Posts

There Have to be Divisions

division1 Corinthians 1:10 says:

Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. (1 Cor 1:10)

I’m hearing a lot of biblically based admonishments to be pursuing unity and to be sensitive to how Satan uses volatile subjects such as Politics and Race to divide God’s people.

They’re right.

You can get into some pretty passionate conversations when it comes to Black Lives Matter and the lines that distinguish the difference between Democrats and Republicans and if you go by 1 Corinthians 1:10, it’s hard not to agree with the idea that you either…

  • keep your opinions to yourself
  • keep current events at an arms distance and not “watch the news”
  • be like Jesus and “love everyone” and not let our respective differences inspire any tension

But does 1 Corinthians 1:10 represent the whole of what the New Testament has to say about “divisions?” Are cultural trends and current events supposed to be categorized under the heading of  “loving one another”and all differences swept under the carpet in order to “get along?”

Is that the Message of Scripture?

Look at this:

No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. (1 Cor 11:19)

Any attempt to foster good will and collaboration in the absence of wisdom is ultimately a poison. “Unity” becomes corrupt, “Diversity” becomes toxic and “Peace” becomes sinister. Reason being is that sin doesn’t sit still – it doesn’t merely “co-exist (Matt 16:8-12; 1 Jn 1:6).” It either grows or it dies. So, when you make philosophical concessions and allow evil elements to exist by labeling their presence as an innocent variety, you’re being disobedient and destroying the good that might otherwise occur (1 Cor 5:13).

When there are flawed convictions being either promoted or subscribed to, we are commanded to speak up in a way that facilitates learning and a positive result. That’s what Scripture is referring to in Ephesians 5:11, Galatians 6:1 and James 5:20. It’s not your “opinion” being expressed if you’re accurately quoting God’s Word and however it applies to the issue in question. Failing to speak up or push back in the name of “unity” is like watching a person drive down the wrong side of the road and not saying anything and justifying it by saying, “They’re in a hurry.” They’re hurting themselves and putting others at risk at the same time – something that’s true of sin in general. If you choose to not say anything, that’s not love…

That’s neglect.

There are well meaning people as well as some genuine fiends who proclaim their perspective on things in a way that translates to a bad influence and a lethal result (Prov 14:12). To not respond in order to avoid “division” not only makes a bad situation worse, but it also makes true Unity impossible.

There have to be divisions.

When Christ prayed for unity in John 17, His prayer was for a unified commitment to the Truth as opposed to a group of fractured believers committed to personal preferences.

When you encounter those who champion a mindset that deviates from the Truth, you want to speak up in order to promote unity. By remaining silent you destroy it.

There have to be divisions in order to clearly see who’s got the better handle on God’s Perspective. It’s not a competition, it’s the manifestation of God’s command to be capable of “correctly handling the Word of Truth (2 Tim 3:16-17).” If that is both our starting point and our fuel, then Unity is a natural byproduct. Otherwise, not only is it a house built on sand, it’s a house divided. Either way it will collapse. The only way to avoid it is to identify where the discrepancies are and process divisions as warning signs and respond accordingly.

There have to be divisions.

An Open Letter to Those Who Question My Walk With Christ Because I Support Donald Trump | Part One -> Unity

unity_wolfLet’s talk about “unity.”

In 1 Corinthians 11:18 it says:

In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. (1 Cor 11:18)

What Paul is saying is that while petty conflicts need to be dealt with and dispelled (1 cor 1:10-17), the tensions that come from good and evil factions interacting with one another are not to be avoided as much as they are to be embraced as indicators of what is genuinely True and Just.

Those who want to lump all of the varying opinions that exist within our culture as being morally equivalent to one another are making a huge mistake. Moreover, to long for “unity” in the absence of first evaluating the moral bottom lines that characterize the different parties involved is to risk a tolerance of a toxic element that left unchecked will translate to something lethal (Prov 16:25; Rom 6:16).

In some cases, this is an honest mistake made by those who recognize the utility and advantages of a collaborative environment where everybody’s able to work and exist together peacefully and want to see that sense of friendly community adopted by those on both sides of the aisle. It sounds great on the surface, but at what expense? If the end result is a willingness to allow an evil element to endure, that’s not “unity,” that’s a vulnerability that will prove disastrous in the end.

At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it?– Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!–All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

(Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address)

In other instances, insisting on “unity” is an intentional strategy deployed by some in an effort to shut down any honest debate that threatens to reveal the lack of moral substance that characterizes their platform. Dialogue happens only when both parties are willing to converse. The problem these days is that more and more Conservative speakers are being shut down by labeling them as purveyors of hate.  So if there’s not any real dialogue and what content that constitutes an opposing viewpoint to what’s incessantly presented as “fact” is either dismissed or demonized, than what is “unity” if not yet another noble sounding word used to disguise a sinister resolve to silence dissenting opinions?

1 Chronicles 12:32 describes the men of Issachar as those “…who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” John 7:24 says, “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” Put those two verses together and you have a solid “one-two” punch as far as what should be motivating you to be aware of what’s going on in our country politically and culturally.

The bottom line is Truth isn’t gauged by how some facts can be manipulated as much as it’s how all facts are being evaluated. And to arrive at that bottom line you have to be intentional about not succumbing to the pleasant songs of those who long for “unity” when their melody is more often about strategic ignorance and a lazy tolerance than it is a wise awareness and a just response.

Click here to read “An Open Letter to Those Who Question My Walk with Christ Because I Support Donald Trump | Part Two -> Trump’s Manner