Jesus sent Unity or Division?

1. TRUE followers of Jesus receive and live the DIVISION Jesus gave
Did Jesus come to send unity or division? Many pastors claim the mark of a true Christian is having peace and unity with the church community. But is getting along with those who lead and attend church regularly really the mark of a true believer? In Luke 12:51 Jesus said, "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division..." Jesus said he did not come to give peace, but rather he came to send division. Deceiving preachers who insist Christians must have unity and peace with all church leadership and churchgoers will declare they come in Jesus’s name, yet it is evident they are of Antichrist because they deny the teaching of Jesus and reject living as Jesus did in this world. If you are of the spirit of Christ, you will accept and live the division Jesus gave. If you are of the spirit of antichrist, you will reject and oppose the division that Jesus gave.

2. Jesus’s division splits one HOUSEHOLD into TWO groups AGAINST each other
What does this division look like? In Luke 12:51-53 Jesus said, "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother-in-law." There are 3 key points here. First, the division Jesus gives breaks apart what is considered one household or one family. Please notice the division is not separation of one household away from the rest of the world, or one family separating away from another family. Rather, within one household, one family member is against another family member. Second, Jesus said the division he gives will split what is considered one household into two groups. Not into 3, 4, or 10 different groups—it is a clean split into 2 groups. Third, Jesus gives a division that is offensive in nature. He says there will be "three against two, and two against three"—the 2 groups are against each other, the word ‘against’ indicates this is not a neutral, peaceful separation. In summary, the division Jesus gives splits what seems to be one household or family into 2 groups where members are against each other.

3. Jesus sends DIVISION, which is SWORD of the SPIRIT, which is WORD OF GOD
What causes this division? God designed the family unit and gave instructions for how a household may live a godly, peaceful life. He instructs children to honor and obey their parents in the Lord. He instructs fathers to not provoke their children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. He instructs mothers to be temperate and love their children. All these instructions encourage a peaceful, united family. God is not insane or contradictory, so when and why does God approve of division rather than peace within a household? Let’s examine the parallel passages in the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Luke where Jesus plainly states his purpose is not to send peace. In Luke 12:51 Jesus said, "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division..." In Matthew 10:34 Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." Jesus uses division and sword as interchangeable or equivalent. A sword is a weapon with a sharp blade that effortlessly cuts to divide in two. So, what is this sword Jesus sent? Ephesians 6:11-12, 17 says, "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but…against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places…And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…" The sword that Jesus gives to divide even a household or family is the Word of God.

4. Word of God is Sword used BY SPIRIT to protect Soul’s LIFE against Devil’s WILES
There are 3 key points in these verses from Ephesians 6 to understand how the Word is used as a sword. First, the purpose of the Word of God as a sword is not to protect our physical life, it is to protect our spiritual life— "…we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but…against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness..." God created our flesh and blood to be temporary, like the flower and grass it will be here today and gone tomorrow. But God created our soul to be eternal with spiritually alive souls going to everlasting joy in Heaven and spiritually dead souls going to everlasting torment in Hell. There is nothing of greater value than gaining and protecting eternal life for our soul. The purpose of the armor of God, including the Word as a sword, is for true believers to stand firm and protect their spiritual life.

Second, the devil’s main attack against our soul is through his wiles, that is, his deceptive charm—"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." This is a life-or-death situation because the consequence of sin is spiritual death of our soul, and the Devil uses extreme deception to entice us to disobey God. But the Word of God does not protect against the Devil’s deception if we simply recite it or listen to sermons or read commentary written by theologians. The Devil and his workers are cunning liars who come in the name of God as preachers and Bible scholars who twist the very Word of God to deceive you to disobey. In the Garden of Eden, the Devil as the serpent twisted God’s words to remove fear of God, and Eve was deceived into disobeying God’s commandment. The Devil even approached Jesus when he was a man and quoted Scripture to tempt him to disobey the will of God. Simply accepting Bible teaching from anyone who claims to be a servant of God will not protect your soul.

This brings us to the third point, to stand against the Devil’s tricks and lies, the Word is a sword that must be grasped with the holy spirit—"And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…" Theologians and preachers interpret Scripture in many ways. Some use intelligence and logic, some claim to use analysis of Greek and Hebrew origin, and some use emotion and storytelling—but all these methods use wisdom of the world. To not be deceived, the truth of God’s Word must be understood through spiritual revelation. The holy spirit guides true followers of Christ to obey His Word with evidence of holy, righteous deeds. Ephesians 4:21-24 says, "If so be that ye have heard him [Christ], and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." God teaches His truth through spiritual revelation to those who love the truth to obey the truth, and if you learn the Word through the holy spirit, it will be evident by righteous, holy living. Spirit led believers put away their prior sinful ways of the old flesh man and convert to live a godly life through the new spirit man. The holy spirit is not a politician looking to connect, network and unite with everyone in the organized church community—that is self-serving hypocrisy and unity of the world. The holy spirit is not a people pleaser who will peacefully agree to disagree regarding the doctrine of Christ—that peace is not fruit of the spirit, but rather fruit of the flesh. The holy spirit leads us to obey God’s Word, even when that means losing favor within your own family or church community, because only obedience takes us to heaven and God’s presence. So, the Word is the sword that must be taken by the holy spirit in order to protect the soul against the Devil’s deceiving wiles. God desires division even within a household when His Word is taken to escape spiritual death and Hellfire.

5. OBEYING the DOCTRINE of Jesus is Required for Heaven & Mark of TRUE Believer
The dividing sword Jesus sent is specifically His words, His doctrine, His teaching on what we must do to inherit Heaven. As Peter said to Jesus in John 6:68, "…thou hast the words of eternal life." Obeying the doctrine of Jesus is the sword that protects the soul’s eternal life and is the mark of a true believer. It is also the sword that will divide believers from unbelievers as the words of Jesus will be required of every soul on Judgment Day. In John 12:48 Jesus said, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." Your obedience or disobedience to Jesus’s teaching is what separates you to eternal life or eternal damnation. Most churchgoers think they are true believers with assurance of heaven because they follow tradition of singing, praying, giving offering and attending service. When a member dies, the pastor and congregation confidently declare the deceased person as a brother or sister in Christ precious to God and resting in Jesus’s presence. There is no consideration or mention of whether that person obeyed Jesus’s commandments. As long as the person got along with the pastor and congregation, they are considered a true Christian with heaven guaranteed.

Despite what deceiving preachers say, the mark of a true believer is not peaceful fellowship with whoever claims to be a Christian or diplomatic unity with whoever claims to be a servant of God. That sort of peace and unity puts you on the path to Hell. In Matthew 23:15 Jesus said, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." Scribes and Pharisees are equivalent to present-day Bible scholars and church leaders, and Jesus called them hypocrites and children of hell whose ministry work made followers twice as evil as themselves. If you blindly respect and unite with whoever claims to be a servant of God, you will fall in the same ditch of Hell as false teachers. A theology degree or seminary ordination is not evidence of being a true servant of God, so also, church membership or being born into a Christian family is not evidence of being a true brother or sister in Christ. In Mark 3:35 Jesus said, "For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother" In Luke 8:19-20 Jesus said, "Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it." Jesus defined his spiritual family as those who do the will of God the Father, those who obey the Word of God; they are true brothers and sisters in Christ.

Let’s see what other Scripture says about true believers, true servants of God and unity in Christ. Ephesians 4:4, 11-13 says, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling…And he [God] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Our body is in submission to our head’s direction and command. So also, true believers are united as the body of Christ by their unified submission to obeying Lord Jesus as their head. This is what it means to be ‘in Christ’ with unity of spirit—it is obeying His commandments to grow in spirit and live as holy and righteous as Jesus lived. True servants with a God-given ministry will admonish and exhort the spiritual body of Christ to be perfect, that is, to grow in godliness to the stature or level of Jesus himself. The mark of a true believer is humbly receiving these corrections to grow in obeying the doctrine of Christ. Because on Judgement Day, all souls will be divided by this sword into two groups, one for Heaven and one for Hell.

6. True BELIEVERS are DIVIVDED from Disobedient, Deceived and Deceivers
This division of true believers from others begins even now in this present world because that is what God requires for us to become His sons and daughters. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." God set a clear condition to become His sons and daughters. There is no unity of Truth and Deception, there is no peace between Good and Evil, there is no fellowship of true obedient believers and religious hypocrites, there is no agreement between the doctrine of Christ and the doctrine of men and devils. For God the Creator to become God our Father, we must separate from all sin, darkness and deception. This includes dividing from religious hypocrites who claim to be ‘in Christ’ but reject Jesus’s teachings. Many preachers claim with their lips to love Jesus, yet with their next breath deny it is possible to obey His commandments. They claim to serve Christ but boldly oppose Jesus’s teachings on inheriting heaven such as repent of sin, fear God, strive to enter, obey His commandments, final judgement according to our works and so on. God said to become His sons and daughters we must separate from the disobedient, deceived and deceivers. Do not be deceived to try to be more peaceful or more loving than God of the Bible—do not create unity, fellowship, peace and agreement where God the Creator has instructed division.

7. True believers DIVIDE from those who Oppose & Disobey the DOCTRINE of CHRIST
Dishonest pastors preach ‘unity, unity, unity’ encouraging churchgoers to peacefully agree to disagree despite opposing doctrine. They act as if godliness is uniting in song, potluck and prayer for worldly blessings, while being politically correct and ignoring teachings contradicting the words of Jesus. But Scripture warns believers to not be deceived by such nice sounding speeches, but instead pay attention and break fellowship with anyone opposing the doctrine of Christ. Romans 16:17-18 says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Apostle Paul implores believers to carefully notice and avoid people who teach doctrine contradicting the teachings of Jesus. Such people may have charming smiles, soft gentle voices and nice sounding words, but they are deceivers working for their own selfish gain and do not serve Christ. Please notice the mark of a deceiver is not someone who brings division, the mark of a deceiver is someone who brings doctrine contradicting the doctrine of Christ. True believers receive the division that Jesus sent; they separate from all who oppose and disobey the doctrine of Christ. 2 John 1:9-11says, "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." These verses tell us whoever rejects and disobeys the doctrine of Christ does not have God’s presence. If you keep fellowship and wish God’s blessings and protection upon such people, God considers you a partaker of that person’s evil deeds. The point is not to create divisions over frivolous matters that do not pertain to eternal life. The words of Jesus pertain to eternal life. To draw into God’s presence, you must pay attention to doctrine and break fellowship with anyone who opposes and disobeys the doctrine of Christ.

8. Jesus LIVED as an example the DIVISION that He sent to His followers
Jesus himself did not bring peace and unity among those all who gathered in the same house of worship claiming to be God’s people and God’s servants. Jesus sent a dividing sword and He lived this division as an example for His people to do the same. After receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, Jesus started ministry work and taught the doctrine he received from God. This doctrine split those who seemed to be one household or one family of God into two groups where members were against each other. John 7:12, 14-16, 43 says, "And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him [Jesus]: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people…Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me...So there was a division among the people because of him." Those who were considered one united family of God worshiping at the same temple broke into two groups divided by the doctrine Jesus taught—one group accused Jesus of being a deceiver and the other group said he was a good man.

This was not a neutral, peaceful separation—religious leaders feared Jesus and sought to destroy him because he taught to judge according to righteous judgment and not appearance. Jesus called out the hypocrisy of religious leaders saying they had outward appearance and lip service of godliness but evil, selfish intention. Mark 11:17-18 says, "And he [Jesus] taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine." Matthew 15:7-9,12-14 says, "Ye hypocrites…This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me..But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he [Jesus] answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Jesus reviled and cursed religious leaders who rejected his doctrine, so why should a true follower of Jesus now respect and honor such hypocritical children of the Devil? If we desire to be the spiritual body of Christ, we will grow to do and teach as Jesus did, as that is what it means to truly be ‘in Christ.’

Do not be deceived by servants of Satan to be more peaceful and more loving than the example of Jesus himself. If you are deceived to love and be loved by the organized church community or your family more than you love Jesus and his teachings, then you are not worthy of him. In Matthew 10:36-38 Jesus says, "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." The doctrine of Christ divides those who are in spiritual light from those who are in spiritual darkness. Those in darkness will fear, hate and be offended by the truth. Jesus’s teachings reveals their deeds as evil and warns of their impending damnation. As Jesus said in John 3:19-20, "…men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." Most present-day church leaders and congregations are no different— they do not want correction for their deceptive doctrines of men and devils, and they do not want warning for their sin which will take them to Hell. The mark of a true believer is receiving and obeying the doctrine of Jesus, and this includes receiving and living the division Jesus sent. If you live the division that Jesus lived, then the church community with hate you, separate you from their company and call you evil names, but you will be beloved and rewarded by God.