No, No, No, & No! – The Divisive Spirit

Unity and Division:

What is God’s perspective on this issue?

What is ?

“In Christian theology, oneness of sentiment, affection or behavior.” (Webster 1828)

“The state of quality of being one or united into a whole.” (American Heritage)

Unity is not uniformity or conformity. It is the organic melding of two or more parts into a single whole.

What is ?

The act of dividing or separating into part, any entire body. Disunion; discord; variance; difference”. (Webster 1828)

“The act or process of dividing.” (American Heritage)

The of all unity: Father, Son, & Spirit

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Dt 6:4)

I and the Father are one (John 10:30)

Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. (John 14:19-20)

Unity in Marriage: Husband and Wife

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)

 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:28)

Unity in the Church: in the Spirit

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph 5)

Division

Where does it come from?

Division: Between God and the Devil

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”(Lk 10:17-20)

Division: Between Man and the Devil

 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Gen 3: 1-7)

Division: God, Man, and the Devil

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.” (Gen 3:15)

The enmity, personal hostility, division. The war begins.

• The division between the serpent and the woman (humanity and the Devil)
• The division between your offspring and her offspring (Christ and the Devil)

Division: Division in Culture – Babel

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (Gen 11:1-9)

Unity and Division

Man’s situation:

• Linguistic unity: one lip and one word (common language, dialect, vocabulary)
• Geographic unity: one location, plain of Shinar
• Technical unity: baked bricks and tar
• Protectional unity: building a tower (common task)
• Purposeful unity: making a name for themselves (controlling their destiny) – sin of pride

God’s : GOD CAME DOWN to assess the situation (v. 5)

• One language
• This is just the beginning
• Nothing will be impossible

God’s : division

• Confused there languages
• Dispersion
• Stopped working on the tower

Great Brings Great

Man’s unity was so great in the pursuit of EVIL

that God had to intervene.

Unity begins and ends with the tongue.

Whenever a culture or a country gives itself over to evil, God brings division.

A house divided…

23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.

(Mark 3:23-26)

Division in the Church: It happens!

10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Cor 1:10-13)

Examples and sources of division

Malice, Slander, Gossip, Accusation

Malice: Extreme enmity of heart, or malevolence; a disposition to injure others without cause, from mere personal gratification or from a spirit of revenge; unprovoked malignity or spite.

Slander: A false tale or report maliciously uttered. and tending to injure the reputation of another by lessening him in the esteem of his fellow citizens, by exposing him to impeachment and punishment, or by impairing his means of living; defamation. slander that worst of poisons, ever finds an easy entrance to ignoble minds.

Gossip: One who runs from house to house, tattling and telling news; an idle tattler.

Who is the source of the accusation?

Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” (Job 1:9-11)

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zech 3:1-2)

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. (Rev 12:10)

What the Bible says about causing division with words

You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. (Lev 19:16)

Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. (Prov 17:9)

A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. (Prov 18:7-8)

For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. (Prov 26:20)

What the Bible says about causing division

A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. (Prov 19:5)

A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. (Prov 16:28)

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, (Mat 12:36)

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. (James 4:11)

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (James 1:26)

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. (1 Pt 2:1)

Jesus says we should our hearts and words very carefully!

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. (Mat 5:21-22)

Do you want to bring unity?

Love your brother.

Do you want to bring division?

Accusations, Malice, Lies, Hatred, Vengeance, Unforgiveness, Gossip

The tongue holds life and death

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

(Prov 18:21 – NLT)

Be careful or you will each other…

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

(Gal 5:15)

Who will experience God’s presence…

O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

He who walks blamelessly

and does what is right

and speaks truth in his heart;

who does not slander with his tongue

and does no evil to his neighbor,

nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

in whose eyes a vile person is despised,

but 

who honors those who fear the LORD;

who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

( Ps 15:1-4)

A man of unclean lips…

A people of unclean lips…

And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!”

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said:

“Woe is me!

For I am lost;

for 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!” (Is 6:3-5)

But you say… “I have a right to say these things…”

This is not about

I’m right and you’re wrong.

Its about God have mercy on us all!

Forgive?

You don’t know what they did to me!

Forgive them…

…for the know not what they do… (Luke 23:24)

Will you tell him that you have a right to vengeance and He did not?

Be careful, or you will each other…

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Rom 12:17-19)

What is the key to unity in our community?

Forgiveness:

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive others their trespasses,

your heavenly Father will also forgive you,

but if you do not forgive others their trespasses,

neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Mat 6: 12-15)

How do we division in the body?

15“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Mt 18:15-20)

Unforgiveness, bitterness, slander, and hatred are all doors to the enemy. 

Many of us have opened the door to these .

It’s like saying…

Satan, come on in and make your home here in my heart and mind.

The cure for division…

and Repent!