Division

Division

Satan’s most powerful and most destructive weapon is to cause division among those who belong together. From where do wars and fights come from among God’s people? Is it not from the sinful desires that war in their members? Jas. 4:1-2. Desires for what? To exercise power and influence, to maintain one’s right, to push one’s will through, to be the first and the greatest, to prove that one is the smartest, etc. The sum total of this is: a desire for vainglory. Gal. 5:26.

When there is division, people are not inclined to acknowledge this sin of theirs. Instead of acknowledging it as sin, they give it other nice but false names.

If people are really argumentative and conceited, they will find all kinds of possible contentious issues. I recently read an American tract that testified of a stubborn argument between two factions about how correct (even Christian) it is to baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as Jesus commands in Matthew 28, or whether they should be baptized in Jesus’ name, as Peter states in Acts, Chapter 2.

As far as the publisher of the tract is concerned, it is of the utmost importance that people are baptized in Jesus’ name only, and his entire denomination has even called itself by that name!!! As opposed to the “Pentecostal” people against whom he is writing so vehemently, his own denomination is called “Jesus Name” people. And so they argue in God’s name, as it were, for God’s and the gospel’s right and honor, whereas the truth is that sinful desires that wage war in their members. They are fighting for their own right and honor, and not, as they claim, for God’s honor.

What are they actually fighting about? They are fighting about two things that are one and the same, two things that mean the same thing and have the same effect—precisely the same effect—two expressions that are both biblical. They are only fighting about words. When a man baptizes in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, he baptizes into Jesus’ name, for Jesus’ name is the Son’s name; and when another man baptizes in Jesus’ name, he baptizes in the name of the Son, which in its turn, is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit’s name. Both of them mean the same thing; they indicate the same thing; and the effect is the same. Both expressions are biblical. So in that way there is no difference between them. However, there will be an enormous and everlasting difference between whether there is division and all kinds of confusion that results from it, or whether one is united and keeps peace with others as the Scriptures exhort us.

The words of Scripture concerning contentions cannot be more strongly stated: “Those who practice such things [hatred, contentions, jealousies, wrath, strife, disunity, dissensions] will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5:19-21.

Division is a ruinous, blood-curdling sin that is like the plague. It is paid far too little attention, and most of God’s children do not even consider it a sin. People need extra instruction, preaching, and exhortation concerning this terrible sin. Factions are from the devil!