DIVISION IS INEVITABLE
The Lord said He came to seek and save His lost sheep, and His sheep are scattered in ‘families’ both Christian and non-Christian. So when the Lord calls out His sheep out of these families the DIVISION IS INEVITABLE.
"A man’s foes shall be they of his own household" [Matt. 10:36].
The ‘man’ in this passage is the Lord’s sheep whom He has chosen to save as opposed to the rest of his family whom he hath chosen not to save. He says "five in ONE HOUSE SHALL BE DIVIDED, three against two, and two against three." At times the Lord may choose to save two or even three in a family of five, but NOWHERE in the Scripture does the Lord promise to save the whole family!
Was it not so from the beginning?
1) Adam had two sons – Cain and Abel. God loved Abel, but Cain was of the wicked one [1 John 3:12].
2) Noah found grace in God’s eyes and was therefore saved. But were all of Noah’s family ‘children of God’? No! Ham the younger son of Noah proved to be wicked! [Gen 9:22-24].
3) The same with the sons of Issac, one was loved of God the other was hated. “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau’! [Mal 1:2,3]
4) 1 Samuel 3: 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the HOUSE OF ELI, that the iniquity of Eli's HOUSE SHALL NOT be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever.
5) 1 Cor 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that FLESH and BLOOD CAN NOT inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
The point being this: God has no grandchildren! Only Children! Preachers who baptize their children ASSUMING that they too are chosen to be saved have not fully understood and grasped the Sovereignty of God in Salvation! A.W. Pink rightly affirms –“the taking place of the new birth is “NOT OF BLOODd” that is to say, it is not a matter of heredity, for regeneration does not run in the veins”!
You cannot contend that God wants the whole family saved and YET DO JUSTICE to the Lord’s words which emphatically teach that the GOSPEL DIVIDES FAMILIES!!
6) He says in Matt 10:21 "And the BROTHER SHALL DELIVER UP BROTHER to death, and the FATHER THE CHILD; and the CHILDREN SHALL RISE UP AGAINST THEIR PARENTS, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated by all men for My name’s sake; but he that endureth till the end shall be saved [Matt 10:21,22].
And where does Jesus word bring division?
Luke 12:51-53
"For from HENCEFORTH there shall be five in ONE HOUSE DIVIDED, three against two, and two against three.
a) The father shall be divided against the son, and
b) the son against the father;
c) the mother against the daughter,
d) and the daughter against the mother;
e) the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law,
f) and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law
Note the words ‘FROM HENCEFORTH’ which means from the time the Lord began His ministry even until He comes again, the PREACHING OF TRUTH WILL CONTINUE TO DIVIDE FAMILIES!!!
The Lord said emphatically that this was one of the reasons why He came. When He sent out His twelve apostles to preach, He cautioned them beforehand saying the same words: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came NOT TO SEND PEACE, but A SWORD. 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" [Mt. 10:34-37].
Beloved, the fact that Christ DIVIDES THE FAMILIES IS NOT AN EXCEPTION, BUT A RULE.
7) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever! [Heb13:8]. The Lord has not changed and neither will the effects caused by His words ever change! In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle affirms, “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, EVEM SONIT IS NOW”! [Gal 4:29].
The Christian is one who is born after the Spirit. And almost every ‘born-again’ child of God when he initially becomes a Christian has testified of the hatred that he felt from his family and loved ones. He is then glad to relate to his Master’s Words, “The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” [John 15:20].
This persecution and hatred is only experienced by those who are making every effort to live like their Master! But if we are unfaithful by hiding our light under a bushel and are compromising the truth by attempting to serve two masters then we can successfully escape “the reproach of Christ”! He was hated by the world and has called us to fellowship with His sufferings. And it is only, “All those who live godly in Christ Jesus who suffer persecution! [2Tim 3;12].
Please look at
8) Mark 6:3-4
"Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And THEY WERE OFFENDED AT HIM.
But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is NOT without honour, but in his own country, and AMONG HIS OWN KIN, and IN HIS OWN HOUSE. "
Isn't this a family division?
9) Then one said unto Him, Behold, Thy mother and Thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with Thee.
But He answered and said unto him that told him, Who is My mother? and who are My brethren?
And He STRETCHED FORTH HIS HAND toward His disciples, and said, Behold My mother and My brethren!
For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.
Here, did not Jesus offended His physical mother?
10) John 7:5
"His brethren, therefore, said unto Him, DEPART HENCE, and go into Judaea, that Thy disciples also may see the works that Thou doest.
For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If Thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
For NEITHER DID HIS BRETHREN BELIEVE IN HIM."
Do you not see this as separation in Jesus's own family?
All the above verses are related to divisions in the family because of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.
I have shown you and taught you what I firmly believe for last 25 years, and I do not boast in this but to let you know God has preserved me from error and given me integrity.
As I say it again, the family division is not optional nor exceptional BUT THIS IS a MANDATORY RULE and PATTERN for every disciple of Jesus. This is the cross that Jesus wants us to carry throughout our lives.
By Brother Praveen
