CONQUER DIVISION
Genesis 10:25 One was named Peleg, because in his time, the earth was divided.
John 15:17 These things I command to you so that you value one another.
“All you need is love” is a cliched song lyric that has lost its impact. The earth may have been divided in the time of Peleg, but hasn’t it been divided ever since? ‘Division’ is the axiom of being a carbon-based organism. There is division in the earth because of politics, socioeconomics, religion, not to mention in HOA communities! Everyone has a differing opinion. There are divisions in marriages because both parties are consumed with fighting their own corners and trying to get their own way. There are divisions in whole families because of a multitude of reasons.
Unfortunately, the Church is not exempt from the problem of division because many are unaware that the goal of a believer is to imitate Jesus and produce His spirit fruit. Without producing spirit fruit, division will fill the void. I don’t know that this concept of spirit-fruit has been defined at its maximum level, so I will attempt to do that here.
The seeds of Christ’s spirit-fruit: agape (generous concern), joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-restraint) are planted within the spirit of a believer of Jesus at the time of water immersion. This explanation is found in Galatians 3:27. The Greek text provides the definition, "be invested with spiritual gifts, graces and characteristics of Christ." The English translations short-change this concept with the use of the word, ‘clothed.’ The spiritual characteristics of Christ is exactly this spirit-fruit which Paul details in Galatians 5:22-23.
The caveat, and it is a huge one, is that this spiritual fruit does not get produced unless the immersed believer is bound to the walk of Jesus (1 John 2:6 The one who claims to dwell in Him is indebted/bound to walk just as Jesus walked.) The walk of Jesus consists of Truth, Humility, Righteousness, Compassion, Justice and Mercy (formally now labeled the Jesus-Walk). With that kind of power, the ‘Jesus-walker’ is able to keep strict the new set of commands, the Twenty Commands found in the Sermon on the Mount as documented by the gospel writers, Matthew. Command-keeping obedience is how a training disciple worships in spirit and in Truth (John 4:23), becoming a living sacrifice, (Romans 12:1) holy and pleasing to God.
The challenge is that this way of life, the new Rule of Life, which Paul dubs it in Galatians 2:6, is a choice to accept or refuse, thus causing more division. I’m tempted to beg the question, why is there such a casual approach to something that is meant to be kept strict, aka obedient? Probably because mainstream Bible readers are not aware that the Sermon on the Mount is peppered with twenty Greek imperatives which make them commands rather than recommendations or suggestions they have been perceived to be. Church attendance, serving and financial giving have become standard practice for ‘spirituality’ (attendance alone is sufficient for some church traditions), and these perfunctory practices are much easier than turning the other cheek, do not judge, reconcile differences, give to the one who asks, go the second mile, do not worry (be consumed with thoughts), value an enemy and pray for him/her.
This word, value, is part of the language solution to this translation problem. If believers knew that they were commanded to ‘value’ God and value neighbors, rather than love God and love neighbors, the required actions would be more than a feel-good vibe. 'Value' is a verb (agapao) that requires action, which, if activated, turns into division-conquering proof.
Love is an emotion that is subjective and doesn’t require proof, because love is felt. Does it make sense that we can love baseball, love chocolate, and love God, too? If we could give this language problem proper interpretation, then another, more poignant set of questions can be asked; How or in what way am I valuing God? How or in what way am I valuing my neighbor (and by the way, a spouse is the closest neighbor). Keeping strict Twenty Commands with the power of the Jesus-Walk produces fruit that proves value for God and for neighbors. Necessary accountability is required when ‘value’ is the new goal. Funny to call it 'new' when it has been there all the time.
