CAUSES OF RELIGIOUS DIVISION (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   Religious division is prevalent in every town and city in the United States.

1.    There is a different church on every corner.

2.    Sometimes there are two or three churches on the same corner.

3.    They all make the same claims.

a.    We believe in God.

b.    We affirm Jesus is the Son of God.

c.    We claim the Bible is the Word of God.

 

B.   If they make the same basic claims, then why are they divided?

1.    We noted last week that they can’t be divided and adhere to the Word of God.

a.    Jesus prayed for His followers to be one (John 17:20-21).

b.    Paul exhorted the church to have “no divisions among them” (1 Cor. 1:10).

2.    Last week, we noted three causes of religious division.

a.    False Teaching

b.    A Party Spirit among Members

c.    Works of the Flesh:  Anger, Hatred, Strife, Conflict

 

C.   In this lesson, let’s examine some of the other causes of religious division.

 

I.             THE LOVE OF POWER

 

A.   Power or authority is needed in every organization.

1.    Power provides order.

2.    Power provides leadership.

3.    Power provides success.

 

B.   Power, however, can also be a drug to some individuals. 

1.    They love to be in charge.

2.    They want everything to be done their way.

3.    They enjoy telling others exactly what to do.

4.    They have the sense that their way is the only way.

5.    PROBLEM:  When two or more individuals get together who each believe these things and their ideas are not the same.  This creates division.

 

C.   Examples in the Scripture:

1.    The longing for power brought conflict between brothers and a sister (Num. 12:1-2).

2.    Absalom’s love for power rocked the kingdom of David (2 Sam. 15:1-6).

3.    The desire for positions of power caused conflict among Jesus’ disciples (Mark 10:35-41).

4.    One man’s love for power brought him in opposition to an apostle (III John 9).

 

D.   Once organizations and institutions have been set up, the leaders of those institutions love their power.  They are not willing to give it up.

 

E.   When a power structure falls, there are often battles for power within the organization. 

1.    It starts off with attempts to compromise.

2.    There are disagreements in meetings.

3.    Disagreements turn into heated discussions.

4.    The disagreements are known by others.

5.    Individuals begin to take sides.

6.    Sometimes, one side does things in secret to exert power over the other side.

7.    The conflict brings division. 

a.    The stronger party stays, even though it might be small.

b.    The other party merges with another group or forms its own organization.

 

F.    James 3:14-15 summaries the afflictions and the causes of the affliction when there are power struggles in the religious world.

 

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish.

 

II.           HOLDING TO MAN-MADE TRADITIONS

 

A.   Definition of tradition: 

1.    A handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, and practices from one generation to another.

2.    A long-established way of thinking or acting

 

B.   In the Bible, we read of two kinds of traditions.

1.    There are divine, inspired traditions.

a.    2 Thessalonians 2:15

 

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

 

b.    2 Thessalonians 3:6

 

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

 

c.    Paul referred to his writings and the other apostolic writings as traditions because he knew they were to be passed on from generation to generation (2 Tim. 2:2).

 

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

 

2.    The second type of traditions are man-made in nature.

a.    These do not come from the breath of God.  They spring from the thoughts of mere man.

b.    Paul warned against these traditions in Colossians 2:8.

 

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

 

c.    There are three major problems with man-made traditions.

1)    Some of them come in direct opposition to God’s will.

a)    Ex., the Jews’ traditions of Jesus’ day, Matt. 15:3

 

But he answered and said, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

 

b)    Anything that violates the law of God will cause division because the faithful will not tolerate the transgression of God’s law.

2)    Some are exalted to the level of divine law, even though they are not.

a)    Ex., the Jews constantly criticized Jesus’ disciples for not keeping

various traditions of the elders, Matt. 15:1,2

 

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

 

b)    In time, there will be those who will challenge the traditions.  Those who are traditionalists, will oppose those individuals just as the Jews did Jesus.  This will cause division.

3)    Some traditions are acknowledged to be man-made by all.  Most would admit that they are not binding on man.  However, many want to keep them just because they are traditions.  Sometimes this is done to the detriment of the body of Christ (Ex., KJV only, dresses for woman, facial hair on men, wearing of coats and ties, etc.).

 

III.         IGNORANCE

 

A.   There are at least three types of ignorance.

1.    Simple ignorance:  those who have never been taught (Hos. 4:6)

 

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…

 

2.    Willful ignorance:  those who have been taught but ignore the teaching (2 Pet. 3:5)

 

For this they willingly are ignorant of…

 

3.    Learned ignorance:  those who have been taught incorrectly, and who honestly believe the error (Acts 19:2-3).

 

He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?  And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized?  And they said, Unto John’s baptism.

 

B.   There are those in world today who fall into each one of these categories.  Sadly, their ignorance keeps them separated from God, the Christ, the salvation found in Christ, and the church.

1.    We have people in our community who have never heard the truth of the gospel.

2.    We have people in our community who have heard gospel sermons and read literature that was true to the Word of God, who continue in their error.

3.    We have people in the world who have been wrongly taught, even regarding religious division.

a.    The vine and branches of John 15:1-8

b.    The one body has many members found in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.

 

C.   In like manner, churches have been divided because of these three forms of ignorance (Ex. Marriage-Divorce-Remarriage).

1.    Some members of the church have never studied the issue.

2.    Some have studied the issue, know the truth, but refuse to practice it. 

3.    Some have studied the issue and have been taught incorrectly about certain teachings of the Scripture (Ex., “not under bondage,” 1 Cor. 7:15).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   We have seen three more causes of division.

1.    The love for power

2.    Man-made traditions

3.    Ignorance

 

B.   There are ways to correct each of these causes:

1.    Hearts must be taught to yearn for servanthood instead of power.

2.    Individuals must be able to distinguish between God’s Word and man’s traditions.

3.    We must replace ignorance with an abundance of God’s Word and wisdom.

 

C.   Unity is what God has always desired for His people.

1.    In Jeremiah 32:37, God promised to bring back the captive Jews to their land.

2.    He also looked into the future when His everlasting covenant would be given to them (Jer. 32:40).

3.    The verses sandwiched in between reveal God’s desire the oneness of His people (Jer. 32:38-39).

 

And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:  and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and their children after them.