The Higher Court: Why Believers Should Avoid Civil Litigation
- Ray Reynolds
- May 7
- 5 min read
There is a growing trend in our modern culture to "sue first and ask questions later." While the legal system exists to maintain order, for the believer, there is a higher law and a more profound conviction at play. When we take a brother or sister in Christ before a secular judge, we aren't just settling a dispute; we are often signaling a failure of faith and a breakdown of the spiritual family.
My conviction on this is firm: The courtroom should be the last place a Christian finds themselves when having conflict with another believer.
The Commandment of Reconciliation
Jesus was incredibly clear about the priority of peace over "winning" a legal battle. In the Sermon on the Mount, He reshapes our understanding of justice:
"Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny." (Matthew 5:25-26, NKJV)
In Luke 12:57-59, Jesus reiterates this urgency. The message is simple: settle it personally, settle it quickly, and settle it with grace. If we wait for a judge to decide our fate, we have already lost the opportunity for Christian reconciliation. We are removing the Lord, and His church, from the solution.
A Shame Before the World
Perhaps the most stinging rebuke regarding lawsuits comes from the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul is astonished that believers would seek justice from those who do not share thei same eternal values. He urges us "Don't you dare take it to a secular courtroom!
"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 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?" (I Corinthians 6:1-2, NKJV)
Paul goes as far as to say that it is better to be wronged or cheated than to drag the name of Christ through a secular court. When we sue "brethren," we tell the world that the Gospel is not powerful enough to resolve our greed or our pride. We wave the flag of surrender to the enemy!
The Divine Order of Conflict Resolution
The Bible doesn’t leave us without a process. In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus outlines a three-step model for restoration:
Private Confrontation: Go to them alone.
Mediation: Take one or two witnesses.
Congregational Support: Tell it to the church (via the eldership).
This process is designed to save the soul, not just the bank account. As Proverbs 25:8 warns us: "Do not go hastily to court; for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor has put you to shame?" I know several Christians that have lost multiplied thousands of dollars in court costs and attorney fees. Is that really a good use of the God-given blessings the Lord has granted you?
The Weight of Our Responsibility
Our conduct within the family—both biological and spiritual—carries eternal consequences. Scripture is relentless in its defense of the vulnerable. To mistreat family, or to neglect the widow and the orphan, is not a minor lapse in judgment; it is a spiritual crisis. The consequences? Hell. Everlasting torment. Why? Because it qualifies as one of the 7 worst sins in the eyes of our God (Proverbs 6:16-19).
The New Testament makes it clear: "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (I Timothy 5:8, NKJV). This mirrors the early church's priority in Acts 6:1-7, where leaders were appointed specifically to ensure widows were not neglected. James defines the very core of our walk this way: "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27, NKJV).
The Old Testament echoes this warning, noting that God Himself is the "Father of the fatherless, a defender of widows" (Psalm 68:5). Isaiah 1:17 commands us to "plead for the widow," while Malachi 3:5 warns that God will be a "swift witness" against those who oppress the widow and the fatherless. To ignore these duties is to risk being lost eternally, as we replace the character of God with the selfishness of the world.
Final Thoughts
Why am I so passionate about this subject? From 2018-2020 I was forced into the secular courts to settle a bitter divorce and determine custody of two minor children. The total legal expenses were more than $80K. I had to work 4 jobs, take out large personal loans, and max out several credit cards to get me through the worst of it. My primary attorney cost me $67K. Recovery from these deficits took me years to overcome.
Mediation failed. Brethren filled the courtroom to pick sides. False information was spread. Lies. Gossip. Damning evidence, including videos and pictures, were laid bare to the court. Private matters were made public. Reputations were ruined. Names were drug through the mud. And for what? A momentary feeling of success? What qualifies as a win when everyone involved looks like a loser?
I have wrestled with how God looked down into that courtroom (on several occasions). Over and over and over... He was not glorified. The name of the Lord's church was disgraced. Children of God were humiliated. Money that could have been used for college funds or health care was wasted. Irreparable and unnecessary damage was inflicted upon the kingdom of God. I pray that God will forgive us for allowing the enemy an opportunity to blaspheme (II Samuel 12:14).
My one saving grace is that I refused to share any evidence on social media. No doubt the evidence would speak for itself but at what cost? I stayed silent. My character should speak for itself (I Peter 3:16). God is my Defender (Psalm 7:19-12).
Before you file that paperwork, or call that attorney, ask yourself: Is my testimony worth more than my settlement? Let us be a people who judge ourselves, so that we may not be judged by the world. Let us settle our differences at the foot of the Cross. May God be with us all. And may He grant us wisdom to live in this world in such a way that it will not keep us from Heaven.
You are loved.
Ray Reynolds
Comments