Church Divided
Matthew 12:25 (NASB77) 25 And knowing their thoughts [Jesus] said to them, ” Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand.
Let’s look at the definition of a few of these words. Divided means “to separate into parts, to be divided or disunited by discord.” Waste means “desert, wilderness, to be made desolate, to be destroyed.” For those who believe in Jesus Christ, we cannot – we should not -ever disagree with His words. He tells us quite plainly that no kingdom, city, or house that is divided against itself can stand. Therefore, as followers of Jesus, we should do all we can to heal such divisions. When we look around at our nation, we too often find that Christians are taking part in such divisions.
This nation is as divided as I have ever witnessed. We are far beyond political differences. We are not talking about taxes or policies. Instead, we are talking about people. We vilify anyone who thinks differently than we do. We refuse to forgive, and we ignore Jesus’ command not to judge. I believe Christians can stand on opposite sides of political issues. However, we cannot stand on opposite sides of issues that divide in order to conquer. Prior to Pres. Trump’s election, I read article after article by religious leaders who clearly stated that if I voted for Trump, then I was not a Christian. Really? When I get to heaven and stand before the King and He opens the Book, Jesus is going to look at it and say, “You voted for the wrong person,” and cast me out? Forget the blood of Christ. Forget any statement of faith and the power of grace. This is an issue that divides Christians and, thus, the church. Can Jesus stand on both sides of the abortion issue? Can Jesus condone marriage as defined in Genesis and marriage as defined by society? Can we find Jesus supporting the truth that when we accept Him we become new creations and the idea that salvation does not have to change us?
As I was reading through the gospels and Acts, I could see this division. I could see man on one side arguing they knew God the Father better than Jesus. The Pharisees and other groups stirred up the crowds claiming they were right. The apostles and Paul were constantly confronted by crowds protesting and yelling that their way was the truth. Today, we hear the same thing. This church says it knows the Way and preaches the Truth. This church proclaims it is living the Truth. How do we know the difference? When we look at the lives of the disciples and of Jesus, we find they never moved in crowds. They never argued with others. Instead, they stood their ground and LIVED the truth. They spoke the truth and backed up that word by living that word. The church established by Jesus is the church that not only proclaims the truth of Jesus, but also lives that truth.
Let’s look at the definition of a few of these words. Divided means “to separate into parts, to be divided or disunited by discord.” Waste means “desert, wilderness, to be made desolate, to be destroyed.” For those who believe in Jesus Christ, we cannot – we should not -ever disagree with His words. He tells us quite plainly that no kingdom, city, or house that is divided against itself can stand. Therefore, as followers of Jesus, we should do all we can to heal such divisions. When we look around at our nation, we too often find that Christians are taking part in such divisions.
This nation is as divided as I have ever witnessed. We are far beyond political differences. We are not talking about taxes or policies. Instead, we are talking about people. We vilify anyone who thinks differently than we do. We refuse to forgive, and we ignore Jesus’ command not to judge. I believe Christians can stand on opposite sides of political issues. However, we cannot stand on opposite sides of issues that divide in order to conquer. Prior to Pres. Trump’s election, I read article after article by religious leaders who clearly stated that if I voted for Trump, then I was not a Christian. Really? When I get to heaven and stand before the King and He opens the Book, Jesus is going to look at it and say, “You voted for the wrong person,” and cast me out? Forget the blood of Christ. Forget any statement of faith and the power of grace. This is an issue that divides Christians and, thus, the church. Can Jesus stand on both sides of the abortion issue? Can Jesus condone marriage as defined in Genesis and marriage as defined by society? Can we find Jesus supporting the truth that when we accept Him we become new creations and the idea that salvation does not have to change us?
As I was reading through the gospels and Acts, I could see this division. I could see man on one side arguing they knew God the Father better than Jesus. The Pharisees and other groups stirred up the crowds claiming they were right. The apostles and Paul were constantly confronted by crowds protesting and yelling that their way was the truth. Today, we hear the same thing. This church says it knows the Way and preaches the Truth. This church proclaims it is living the Truth. How do we know the difference? When we look at the lives of the disciples and of Jesus, we find they never moved in crowds. They never argued with others. Instead, they stood their ground and LIVED the truth. They spoke the truth and backed up that word by living that word. The church established by Jesus is the church that not only proclaims the truth of Jesus, but also lives that truth.
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