Is Christ Divided?

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Sectarianism Is Sin

 

¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.¹² Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” ¹³  Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13 NKJV) 

One certain church had a pastor who was getting up there in years. A Godly man he was who stood firmly upon the Word of God. We will call him Steve. He was a man who rightly divided the word of truth and preached the full counsel of God. Steve pastored this particular church for some 30 years. The church also had a youth minister whom Steve saw great potential in. The youth pastor's name is Brian, who likewise stood firmly upon the Word of God and rightly divided the word of truth. Pastor Steve decides to start sharing the pulpit with Pastor Brian in order to give him experience. All is well at first, but soon the church was dividing. All the younger members started demanding Brian take over as head pastor and the older members were demanding Pastor Brian to be gone saying, "we want our older pastor preaching."  

One must always remember the cross of Christ divides the saved and the unsaved, but not the body of Christ. Some mistakenly accept all forms of doctrine for the sake of unity. But this is not what the above passage is saying. "If someone comes preaching a different gospel, let him be accursed." (See Galatians 1:8) The foundation for a unified church is found on the centrality of the gospel of Christ. Can we meet in agreement here? If so, then we are able to come together and to be one in Christ. If the church above hired a pastor who did not believe in the resurrection, then we have a problem. On the other hand, if one church believes in a pre-trib rapture, for example, they would want a pastor who believes like wise. This is understandable. While two may disagree in the timing of the rapture, they still may be accepting of each as brothers in the Lord and serve Him in many ways together. Also, it is OK to have our favorite teachers, but we must remember we may only be a few steps away form having a sectarian spirit. If our boast is in any teacher, then we are in danger of fractions and divisions. Paul finished the first chapter of Corinthians with a key to remember; "that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:31) This is key to avoiding a sectarian spirit; keep our boast on the Lord, and not on ourselves, anyone or anything else.

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14 NKJV)

Why Such Harsh Words, Jesus?

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A Gentile Shows Her Faith

²¹ Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
²³ But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
²⁴ But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
²⁵ Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
²⁶ But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
²⁷ And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:21-28 NKJV)

I know when I first read this passage above I was confused. However, what I first took as a harsh statement, it fact was not. God shares with us a beautiful picture of something most important in all of our lives, which is a humble faith. 

Do you know people, or have spoken with someone who has said the sinners prayer many times over, yet they still are not saved? I have. We wonder why this is. Does not the Bible say, "all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved?" So what is going on here? Well, I would like to propose one thing. Could it be often times we are coming to God on our own terms, and not His? At first this woman comes to the Lord saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!" Was she coming to Him in a way she should not? Let me explain. God's plan of salvation was that through the Jew's, salvation would come to the world. Remember God's promise to Abraham, "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:18 NKJV) Also remember the Apostle Paul saying, "...for the Jew first, and also the Greek." (See Romans 1:16) It was God's plan to give the message of salvation to the Jew's first, and they would take it to the world. When the woman came to the Lord saying, "O Lord, Son of David," she was speaking as a Jew. It would be like me going to my friends father saying, "Dad, give me $10." His son could go to him calling him dad, but I could not. If I came to him properly, he may be pleased to give me the money. Today Jesus give all who believe upon His name the right to become children of God. (See John 1:12) But until we are a child of God, we cannot come to Him as though we are. It is important to note that Jesus did not close the door to this woman and her daughters healing, but opened it. In the corresponding passage in Mark we read; “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” Notice, "let the children be filled FIRST." He was not saying the gentiles could not be filled, because it was God's plan that salvation go out to the world. Remember, salvation comes to the world through the Jews.

It is also important to note that when He is speaking of "little dog's," He is not speaking in negative terms. Often times one may misread this thinking "scavenger dogs." Being called a "dog" is not always bad. Think of sayings such as, "every DOG has his day." I believe here Jesus is referring to a family pet. I remember when I was dating the woman who became my wife, sometimes I would go to her house for dinner. Her roommate had a little chihuahua for a pet. We loved this little dog. As we set at the dinner table, this little dog would come to the table begging for food. We were happy to share a little with her. See, this little dog had no right to our food, nor set at our table and eat. But we were most happy in sharing our food with her. This little dog was also thrilled to receive our crumbs.

In this is a beautiful picture of humility which the woman picked up on. Often times we come to the Lord thinking He owes us. Because He is good, He has to give to me. I have spoken to many people who say, "God would not throw someone like me into hell." See, God is God and He is holy. I am a sinner. We all are sinners. If God gave us what we deserve, we would be cast in hell. When we come to God and beg for His mercy humbly with nothing to offer, He hears us and is pleased to be merciful toward us. All we can do is cry out to God begging for His mercy.


¹³ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13-14 NKJV)

Let me ask you of this,"Are you willing to take just the crumbs from the masters table and be satisfied?" This is the kind of faith which brings salvation. Could this be why so many who profess to believe in Jesus, yet are not saved? They have not humbled themselves before the Lord. I am a firm believer that our pride is the number one reason which keeps people from receiving salvation. Also, could it by why us believers are not receiving all the blessings the Lord would love to give us?

A couple of quick points for us believers. If you are praying for someones salvation, keep praying. This woman was persistent and  the Lord answered her prayer. If you have a loved one who is sick and your prayers do not bring healing and their end has come, take the humble position. Instead of being mad at God, be thankful for the time He has blessed you with to spend with this loved one. It is sad, but we all have a time of departing. If we humble ourselves before the Lord during this, He will go through the grieving process with us, comfort us and give us healing. But if we exalt ourselves, we will bring much distress upon ourselves.


In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ² Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”

⁴ And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

⁵ So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:1-5 NKJV)

Invest in Others

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Be Generous and Do Good

⁶ Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:6-10 NKJV)

I remember conversations with my neighbor a number of years back, this was before I was ever married or saved. At this time in my life I had no significant other either. My neighbor was a woman getting divorced. Although I would see her around quite often, I had no desire dating her, as I felt that would be a disaster. Anyway, she would brag of how she took her husband for all his money, she was quite proud of it. Then she would go on bragging about how she planned to do the same to the next unfortunate guy who came along. I didn't know her long, but that attitude most likely lead to a life of misery and problems. This I knew, she was constantly dealing with problems and very few even people wanted to be around her.

Just think for a moment, how much trouble do we bring into our lives by taking the "It's all about me!" attitude? I believe a lack of concern for others and living for one's self is at the root of many problems, heartaches, divorces, broken families, and so on. When one is wrapped up in self, we fail to see the needs and feelings of others. It is not only what we say or do to someone, we fail to do what is good or right. Some may not even care how their actions effect someone else. If we let this self centered attitude grow, not only would it destroy relationships, it could lead us to commit crimes landing us in prison.Our prisons are full of people living for themselves. That got them a long ways in life didn't it? Then to take that further, a prideful self centered life may keep one from coming to the cross of Jesus Christ resulting in an eternity separated from God.

Maybe most of us do not go to the extreme as my ex-neighbor or those in prison, but we all have to battle with keeping self in the right place. I know I do. The Bible instructs us to do good and plant good seeds. In another words, invest in other peoples lives. When we help a believer in Christ who is in need, it is remembered in heaven, forever. When we have the opportunity to do good for an unsaved person, this might open the door to sharing Christ while making this person more receptive to the message of Jesus. This too, will be remembered in heaven for all eternity. Keep sharing the gospel, no telling how many eternal destinies God will change through it. When we invest in our marriages and families along with living life to bring glory to God, this leads to strong relationships. This too will remembered in heaven for all eternity. Our intercessory prayers will also be result in good things here on earth and remembered for all eternity.

Lord, your word say's I will reap what I sow. I desire to sow to the spirit, for I want to reap a bountiful harvest, not corruption. I must ask myself, am I going to sow to the flesh and reap corruption, or listed to God and sow to the spirit and reap a harvest which will last for all eternity?

Merry Christmas

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I pray that all my readers have a Merry Christmas and:

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

 The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

  The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’ (Numbers 6:24-26)

I have been reflecting on the humility of Jesus lately. He was in heaven being fully God; He humbled Himself and became a man. God being God, He could have chosen to be born today in a rich family with all the luxuries which goes with it. He could have traveled in a stretch limousine and fly on His own private 747. He would have all the best servants to meet His every need. Then when it became time to die, be falsely accused and die by lethal injection.

But He didn’t….

He was born in a manger some 2,000 years ago. During His earthly ministry, He traveled on foot preaching the Gospel. He had no luxurious residence at which to live.

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Luke 9:58)

He came not to be served, but to serve. He came to show us the way to God and take the punishment you and I deserve upon Himself.

He was obedient to the Father, even to death on the cross. Look at the way He died. It has been said that the Roman cross was one of the most brutal and painful forms of execution ever created. This is the way He chose to die. He did not resist. He knew what would happen to Him in Jerusalem, yet He rode in on a donkey and did not hide. However, the grave could not hold Him and the enemy lost. Jesus rose from the dead just as He said He would do.

He did this for you and me; we can now live with Him forever. Thank you Lord Jesus! Let all of us enjoy this time with friends and family, which is an awesome thing. However, let none of us forget Jesus is the reason for the season.

For those who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior, Jesus said you must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God. See John chapter 3. Come to Jesus and receive forgiveness and eternal life.  If you would like information on this, please leave a comment or visit one of Ray Comfort's websites here.

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)

Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom?



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1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. (Matthew 18:1-5)




Something about our fallen sinful nature, we desire being the greatest. This can be on the job, in the church or anywhere else. The apostles argued “who will be the greatest in the kingdom?” In the corporate world, we put a lot of effort into working up the corporate ladder. However, Jesus said “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” What is this all about? Humble myself and become as a little child? Should I not go out and work for it? Afterall, I must earn it? Right? This goes against everything I have been taught.



Honesty is a vital part of humility. Let’s take a look at little children for a moment; they have a hard time with lying. When pressed, they will tell the truth. If children are sad, they will not appear happy and so forth. We adults will ask someone, “How are you doing?” We do not want to hear the words, “not good.” Many times when that happens we want to be on our way. We will also put a mask on our face and pretend all is well when, in fact, it is not.



I believe pride is what keeps people from receiving salvation. Many people believe they will go to heaven when they die. When witnessing, it is beneficial to ask people “on what basis will they enter into heaven.” Many times I have asked some form of that question, yet very few times I have received a response with Jesus’ name in it. I have heard “because I attend church," or "I sing in the choir.” Other common replies are “because I am a good person" or "I try to keep the commandments.” Many put their faith in their “good deeds.” They might say “I try to do the right thing and I am responsible.” I have heard people say “they do not sin.” Ask the question, “Have you ever told a lie?” They will say “no I have not.” Stolen anything? “Nope.” Then there are the people when hearing of grace through Jesus’ shed blood on the cross, that He paid their sin debt. They refuse to receive it because “no one is going to pay my penalty for me, it is my debt.” Still others believe God is evil because He will forgive the worst of sinners if they repent of their sins and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. They will say “I would rather spend eternity in hell than with a God who will forgive someone like that.” Pride leads us to these responses. It bases everything on one's self and not God. In other words, it's all about me.



This is where honesty and humility comes in. When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, he also saw himself as a man with unclean lips. We must be honest and confess our sins to God and not attempt covering our sins ourselves. Remember when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden? They tried hiding and covering themselves with fig leaves? Pride will cause us to try to either hide or cover our own sins, but it is always inadequate. God supplied the only sufficient covering for our sins. As God clothed Adam and Eve, He has provided a covering for us, Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.