Baptist City Blog

The Necessity of Contention

Proverbs 28:4

"They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them."

One of the most common cries you hear in society is, "Can't we just all get along?" To be honest with you, contention in politics and Christianity is tiring.  I am with those who are tired of the fussing that goes with it.  However, I also realize that it is necessary because the contention is about truth. Though contention may be unpleasant, it is necessary for the preservation of truth.

In the verse above, God talks about contention.  He says, "...but such as keep the law contend with them." Who is this contention between?  It is between those who love truth and those who pervert truth. Contention is seen throughout the Scriptures when truth was attacked. In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel and Saul had contention when Saul performed a sacrifice that only the priest should perform.  In 1 Kings 18, Elijah and Ahab had contention over Ahab's promotion of sin.  In Nehemiah 5, Nehemiah contended with the elders of Israel for allowing sin into the city.  In Matthew 3, Jesus contended with the Pharisees when they criticized John the Baptist for baptizing his converts. In Matthew 14, John contended with Herod over his adultery with another woman. Whenever you see truth under attack in the Scriptures, you will always find contention existed. If contention did not exist, then sin and error ruled. Let me give you several thoughts concerning contention.

First, truth and error will never get along. For those who don't like contention, let me tell you how to have peace - quit promoting error.  When truth is attacked, contention will exist. Should a parent, for the sake of peace, allow their child to do wrong? Of course not! Whenever truth and error exist together, then there will be contention.

Second, the love of truth hates error's attack against it.  According to the verse above, when those who love truth see that truth is being attacked, then that is when they rise and contend with those who promote error. In other words, if you love truth you cannot quietly fight for it.  Those who love truth will always be vocal when it is attacked.

Third, the love of wrong wants peace. The only ones who really want everyone to get along are those who love sin and error.  The reason they want everyone to get along and for there to be no contention is so they can continue to pervert their error without any obstacles.  It is not that they want truth to prevail, it is so that they can continue in their perverted ways.

Fourth, contention exposes error. Why the contention? The contention is there because error must be exposed. Those who love truth are only vocal because they are exposing the error. No, contention should never be over personality, but it should always be over error's attack against truth.

Last, you will never have peace if you love truth. The reason you will never have peace is because sin will always exist until Jesus comes. Therefore, truth will contend with error until Jesus comes. 

Truth must be defended by those who love it. Stop trying to get along for the sake of getting along. If you love truth, then you will contend with those who promote error. If those who promote error want peace, then they need to stop the wrong that they do and start doing right, then we will be able to get along with those who love truth.