The Problem with Division
Read the Text: Luke 11
Memorize the Text: He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say, Father, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation. (Luke 11:2-4)
Consider the Text: Luke 11:14-23
Growing up in the state of Kentucky meant I learned the state motto on the state seal at an early age. The motto reads, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.” What an amazing truth that exists not only as a state, but very important for the church as well. As part of the Bride of Christ, unity and division exist as opposites that need to be understood and dealt with properly. In Luke 11, Jesus warns of the problems of division and gives a call for the pursuit of unity.
When division exists, there is GREAT INSTABILITY. The instability of division occurs because no common goal exists. The people that live in division pursue their own passions and desires without the concern of seeking to get a common goal with others. This approach leads to a reality of fragmentation and everyone wanting to achieve what they view as right in their own eyes.
When great instability occurs, one driving force is the lack of or misplacement of love. When division exists, people become driven by individual pride and selfishness, which breeds an icy heart. Such a heart sets a temperature toward others that exist as uncaring. The focus in division goes no further than the self or those immediately in one’s circle because of this lack of love.
Jesus calls us to a UNIFIED FRONT. When a people live in unity, they live with a sense of purpose. This purpose pushes people to chase after a common goal. This desire to get the target drives them forward in unity. The Bible reads, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” (Proverbs 29:18). Solomon identified the importance of a common vision that brings forth a unified movement toward a common goal.
When unity exists, then the people achieve greater task because more strength exists in unity than in a single individual. The Bible declares, “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). When unity exists, the strength and ability extend beyond the limitations of any one person. Jesus called believers to unity because he knew that the church existed as a body that worked together and strengthened one another to achieve the task of the kingdom of God.
The church has a CHALLENGE TO LIVE IN UNITY. When the call to unity becomes placed into practice, then the church receives the challenge of living as a unified body. The Apostle Paul expanded this understanding in 1 Corinthians 12 as he explained how we become unified to place a particular role in the church. Each believer joins with others uniquely for achieving the will of the Lord and to serve the kingdom of God in power. The combination of various strengths allows the body to overcome the areas of weaknesses that exist within individual member’s lives.
The ability to live in unity means that a common goal must exist. For the church, this goal is the gospel. The church becomes unified under the pursuit of declaring the gospel to those who live separated from the Lord. The striving toward this mission allows secondary and personal desires to become placed to the side to reach the common goal. When the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, he challenged Timothy to keep the focus of ministry on the expansion of the kingdom of God through the gospel and to defend that at all costs (2 Timothy 1:8-14).
The ability to live unified is difficult. In personal strength and ability, unity becomes a laborious task because the flesh leads to living in pride and selfishness. The unity needed occurs only because of Christ. He is the one who holds all things together and the one who binds believers together as a family. Thus, the beginning of unity comes when people lived surrendered to the Lord and reject their personal desires, rights, and freedoms. Left to the self, people will choose to live in division because of the flesh and sin, but in Christ alone, unity is possible.
We live in a time of great division. We see churches divided, a nation fragmented, and a world broken. The hope for unity and healing does not rest in any one individual or political group. Unity will not occur under the movement of various ideologies but comes only through Christ. Thus, believers need to show unity and not division and seek to bring unity through the only means possible, the ministry of the gospel.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
