Tag Archives: division

What is the most terrifying thing imaginable to Satan? Union. For the church to have a single mind, an allied charge to strengthen each member of its body, and the common bond to make disciples of every nation.The reaction to this very real and inevitable threat to evil is to spend  every possible hour maneuvering, manipulating and prodding the church toward division. Pride, rebellion, disobedience and other sins and temptations are tactics to widen any conceivable fissure that could render the church dysfunctional and fractured. So if we know evil’s arsenal, can we be more mindful as a church, not to necessarily agree on each and every tradition or doctrine, but to manifest Christ and “make [each others] joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind?” (Philippians 2:2)

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” – Mark 3:24

The Garden

In Genesis 3, mankind first experiences the “division commission” when the serpent deceives Eve. Just a few verses before the serpent arrives onto the scene, Adam and Eve lived in communion with God and even though they “were both naked, they felt no shame.” After eating from the tree, however, scripture makes it clear that things drastically change. Their “eyes were both opened, and they realized they were naked.” Becoming exposed and thus conscious that they were naked and shamed became real for the first time because of disobedience, and with it a lack of union with God that would only be mended with the coming of a Son. This dividing line, however, was erased when the Son came into His kingdom and redeemed mankind, thus “striking the serpent with his heel.” Satan would have us believe that this dividing line still exists today but in the timeline of our faith this isn’t so. Realizing his ploy and resisting it is the first step to crushing division and fostering union.
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