God Doesn’t Want Unity! That’s not His plan! The splinters, schisms, divisions and fights in the church today are a GREAT THING! God ordained it to be so, FOR A PURPOSE!!

Men seem to think that Christ came to bring PEACE on earth. Well He didn’t! He came to STIR THINGS UP!

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Luke 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

Christ came to bring DIVISION, of all things! Why on earth did He do that? Why did He WANT such fighting as happens between you and your family, or between Tom Kerry and George Trent, or between Living and United… such disputing as you see literally EVERYWHERE you look? WHY??

Because this is what will produce the results He wants IN YOU! He wants problems and disagreements because He wants you to see two different opinions, and sort out which – if any – are correct FOR YOURSELF.

If there were no divisions, then you would not be forced to do anything but sit in church for 20 or 30 years, merely following the head of the church – known in some religions as the Pope – and that would be all that was expected of you. But because the church is divided, and fighting, and constantly bickering, YOU have to make decisions FOR YOURSELF. Here is a good example:

John 9:16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

Now picture for a moment. You see a man, saying mighty words, and doing miracles. However, this man disagrees with all of the men you’ve ever respected, men you’ve always treated as scholars, and wise men – almost like Gods themselves.

You know that the miracles are impressive, but CAN ALL THESE PEOPLE BE WRONG? And only one lone redneck be right? This was the choice these people faced. And this division was a GOOD THING! Because this is the process God used to sort out those people who loved TRUTH, and followed GOD, from those who loved and followed MEN!

If everyone had just “gotten along in brotherly love”, so to speak… no one would have had to make these choices. And God wouldn’t have known where they stood… and neither would they! Oh, sure, it would have been easier, but it wouldn’t have done anything of value! Value, TRUE, ETERNAL VALUE, comes after the fight is over!

After the bickering is finished, after all the cards have been played, and a decision has been reached… THEN you KNOW what you believe, and you know WHY YOU BELIEVE IT, and most important of all – you know that you can defend it!

It’s not a private, pet doctrine you’re afraid to discuss – it’s TRUTH that can be defended against ANY argument – because TRUTH can be defended, EVERY TIME. If you would be afraid of arguing with ANYONE about ANY issue you claim to believe, then YOU AREN’T SURE IT’S TRUE!

Oh sure, you think it’s true. It makes sense to YOU. But TRUTH can be defended. Remember this always; IF YOU CAN’T PROVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO AN OPINION!

Acts 15:1-2 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

So Paul and Barnabas argued their points heatedly. There was DIVISION in the church of God!

Acts 15:4, 7 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them… And when there had been much disputing,Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

Truth, lasting truth that CANNOT be shaken by another man’s mere opinion, no matter how well respected, only comes AFTER you have been through the fight, and DEFENDED IT. This is the TRUTH that this disagreement between Paul and the rest of the church helped bring about. This is one of the DIVISIONS that Christ came to send.

1 Thessalonians 2:2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

The word of God CAUSES contention because carnal man naturally RESISTS TRUTH! So the truth must be defended, which only further exacerbates the situation! But this is not a bad thing – no, this contention is a GLORIOUS thing, because after it’s all said and done… everyone knows where each other stands.

1 Corinthians 1:10 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.

None of this is meant to say that you should simply leave divisions alone. No, the point of division is to solve any that you can. But NOT BY TOLERATION! By SOLVING the problem – not IGNORING it! It may take sharp disagreement to bring this about, but THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF THE DIVISION IN THE FIRST PLACE!

We are told that for the sake of “church unity” we should just “agree to disagree”. No, God HATES unity at the expense of Truth! It is an abomination to Him, to see people who quietly, or even worse, secretly disagree while pretending that they are brethren!

Remember WHY CHRIST CAME!

Matthew 10:35-37 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 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.

If you love your relationship with a friend, or your own mother, so much that you don’t dare dispute with them when you believe they are wrong, sharply when necessary, YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF GOD.

Matthew 18:7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

There are supposed to be disputes, fights, offences, and heresies. God put them here for tests. Tests to see if you’re serious about this, or if you’re simply another seat-warmer in the church of God hoping for a free ticket into the Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 11:18-19 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

And here Paul sums up the purpose of divisions for us. So that those who are seeking truth, those who are willing to do what is right, will choose the right course and God will know His servants from the indifferent chaff who came seeking a social club.

This can come about in many ways. It can stem from a simple misunderstanding. It can be caused by sin or false doctrine. But one way or another, each disagreement is a chance for ONE of the people to be right tomorrow, where today they are wrong. And that is a priceless opportunity.

So no, God doesn’t want unity. He wants to know if you REALLY want this job, or if you’d rather be fishing.