Everything seems to be so politicized these days. There is so much divisiveness in the world today. Here in America we will soon be in a presidential election. Already most have separated and taken sides and are rude, and downright evil about the other’s candidate. People are divided between two groups over pro-life and pro-choice. Public education has decided people into what subjects should are allowed in school. And the list goes on.
This divisiveness is evil, it is from the pit of hell and satanic himself. Dividing people by driving wedges between them has been Satan’s chief weapon used to conquer humanity from the beginning.
“Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she becomes pregnant and gave birth to Cain, She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering – fat portions from some of his first born of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?” Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But you do not do want is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. Now Cain said to Abel , ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ Where they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him” -Genesis 4:1-8 (paraphrased).
Why God looked less favorably on Cain’s offering that He did on Abel’s it does not say, but that is the case. Whatever troubled Cain, he took it out on his younger brother and killed him. Cain allowed jealousy to well up in his heart and this brought division. Jealousy is not a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Jealousy is an emotion that is rooted in our sinful nature and comes from Satan. In this case Satan fanned a tiny spark of jealousy into a rage and divided these brothers to the point of murder.
When division occurs, we start to see only our point of view. When we allow ourselves to be divided we become weaken.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; if either of them fall, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also when two lie down together, they keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (Paraphrased).
Two are better than one and a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. When we are divided, we are weaker. President Abraham Lincoln, who lead America through one of the bloodiest civil wars the world has seen, knew this and spoke Jesus’s Words in a speech.
“Then they brought him -a demon possessed ma who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is on,y by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand” – Matthew 12:22-25.
When we look at the nations and cities around the world we can see deep division. We see movements like the “Occupy Movement,” “Black lives Matter,” “Equal rights,” “Fair Trade, and more. Often these movements stem from an issue that is relevant to society but bring more divisiveness than solutions. Jesus said the city of house divided against itself cannot stand. Look at our cities today. Have you ever seen such division? Look at politics today. Have you seen such division?
There was a day when people could disagree about a subject or issue and could still sit down together and have a discussion or debate about how to solve that issue. But today we allow Satan to stir the pot of public opinion and our emotions up so much that we cannot come together. . These emotions get stirred up so much that we see violence and hatred that divides and demonizes anyone who disagrees with us.
The church is no different. They take social and public issues out of the conversation and just examine the church as a whole. Some churches divide themselves by one or two pieces of doctrine that is not a hell or hell issue, and does not affect our salvation one way or another. The churches separate into denominations which are divided by worship style. We divide ourselves on whether we are Pentecostal, Charismatic, Conservative, Liberal, or Evangelical. It’s all division. And it’s not one people or even one church.
Jesus said He would build His church and the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. All the division in the world is showing us that Satan is using division to distract us from the one Jesus gave His for.
We should focus on Jesus and celebrate all that we have in common. When are we going to start respecting one another, or is it too late.
When are we going to agree to disagree on issues, and not demonize each other.
From Pity to Praise 