The Believer Battling Brothers and Barbarians
An exposition of Genesis 13-14
The Debate Over Winsomeness: Should Christians strive to make themselves attractive to people in the world, to not be offensive? The “winsome” think all fighting and denouncing and protesting is beneath them.
Some professed Christians aren’t happy unless they’re battling liberals or heretics or cults or anyone who disagrees with them. One church in North Carolina held book burning, even Bible versions other than the King James Version and the writings of any Christian authors who they disagreed with.
We see here in Abram the believer battling brothers and barbarians. Listen:
Battling Brothers
There was strife between Abram and his nephew Lot. Abram could have been tough, uncompromising. Instead, 13:8 he calls Lot “brother” (literally). Some people think all compromise is wrong. Abram was compromising material things with a brother in order to have peace. Like Jesus who compromised His will for the Father’s will; who gave up the privileges of equality with God to serve us on the cross.
Some people are willing to compromise with the world by seeking to be wealthy first. They give up the worship of God in order to make more money. Lot suffers the consequences of his compromise. He moves closer and closer to Sodom until finally he moves in it and is taken captive (14:12.)
To hear more about how to live at peace with brothers but not compromise truth, listen to the YouTube link above.
Battling Barbarians
Sometimes it’s not possible to “live at peace.” “In the world you will have tribulation.” (John 16:33). In the past Christians had to fight against gladiatorial games, infanticide, and slavery. Today it could be abortion, euthanasia, or homosexuality.
Or we may have to battle (non-violently) against the false doctrines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and other groups that say we can save ourselves with good religion.
Some think we should never battle for right doctrine. But that’s wrong. We take right doctrine so seriously that we’re willing to debate, expose, and denounce it.
Five years ago I was challenged to a debate with a representative of the “church of Christ” sect which denies the doctrine of original sin, resulting in him teaching that Jesus isn’t necessary for salvation, that people can be saved if they die without personally sinning. This undermines the gospel. The Debate (starts at 3:45):
We are willing to debate right doctrine and oppose false doctrine.
Or it could be the barbarity of hypocrisy, confessing to be a believer but living like a barbarian, like those disgusting Westboro hypocrites. We are willing to oppose hypocrites who claim to be Christians but who refuse to live according to God’s Word and lack love, like racists do. We should battle against false-brothers. If we lack love for the brothers, we’re not truly converted. If we get the gospel wrong we can be eternally condemned (Gal. 1:8f). If we don’t confess Jesus correctly, we’re not from God, indeed we are of the anti-Christ (1 John 4:3).
When battling barbarians, we need to act like Abram. He (1), teamed up; (2), thought; and (3), tithed. He made allies with the Amorites. We need to work with cobelligerents who have the same enemies as we do in the culture. We need to think strategically, not just demand evil be “abolished.” Abram recognizes Melchizedek as a true priest, representing God Most High by giving a tenth.
“Melchizedek” means “King of Righteousness. He was the king of Salem. (“Salem” means peace.) So King of Righteousness is the King of Peace.
Abram gave spontaneously and gratefully because of the victory given to Him by God. As should our giving now. Abram conquers because of El Elyon (God Most High) (Gen. 14:19f). A priest (someone to represent people to God) blesses him: Melchizedek. Abram recognizes he needs a mediator (and advocate), and gives the mediator a “tithe”. You need a mediator (and advocate) before God. And the Lord Jesus is the priest for us before God Most High.
To hear more about how to battle barbarians, listen to the YouTube link above.
Relying on his advocacy, we can now stand boldly before God Most High, in the midst of a world battling against us, assured that He has dealt with our sins. We have an advocate: the King of Peace. And so, trusting in this invincible, Most High God, we can be sure, we can be at peace.
Covenant Reformed Baptist Church is Caswell County’s/Danville’s Reformed Church.