Divisive Days in the Church

How Did We Get Here?

The first relationship that ever existed was between God and one man. That relationship was extended to one man and one woman who had a relationship with God and a relationship with each other.

Then came Genesis 3 and the “fall” of man which broke the relationship with God and maintained the relationship with each other. Thus divisiveness was sown into human existence. This is then seen in the relationship between the first two sons of Adam and Eve: Cain the farmer and Abel the shepherd. God favored Abel’s offering over Cain’s. Cain, consumed by anger and jealousy, killed Abel; highlighting the importance of a righteous heart and the danger of unchecked emotions.

A Deeper Problem

Why was Cain so angry?

We all have a moral compass. God said to Cain, “why are you angry? Why are you downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” [Genesis 4:6-7). If Cain was the first child born, when was he taught right from wrong? God expected Cain to know what was right. Why? Because we are born with a moral compass – our conscience. We all have an inborn ability to make this distinction.
We know right and wrong but we struggle to do right. “But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” [Genesis 4:7). We all struggle with our sinful nature. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:21, “even when I want to do good, evil is ready to sabotage me.”
Unchecked sin leads to unrighteous consequences. In our life today, the Cain and Abel story is explained in James 1:14-15, “each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then after the desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.”

From Cain and Abel to Today’s Church

From the very first son of the very first family, we can see the effects of divisiveness. Even though God’s message, “the message you have heard from the beginning, we should love one another” [1 John 3:11-12], humanity has evolved into Cains and Abels.

Today, we refer to the Cain and Abel effect in many ways, such as political polarization, among other descriptives.

This Cain and Abel effect has not just permeated society at every level but has found its way into the church. The Protestant Reformation is an example where a difference in doctrinal issues challenged the Catholic Church’s authority and led to the establishment of Protestantism. And it didn’t stop there but opened the door to many more doctrinal differences which led to many more denominations within Protestantism.

From Imago Dei to Imago Homo

In the beginning, God made man in His image; and ever since, man has been trying to make God in man’s image; from imago Dei to imago homo.

This Cain and Abel effect has become a dominant part of our DNA, even among Christians and the church. Yet, in God’s sight, there are only two types of humans: the ones who have Christ as Savior and Lord and the ones who don’t. Jesus refers to them in Matthew 25 as sheep and goats.

The Role of Our Minds

We are more alike than unalike. It is our thinking and resultant actions that separate us.

Maybe that’s why the Apostle Paul encouraged us to “not be conformed to the ways of the world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” [Romans 12:1-2].

Holding Beliefs Without Creating Enemies

The late Phil Robertson expressed his sentiments on the idea of disagreements. When not handled with love and respect, they can escalate into animosity and division. While we stand firm on our beliefs, we cannot lose sight of the importance of God’s love, which lessens the perception that those who hold differing views are inherent adversaries.

A Conversation With My Friend John

My friend John, a fellow veteran and an all-around good guy, is a self-described atheist.

When he told me that, I said “I’d like to talk about your beliefs.” He said, “yes, I’ve heard it all. I have to go to church or I’m going to hell.” My response was this, “I don’t care whether you go to church or not, I’d just like to know how you came to the conclusion that there is no God. I’m very interested.”

He was surprised that I wasn’t immediately going to try and change him. He knows my position about God and he knows that I respect his position. I didn’t make an enemy, I made a stronger friend.

In the World, Not of the World

While we are all human, we are like the snowflake; the same but all different. Christians are to be “in the world but not of the world” [John 17:14-16]. Christians are to live in the world, engaging its realities and interacting with other people, but without conforming to the world’s values and sinful patterns. Our failure to adhere to this principle has made the church just like the world.

If anything in this world is going to change, it will have to start with a change in the church.