Division Part 1
Pastors Leslie & Adeline Chua
“I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?”
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ”
When applied to people, the word, division, usually carries a negative connotation. Strife, sectarianism, disunity quickly come to mind. Division is hardly associated with anything pleasant. Our personal experience affirms the ills of division. Wars and carnages testify to its ugliness.
The Bible has much to say about division. There is more to division than we think. Division is mostly unpleasant, but sometimes it is necessary and unavoidable. You are probably surprised to read this comment. Let me surprise you further by saying that God can be the reason for the division and even the cause of it.
This pastoral reflection comes in two parts. In part one, I will first consider division that is unnecessary and avoidable, and then, necessary and unavoidable division. In part two, the focus will be on God as the Divider and His expectation that we rightly divide the Word of truth.
Unnecessary & Avoidable Division
God hates division in His church. The reason is simple. The church is the body of Christ. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Christians ought to be awakened to this reality, and therefore, do their utmost to live peaceably and harmoniously with one another. It is a matter of reverence. Dissent and division have no place in the body of Christ, which is sacred.
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God hates division in His church.
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Sadly, the church is often plagued with division, both in the past and present.
The apostle, Paul, chided the Corinthian Christians for their sectarianism (1 Corinthians 3).
There were different groups in the Corinthian church. Some claimed to follow Paul while others identified themselves as followers of Apollos and Peter.
Paul exposed their underlying motives. They were driven by selfish ambition and jealousy. He told them unequivocally that their conduct reflected their spiritual immaturity. Only ignorant infants would indulge in such foolish conduct.
Another apostle, James, was manifestly furious with the believers who caused division in the church. He did not hold back his words. Sometimes, the truth has to be told straightforwardly. That is what James did. James told them that they were quarrelling and fighting with one another because of pride, self-centredness, jealousy, and covetousness. All these resulted in division and disunity in the church.
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A disunited church is a weak church. It is spiritually powerless.
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Usually, these quarrels and fights are over petty matters. For example, when people cannot get what they want, they dissent. They backstab and hurl false accusations. When they do not agree with their leaders, they resist and oppose them. There is no sense that God is in charge, and He has appointed the leaders, and He would call everyone to account.
Psalm 133 paints a beautiful picture of unity. Unity brings God’s anointing and blessings. The converse is also true. Disunity blocks the flow of divine anointing and blessings.
A disunited church is a weak church. It is spiritually powerless. The devil knows this truth well. As such, one of his most potent strategies is to create disunity in the church to blunt its effectiveness. All too often, Christians fall into Satan’s ploy.
Division arising from selfish motives is unnecessary, and it is avoidable If only Christians have the fear of the Lord and recognise that the church is the body of Christ.
Necessary & Unavoidable
The Bible also talks about another type of division, one that is necessary and unavoidable.
Let me explain.
This type of division arises because of the claims of Jesus, and our stand regarding Him.
Jesus made an interesting statement: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).
This is a fascinating statement because it is contrary to everything we know about Jesus.
Isn’t Jesus the Prince of Peace? Doesn’t Jesus promise to give peace that surpasses all understanding to those who will come to Him? Didn’t Jesus instruct Peter to drop his sword when the high priest’s men came to arrest Him?
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Jesus is divisive because of His claims... Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. Essentially, He claimed to be God in the human flesh. He further claimed to be the way, the truth, and the life, and no one could be saved except through Him.
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Yet, on this occasion, Jesus said that He had come to bring a sword. His explanation following this statement leaves no doubt as to what He meant. Because of Him, family members would disagree. Their different opinions about Him would divide them and their close family relationships might turn topsy-turvy. The division could be so bitter that parents, children, and siblings would potentially become enemies.
It is all because of Jesus.
Like it or not, Jesus is a divisive figure. Not because He sows seeds of hate and discord into close relationships. On the contrary, Jesus preached love; a brand of love so radical that His followers find it hard to practise. He demanded that His disciples love even their enemies.
So, how can Jesus be divisive?
Jesus is divisive because of His claims. While walking the dusty streets in the city of Jerusalem and the towns of Galilee, Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. Essentially, He claimed to be God in the human flesh. He further claimed to be the way, the truth, and the life, and no one could be saved except through Him.
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Whoever encounters Jesus cannot remain neutral about Him. Either you believe His claim of deity and embrace Him, or you don’t and reject Him. There is no middle ground. Jesus gives no room for middle ground, even for those who profess to follow Him. He demands total commitment and unwavering allegiance to Him.
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While many Jews in Jesus’ time believed in Him, many also had a hard time accepting His claims. Families were divided over Him. The entire nation was also divided over Him. Every time Jesus spoke, there would be division among the people (John 7:43, 9:16, 10:19). Such was the sentiment that Jesus generated.
Jesus stirred the same sentiment throughout history in the last two thousand years. Whoever encounters Jesus cannot remain neutral about Him. Either you believe His claim of deity and embrace Him, or you don’t and reject Him.
There is no middle ground. Jesus gives no room for middle ground, even for those who profess to follow Him. He demands total commitment and unwavering allegiance to Him.
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In other words, nothing and no one, including our parents and children, should stand in the way of our allegiance to our Lord Jesus Christ. We must choose Jesus over our loved ones. Otherwise, we are not worthy of Him.
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Consider what Jesus said following the statement about bringing the sword: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39).
In other words, nothing and no one, including our parents and children, should stand in the way of our allegiance to our Lord Jesus Christ. We must choose Jesus over our loved ones. Otherwise, we are not worthy of Him.
During my younger days when I first came to Christ, many of my friends faced tremendous parental objections to their Christian faith. Their parents viewed their conversion to Christianity as a betrayal of their gods and ancestors. They were punished for believing in Jesus. Some had their pocket money withheld. Some had it worse. They were beaten and a few were driven out of their homes. But they remained steadfast in their faith.
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But as far as Jesus is concerned, making a stand for Him cannot be compromised even if it means division in your most treasured relationships. Sometimes, division is necessary and unavoidable.
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These families were divided over Jesus. It is unavoidable because religious faith if properly understood, is a matter of spiritual allegiance. Therefore, it is bound to stir up deep-seated sentiment. Those who profess to follow Christ must take a firm stand for their faith, and let the divide happen. Unpleasant as it is, the believer has no choice. It is a necessary and unavoidable division.
Modern Christianity has become soft and compromised. The middle ground is preferred and deemed reasonable. The clear demands of our Lord Jesus Christ are replaced by appeals to love and common sensibilities. But as far as Jesus is concerned, making a stand for Him cannot be compromised even if it means division in your most treasured relationships. Sometimes, division is necessary and unavoidable.