When Division Becomes Our Testimony

Every once in a while, I sit quietly and think about the condition of the church in America. As I do, one question keeps coming back to my mind.

What do people outside the church see when they look at us?

Do they see a people united by the love of Jesus Christ?

Or do they see a people divided over nearly everything?

We are divided over doctrine.

We are divided over styles of worship.

We are divided over who can or cannot serve as a minister.

We are divided over the way Christians should dress.

We are divided over church government.

We are divided over spiritual gifts.

Sometimes we even question whether someone is truly a Christian simply because they worship in a different denomination.

Meanwhile, the world looks on, wondering where the love of Christ has gone.

The Apostle Paul pleaded with the church at Corinth,

"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."

—1 Corinthians 1:10 (KJV)

Sadly, the church at Corinth struggled with division.

Some followed Paul.

Others followed Apollos.

Others claimed Peter.

Some even claimed they alone followed Christ.

Paul's answer was simple.

"Is Christ divided?"

—1 Corinthians 1:13 (KJV)

That question still echoes through the church today.

Christ is not divided.

His people often are.

The World Is Watching

Jesus prayed one of the greatest prayers recorded in Scripture just before going to the cross.

He prayed,

"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee... that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."

—John 17:21 (KJV)

Notice the connection.

Our unity points the world toward Christ.

Our divisions can obscure that witness.

When believers spend more time arguing with one another than loving one another, people begin to wonder whether the Gospel truly changes lives.

Some no longer see the church as the Body of Christ.

Instead, they see another organization divided by competing opinions, personalities, or politics.

Have We Forgotten What Matters Most?

Certainly, doctrine matters.

Truth matters.

The apostles repeatedly warned the church against false teaching.

But Scripture also teaches us that truth must be spoken in love.

Paul wrote,

"Speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."

—Ephesians 4:15 (KJV)

The goal is not simply to win arguments.

The goal is to become more like Christ.

It is possible to defend sound doctrine while forgetting to show the love that should accompany it.

The Greatest Evidence

Jesus did not say people would recognize His disciples because they won every debate.

He said,

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

—John 13:35 (KJV)

That verse has always challenged me.

Not because love is easy.

But it is often the first thing we neglect.

The world expects Christians to believe differently.

What surprises them is when Christians treat one another without grace or charity.

One Body, Many Members

Paul compared the church to the human Body.

"For as the body is one, and hath many members... so also is Christ."

—1 Corinthians 12:12 (KJV)

No part of the Body exists for itself.

The eye needs the hand.

The hand needs the foot.

Every member has been placed there by God.

When one member suffers, the whole Body suffers.

When one rejoices, the whole Body rejoices.

The church was never intended to be a collection of competing groups.

It was designed to be one Body under one Head—Jesus Christ.

The Enemy's Delight

Satan knows he cannot destroy Christ.

But he delights when believers become so consumed with fighting one another that they neglect the mission Christ gave them.

While the church argues, millions remain without the hope of the Gospel.

While we debate, families fall apart.

Children grow up without Christ.

Communities lose their moral foundation.

The Great Commission has not changed.

Jesus still commands,

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

—Mark 16:15 (KJV)

The Gospel remains the power of God unto salvation.

A Country Preacher's Heart

After many years in the ministry, I have learned something.

The greatest revivals I have witnessed were not built upon pride, personalities, or winning arguments.

They began when God's people humbled themselves, confessed their sins, sought His face, forgave one another, and placed Jesus Christ back at the center of everything.

The church will never agree on every secondary matter. Faithful Christians have long held differing convictions on some issues. Yet we should never allow those differences to overshadow the central truths of the Gospel or the command to love one another.

Imagine what would happen if every believer spent as much time praying for one another as we sometimes spend criticizing one another.

Imagine if our neighbors walked into our churches and found people who genuinely loved God and genuinely loved each other.

Imagine if they saw lives transformed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ rather than hearts divided by endless disputes.

The church has always shone brightest when Christ has been lifted highest.

May we remember Paul's words:

"Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one Body, and one Spirit... One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all."

—Ephesians 4:3-6 (KJV)

May our testimony not be known for our divisions, but for our devotion to Christ.

For when Jesus is lifted, hearts are changed, burdens are shared, and the world sees not our differences—but our Savior.