What You Do When There's Division in the Family

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We all know that a family divided in schisms is bad news and shouldn't remain like that. In fact, the Master said a house divided against itself will not last. So what do we do? If we're the responsible type of family member, we fix it pronto. We'd do everything, even spend all our money and time, just to put things back together, weld them to permanence, if possible. 

Well, there are those who just settle for separation, annulment, or divorce. You mess up family ties and you reap the bad harvest from the bad seed you sow. Broken marriages and families will never amount to the plan or will God wants for you, even if you try to decorate your divorce or annulment with showbiz-style embellishments. The Word says "God hates divorce," and nothing can change that.

But some divorce strangely produce lots of money and productive children. Have you noticed it? I've watched several examples featured and promoted on TV. Since their divorce, they became happier, their livelihoods became more profitable, and their children--though in broken homes--appear happy and even successful (and outstanding) in their studies and later careers compared to those who come from intact families. Thus, divorced couples are able to claim that "the divorce was probably God's will" because it ended in the flesh being comfortable. 

Division in the Church

Now, look at the church, supposedly the "body" of Christ. The Master, Jesus--the Head of the family--announced in prayer in John 17 that God's will is the complete unity of all believers. When Jesus says complete, it means complete! And how complete should the unity be? He said, as the Father and Son are one. All believers should be one flesh, the body of Christ. God's Flesh, in short.

But as it is, for centuries, there have been divisions in the family of God. A family divided in schisms is always bad news. How can you call it a family when each church denomination believes differently, have their own ways of looking at the Father's will, and don't care about each other? Here's one way Jesus put it:

"..that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know

 that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me," [17.23 ESV]. 

If that's not powerful enough, I don't know what is. There are three vital things here:

1. God's will for believers is perfect or complete unity.
2. Only in being perfectly one will the world know that the Father sent Jesus Christ.
3. Only in being perfectly one will the world know that Jesus loves true believers in the same way the Father loves Jesus.

If you see the family broken and divided--and you are a responsible member of the family--you should immediately do something about it. You know it cannot remain that way. You forget about your own interests and exert all efforts at reuniting with your brothers and sisters, especially now that you heard your Father say what he wants.