Against Division
In John 13:35 Jesus famously said, “This is how they will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus says that the primary way people will come to believe in Him is if His disciples love each other.
A few chapters later in John 17:20-21 Jesus is praying for His disciples, when He says, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, [He is praying for us here, and He prays for one thing] 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
People believing that Jesus is the Son of God depends on our being united, our loving each other so guess what Satan’s number one goal is when it comes to churches? Sowing seeds of division.
Over and over again Paul warns against divisions in the church. In fact, in Galatians 5 Paul lists divisions with several other sins like sexual immorality, sorcery, and drunkenness.
Why am I thinking about this today? Because there are so many forces working to divide us right now. Political opinions and pandemic opinions. If you go one way, Christians will say you are living in fear. If you go another way Christians will say you are selfish and don’t care about people. On top of these there are other ways the devil is trying to get a foothold.
The point is the Devil is always trying to divide the church over silly, outside issues for the exact purpose of causing outsiders not to believe in Jesus.
We must stand against division. But how? Two points.
Don’t be angry.
It is more than ok to have opinions on these things – even strong ones. But don’t make accusations against your Christian brothers and sisters when they disagree with you. Don’t make sweeping statements about their faith or their character. Just because they don’t agree with you doesn’t mean that they are living in fear or that they don’t care if people die from COVID 19.
In Romans 14 Paul is talking about some who still hold to old Jewish laws against eating meat. He writes, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
In short, if it’s not a matter of salvation, tolerate and accept each other’s opinions.
Secondly, finally, and most importantly, remember who unites you. The next time you are tempted to be divisive, to do something that might cause disunity in the church, remember the absolute truth that both of you believe in: Jesus Christ!
Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
What do we have in common? We are all sinners saved by grace. We all believe in Jesus Christ and we are a part of the church who Jesus has entrusted with the Gospel, the salvation of the world. We must not mess this up with silly divisions, a willingness to loath each other and leave each other when we’re supposed to be willing to die for each other. When the salvation of the world is in our hearts and minds we cannot afford to argue over petty things.
Love you church.
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