Creating Division

There should never exist with the body of Christ, the church, an “us verses them” attitude or mentality. This is the root cause of division within the church.

After they took possession of the Promise land there was already a conflict brewing underneath that caused an even greater problem of a potential civil war.

“Now the children of Israel heard someone say, ‘Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan–on the children of Israel’s side.’” (Joshua 22:11)

Whoa, wait a second. What were they saying? Basically those who lived outside the Promised Land weren’t children of Israel? There was simmering underneath the surface a distinction, an “us verses them” attitude.

Notice they said these 2 ½ tribes built the alter “on the children of Israel’s side.” What they were forgetting was that these 2 ½ tribes were also children of Israel, or children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).

In the church today we are all “children of God.” We’re not Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Foursquare, Church of God, Assembly of God, or any one of the other over 8,000 denominations that are out there.

We are all children of God and therefore one body, the body of Christ.

The Apostle Paul probably addressed the best saying,

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought…What I mean is this: one of you says, ‘I follow Paul;’ another, ‘I follow Apollos;’ another, ‘I follow Cephas;’ still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13a)

We’re all the body of Christ.

“So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:5)