"For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" I Cor. 3:3
God's redemptive purpose is defined for us in Ephesians 1:9-10, where we read, "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in himself: That in the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him." In other words, God's present purpose, or goal, is to accomplish in and through Christ a glorious, harmonious unity in striking contrast to the factious fragmentation of this present sinful world.
If satan knows this—and of course he does—what will his strategy be? Methinks first to unite, on an opposition platform, that which God would divide and scatter. This he will finally accomplish in the world under the administration of the antichrist. Second, he will seek to divide and fragment what God has purposed to unite for His glory, namely, the "church which is His body." This satan began to accomplish in the earliest days of the church, and has effectively continued to do to this present time.
In the early church at large the religious issue represented by the Judaizers necessitated the first church conference to settle a divisive issue; see Acts 15, where also another division is recorded, between Paul and Barnabas. The first was a doctrinal issue, the second a personality conflict over a practical matter. They remain "roadside bombs" in satan's arsenal which still effectively take their toll in fragmenting the "one body" intended by God. Division is our middle name. Where God would have unity, there is everything but. In Corinth it was, "I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ (1 Cor 1:12)." Today at the corporate level it is "I am a Baptist; and I a Methodist; and I a Lutheran; and I a Presbyterian, etc." At the local church level it is often little better. Envying, strife and divisions abound in our local churches, as often as not over things that really matter much less to God than the spirit that reacts to them. In all of this the purpose of God is undermined, and the Spirit of God is grieved. And, the watching world is happily amused by the warring factions among us and runs merrily along unimpressed with the truth we may proclaim, as they see us reflecting the society around us, rather that the transforming power of the lord of Glory.
This is not to suggest that there is no justification for some division, nor is it at all intended to support the idea of an ecumenical unity where that unity is achieved at the expense of biblical truth. It is simply to underscore the strategy of satan, and to illustrate the degree to which he appears to have succeeded in forestalling the divine plan. The question is, what accounts for the success of the enemy's attack? First and foremost, as the context indicates, is the propensity for Christians to be man-centered rather than Christ centered. The apostle notes that the Corinthians were divided over teachers, when the teacher is of secondary importance; "ministers by whom ye believed (v.5)," hence, "neither is he that planted anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase (v.7)."
Underlying our contention, as often as not, is pride and envy. We make our judgments and strive and divide over many things that have no biblical significance at all. Local churches divide over architecture, style, techniques, personalities, scripture versions etc. All is compounded by an appalling ignorance of the word of God, or an inclination to ignore it. Our agenda is promoted at the expense of true spiritual unity, while we pride ourselves on our spiritual superiority.
With such a spirit prevailing, we will do well to note the Holy Spirit's charge: "Ye are yet carnal…and walk as men," (rather than as men of God.) And carnality is further defined by the apostle's lament, "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able (v.2) ." He is accusing them of spiritual immaturity. They were still not grown up into Him Who is the Head of all things, and the church and the gospel were suffering as a result.
This side of heaven and the return of the King, the situation will not significantly improve. We have come too far, for too long, down a spiritual by-path. It may be that even your fragmented local church is beyond recovery. But, any attempt at rectifying that situation begins with asking the question, am I focused on me and my perception of things and contributing to strife and faction, or am I focused on Christ and contributing to unity and peace?
We cannot change others— but we can change!!
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
I Corinthians 1:10
With HIS purpose in mind,
"Pastor" Frasier
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