy of death!

    F. Treat others even in an argument as you would want to be treated (Luke 6:31).

Conclusion: How should we deal with one another? Paul sums it up well in Eph. 4:29- 32. When we lived in the world, we were animals. Now that we are Christians, let us not act as animals trying to devour one another. Let us love one another and help one another become citizens in God’s kingdom.

Are you a citizen in God’s kingdom? Or are you still living by the worlds rules of the jungle? Are you tired of devouring and being devoured by others?

Perhaps, you have been like a wolf among sheep in your life. If you need our prayers please come.