Dividing
There are many things that may divide the people who seek to gather together for the purposes of Christ.
- "... Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:" Matthew 12:25
Safe Space
There is a burden to being a Christian. You must be willing to hear the rebuke of others with forgiveness and love. You must be willing to hear and weigh the truth that others offer in love or not.
It is the truth that sets you free.[1] You must be willing to share what you see as true with others and allow others to share with you what they see as true.
A free assembly or congregation is not a "safe space"[2] and certainly not safe from the truth. No one should be dividing themselves because they took offense at what is said to them by others.
You will not be free if you are dividing yourself from others because you choose to take offense or fail to forgive what you imagine as an offense from others. The wise man welcomes rebuke. He is not tossed to and fro by opinions, but he believes in free speech and honest and open discussions.[3] Being willing to see the truth about yourself will allow you to see the whole truth about everything else.
People over the years have divided themselves from Free Assemblies and Congregations because they are looking for some sort of "safe space" where people give the appearance of love free of rebuke or any conflict or contrary opinions.
They are often seeking self righteousness and personal comfort rather than truly seeking the Righteousness of God. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, and our comfort does not come from a pastor, nor a preacher, nor from the people of our congregations.
Can you imagine how long Israel could have survived if every time someone said something that could be taken as an offense, the people of the tens separated from the network through which the people gathered the whole nation?
So you think that every congregation of ten families was nothing but sweetness and nice?
They did not forsake the coming together as a result of some one criticizing someone else. They did not abandon one another or the entire assembly because someone in their group of families was not perfect or questioned their perfection.
They came together for the purposes of God, not for their own comfort nor personal pride. They were Congregations of Rebuke. The same was true of the early Church. This was why they focused on Christ, and they warned against those who brought division and did not fear honest rebuke and opinions of others.
Some are divisive; we are not with them: Division leads to forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. How do you exhort one another and provoke one another to love and good works after you forsake assembling?[4]
None of us are worthy. But we all should have the right to speak our mind in sincerity and hope of knowing the truth one way or another.
Let everyone speak their mind and heart. Hear their heart and receive their rebuke if it comes with love and patience. Let the Holy Spirit be judge. The congregation of God is not a safe space but a place of humility and forgiveness.
- Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
- Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
One Spirit
There is one spirit[5] which is the Holy Spirit that we seek to conform to by our acceptance and performance of its will and no other.
- Proverbs 16:19 "Better [it is to be] of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud."
A minister should never seek to develop nor encourage the loyalty of the congregation to himself. Our loyalty should be to God alone and His Holy Spirit which may guide us in His righteousness.
- "Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" 1 Corinthians 1:13
1 Corinthians 12:11 "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."
Dividing Doctrines
The church by definition is to teach the doctrines of Jesus. If Jesus did not say it then it is not His doctrines. No one has the power or right to put words in the mouth of Christ nor remove them. Every interpretation of what Christ said is a private interpretation[6].
The personal opinions of men as to what Christ meant are all private interpretations. They may or may not be correct. Why did Jesus Say all the things he said?
We should not be dividing one another over these differences of opinion.
Be not dividing yourselves nor let others divide you.
- Mark 3:24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
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Footnotes
- ↑ John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
- ↑ In educational institutions, safe-space (or safe space), safer-space, and positive space originally were terms used to indicate that a teacher, educational institution or student body does not tolerate anti-LGBT violence, harassment or hate speech, thereby creating a safe place for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. The term 'safe space' has been extended to refer to a space for individuals who are marginalized, and they come together to communicate regarding their experiences with marginalization, typically on a university campus. It has been criticized for being contrary to "freedom of speech" because if you have a different opinion than the "all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students", you will not be safe in their "safe space".
- ↑ Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
- 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
- 1 Timothy 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
- Proverbs 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
- Proverbs 13:1 A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.
- Proverbs 13:8 The ransom of a man’s life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke.
- Proverbs 24:25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
- Ecclesiastes 7:5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
- ↑ Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
- ↑ 1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
- Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
- Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
- Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
- ↑ 2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.