05/15/2026
Princes and principalities, customs and countries, circumcised and uncircumcised... these, and many others, are all things we have used to separate ourselves from one another, and to secure God and Jesus Christ for ourselves alone, but that is not God’s will, nor what Jesus meant to happen; it was meant for the Holy Spirit to bring us together at the Cross as one Church.
“And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”
Ephesians 2:17-19 ESV
The coming of the Messiah meant one thing to the Jewish Christians, another to Roman converts, and yet another to almost every different place that the Gospel travelled. Jesus freed many people from various false gods, and broke down the barriers of food, language, and custom, as one consolidated household of worshippers was brought together into a single structure.
“built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
Ephesians 2:20-22 ESV
Yet, we human beings can be a devious lot, and when powerful men and women hear passages of scripture that say things like:
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Romans 8:31 ESV
Then suddenly these people want to secure this God to their own advantage. A mighty God serving them against their enemies is a powerful weapon indeed... thus the motivation for division. Powerful people motivated to acquire Jesus Christ so that they might hold an edge over their adversaries. How many wars have been fought with the cross held high before an army? How many rulers have attempted to use the cross like it was a type of Aaron or Hur to hold their arms up as if they were Moses against the Amalekites?
“Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.”
Exodus 17:11-13 ESV
This is a simple act of human nature, and it persists in many forms even today. Turn on any television set and find the beginning of a sports game. On each of the sidelines we see groups of players huddled together in prayer as they ask God to give them the victory. Well, whose prayer will He honor, or does He get involved in such trivial arguments at all? Will Jesus sit on one side of the sports field or the other? I always smile when I hear of parent’s that have two children... one playing for each of the opposing teams, and the color commentator invariably asks them which team they will cheer for... really? I love it when they respond that the husband will sit on one side, his wife will sit on the other, and that they will switch sides at halftime!
We ride down the streets of our cities and towns and see the Christian Church of this, and the Christian Church of that... many claiming to have the golden key... the one truth... the answer to the single mystery of faith that gives them a leg up, and lessens the others. I ask you... really? We need to be careful as we divide the house of God into various rooms, and make certain that we aren’t dividing ourselves into separate houses. Rooms decorated with different colors and cultures are wonderful, but we are all sitting on one foundation, have one cornerstone, and are meant to be one house… one structure. Any attempt to hew the cornerstone to meet our own purposes, and to fit Him into our separately constructed house is counter to the will of God for the Church. We must beware of powerful men motivated by pride, selfishness, war, taxes, and yes... tithes.
So as Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians, we are one; not one group using the Spirit over another, but one in the Spirit, and united as one Church in Christ for the glory of God.
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Ephesians 4:1-6 ESV
Let’s find the common ground, and make certain that it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Word of God that unites us. If this is true then we are family, and live in the same mansion.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the diversity we find in the Church. I thank you for the colors, and customs that have united so many people in worshipping you, and in following your Son Jesus Christ. Help us Holy Father when we are confronted by those who would pit us one against another, and help us to see through this divisiveness that can become a destructive and prideful tool that destroys the oneness of our faith in you. Conquer your adversaries Father; those who confront us, and those who, like Judas Iscariot, take up residence within our midst. Let your will for a unified Church be realized, and the bride of Christ be adorned in a splendid array of jewels, veils, and clothing. Let us, His bride, love and honor your Son and be His greatest asset, that together shines brighter than any of our individual jewels of faith. Open our hearts Merciful Father to the grace that abounds in you, and make ready the bridal feast. Holy are you Lord, and great is your house of many rooms. Receive us, the bride of your Son Jesus, and bless us together with your eternal presence and love.
“For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 11:2-3 ESV
And Father, may we all pray together with one Amen.
Amen!
Rich Forbes