A church can experience unity in Christ until something happens that causes divisions in the church. Divisions in the church happen often. But what causes divisions in the church, who is responsible? And what do you do, when someone causes a division in the church? Let’s look at what the Bible says about divisions in the church and how to prevent them.
The Bible provides knowledge and insight in the spiritual realm
The Bible is the Word of God and possesses all the elements to gain knowledge and get insight into the spiritual realm. Per tant, és important enter the spiritual realm through the Word and not through your own insights, experiència, and human revelations.
Every insight and revelation, that a person receives must line up with the Word. If this isn’t the case, you should reject the insight or revelation.
Because the devil doesn’t present himself and comes as a horrible monster. But the devil presents himself and comes as an angel of light and uses the words of God to mislead people. The devil comes and presents himself as ‘Jesus’.
Hi ha molta gent, who have received a revelation of ‘Jesus’ that has led them and their followers astray and caused them to depart from the faith. That’s why it’s important to stay awake and watch and not believe every spirit, but rather test the spirits by the Word, whether they are from God or not (1 John 4:1).
A revelation from the devil always leads to pride, self-importance, self-righteousness, i pecat.
We have received the Word and the Holy Spirit from God to lead and guide us into all truth. We need the Word and the Holy Spirit to test everything in this life to keep walking on the right path.
The responsibility of the church leaders
This also applies to everything that happens in the church. The leaders of a church are appointed to keep the body of Christ holy, pure, i just. The leaders are responsible for keeping and protecting the souls of the church.
They are the spiritual caretakers of the children of God. They are responsible for raising the children of God unto spiritual maturity. So that they walk with integrity, en santedat i justícia, Després de la voluntat de Déu, and act as mature sons of God (tant homes com dones), Igual que Jesús.
Most churches focus on signs and wonders instead of sanctification, disciplina, i desenvolupant un caràcter divin. But the development of a godly character is more important than the signs and wonders, that follow the believers.
If believers don’t develop a godly character but only focus on signs and wonders, they shall eventually fall.
That’s because they are more focused on the natural manifestations than the things of the Spirit. Per això, it’s easy for the devil to deceive believers.
Divisions are also the work of the devil. Before divisions take place in a church, a lot of things have already taken place in the spiritual realm.
If a church leader is spiritual and awake, the leader will notice the signals and take action to prevent a division. Però malauradament, not all church leaders are born again and spiritual.
Many church leaders are carnal and are led by their natural senses and rely on their human intellect. Per això, many church leaders don’t see divisions coming.
Què causa les divisions a l'església?
Però, estimada, Recordeu les paraules que van ser pronunciades abans dels apòstols de nostre Senyor Jesucrist; Com t'han dit que hi hauria d'haver burladors en l'últim temps, que han de caminar després dels seus propis desitjos impies. Aquests són els que se separen, sensual, No tenir l’Esperit (Jude 1:17-18)
What does the Bible say about the cause of divisions in the church? La Paraula de Déu diu, that divisions are caused by mockers; falsos mestres, deceivers, etc. These mockers can be church leaders but also members of the church.
Don’t underestimate the power of church members. Passa sovint, that manipulative people quietly enter the church and become members of the church. Then they attract and influence as many people as possible with their flattering and manipulative words.
They come with their own insights, coneixement, and theories. They speak evil of others, including the leaders of the church, de manera que, they set people up against each other or the leader(s) of the church and cause divisions.
These mockers are workers of the devil and have his character. Their purpose is to disrupt the unity in Christ and change the truth of God into lies.
The mockers, que són designats a l'església
But leaders and ministers, like preachers, apòstols, evangelistes, profetes, gran, diaques, etc., que són designats a l'església, can also cause divisions in the church. In Isaiah chapter three, we read about the mockers aka the unspiritual leaders of the people.
These mockers were not appointed by God, didn’t walk in God’s ways, and didn’t preach His words and truth. But these mockers mislead the people and cause the people of God to go astray.
What are the characteristics of mockers (unspiritual leaders)?
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it Woe unto them that call evil good, i el bon mal; que posa foscor per llum, i llum per a la foscor; que posa amarg per dolç, i dolç per amarg! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (Isaïes 5:18-21)
The characteristics of mockers are, that they are unspiritual (gent carnal) i caminar després de la carn. They’re not born again and don’t have the Holy Spirit of God abiding in them. But they are natural man, who have the mind of this world.
They speak according to their own insight. Their words and deeds go against the Word of God and His will.
Mockers turn the truth of God into a lie. Aquesta manera, they and the church members can keep living after the flesh in sin.
They are full of pride and consider themselves wise and prudent. I la gent, who listen to them exalt them and consider them wise as well.
Tanmateix, ells cansar el Senyor with their words, by calling good evil and evil good.
Mockers put darkness for light and light for darkness. They justify and approve the sins and iniquities of people in the church.
Through their worldly knowledge and wisdom, their charismatic appearance, eloquence, their flattering and motivational words, and possibly their PhD, they are allowed and appointed in the church. From their position they’ll deceive the believers.
Mockers use the Bible for the lusts and desires of the flesh
These mockers walk after the flesh according to their own insight, ungodly lusts, i desitjos. Són orgullosos, rebel, and stubborn, i fer el que volen fer, whereby they reject the true Word of God.
Mockers twist the words of God in such a way, that it seems like it is indeed written in the Word of God. They don’t use and apply the words of God to the spiritual man (l'home nou). But they use and apply the words of God to the carnal man (el vell).
Aquesta manera, they can keep living after the lusts and desires of the flesh. They can keep doing those things, that they love, but go against the voluntat de Déu.
Think about Jesus, when the devil tried to tempt Him in the wilderness. El diable no va fer servir les seves pròpies paraules. But the devil tried to tempt Jesus by using the words of God.
The devil tried to tempt Jesus by using the words of God to fulfill the lusts and desires of the flesh.
But Jesus knew the will of God. He knew that the Kingdom of God and the words of God were not meant to fulfill the lusts and desires of the flesh. Per això, the devil didn’t succeed in tempting Jesus to sin.
Jesus defeated the devil with the spiritual truth of God’s Word. Jesús no es va inclinar davant el dimoni, les luxúries i els desitjos de la carn, força, i riqueses. But Jesus stayed faithful to the will and the words of God (a.o. Mateu 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13 ) Llegiu també: Et donaré les riqueses del món)).
How to prevent divisions in the church?
Jesús és el nostre exemple. He showed us how to prevent divisions in the church. És a dir, by staying faithful to God’s Word and walking after the Spirit in the will of God and the amor de Déu.
No et quedes en l'amor de Déu acceptant a tothom i tot i permetent el pecat a l'església. Això és un amor fals. Però et quedes en l'amor de Déu guardant els seus manaments, edificant-vos en la vostra santíssima fe, i pregant en l'Esperit Sant.
Només llavors, romandràs en Ell, i romandre espiritualment despert, i discernir el bé (les obres del Regne de Déu) del mal (les obres del regne de les tenebres).
Quan camineu després de l'Esperit i us mantingueu fidels a la Paraula, seràs advertit per l'Esperit per a aquestes persones perilloses, aquests burladors, que causen molta pena, caos, i divisions a l'església.
No només causaran molt mal a l'església. Però al món exterior, posaran una taca a l'església i al Regne de Déu. Es burlaran de la fe, i danyar el Nom de Jesucrist i el Pare.
Ara t'ho suplico, germans, marca-les que causen divisions i ofenses contràries a la doctrina que has après; i evitar-los. Perquè els qui són així no serveixen al nostre Senyor Jesucrist, sinó el seu propi ventre; i amb bones paraules i discursos justos enganyen els cors dels senzills (romans 16:17-18)
Què fas amb una persona, que provoca divisions a l'església?
La Paraula de Déu diu, que hauries d'amonestar una persona, que és heretge i causa divisions a l'església. Si la persona no està disposada a escoltar després de la segona amonestació, hauríeu de rebutjar la persona i eliminar-la de la congregació.
Un home que és un heretí després de la primera i segona admonició rebutjar; Saber que el que és tal està subvertit, i peca, sent condemnat per si mateix (Titus 3:10-11)
Sigues fidel a Jesús; la Paraula
Sempre que l'església es mantingui fidel a Jesús; la Paraula i camina després de l'Esperit en santedat i justícia i porta la Fruita de l’Esperit, i deixa els esperits del món, que opera en persones carnals impies, fora de l'església, llavors s'evitaran divisions a l'església.
Per això, mirar i mantenir-se despert! Assegureu-vos que no us deixareu enganyar ni enganyar falses doctrines d'aquells, que fan un mal ús de les paraules de Déu per a l'acompliment dels desitjos i desitjos de la carn (2 Peter 3). Perquè quan permets aquestes falses doctrines en el teu cor, ja no seràs inquebrantable i inquebrantable, però t'allunyaràs de la fe, igual que els predicadors d'aquestes falses doctrines.
Per això, és important ser-hotornat a néixer i sigueu plens de l'Esperit Sant, i estudia i aplica la Paraula de Déu a la teva vida, perquè creixis en el ple coneixement de Jesucrist; la Paraula.
‘Sigues la sal de la terra’
