The River

Good morning and welcome in. Today we’re going to look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to ask you a question.

How many of you have gotten ready to go to the laundromat and separated your clothes?  Many people will separate bright colors from the whites, or a mechanic might divide his greasy work clothes from the rest of the family’s daily clothing.   The word divide actually means to split or to separate into two or more parts. For example, the Atlantic ocean divides the United States from Europe.  A wall in your home divides two rooms from each other.  A river that runs through a community divides the city into two separate sections.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

The teachings of God’s Holy Word brings about the same kind of division.  If we think about the river as being God’s Holy Word, some people are on one side of the river, while the rest are on the other.  When two people are in a state of division they don’t hold the same beliefs.  In Christianity, division happens because of the acceptance or the rejection of biblical truth.

Luke 12:51  Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

First of all Jesus teaches that He didn’t come to give peace on Earth. Peace is freedom from disturbance; tranquility or a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations.  It’s freedom from quarrels and disagreement and having harmonious relations with others. As Jesus preached the gospel, there were numerous people who were completely divided against him.  There were some who went so far as to stir up the people against Him.  Jesus preached the truth, but not everybody accepts the truth.  It is biblical truth that divides people into separate groups

One time I was at a shopping mall and had the opportunity to talk about the gospel to a seated crowd.  It seemed that everyone was happy and fine as they sat in their chairs, but as soon as I began to discuss what Jesus had done for us at the cross, talking about his mercy and forgiveness, half of the seated group of people stood up and walked out of the mall.  This division happened that day because of the truth of scripture.

Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

When someone decides to become a Christian they are going to accept biblical truth.  They begin to separate from the world and its philosophies.  The friends and close relationships that you had at one time begin to turn away from you and even persecute you.  They don’t believe the things that you do as a result of your new faith in Jesus.  This is going to happen because God’s Word will divide the heart, like a knife through butter.   If everybody speaks well about you, you really have to ask yourself if you really take a stand for the truth.

Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Some of the closest relationships that you have growing up are your own family members.  When you become a Christian you need to be ready to accept the fact that persecution and suffering will arise even from them.  We care about them deeply and their eternal salvation, as the Apostle Paul did for his fellow Israelites, but it’s the rejection of the truth in Christ that causes this division.  

Matthew 10:34-36 – 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.

Luke 12:52-53 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.  The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

So you see, division begins here upon the Earth and someday there will be eternal separation.

Matt 25:31-33  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

The preaching of the truth of God’s Word is going to bring about one of two responses. Either somebody will believe it with all their heart and have a desire to do what it says or they will reject it. It’s the teachings of Holy Scripture that divides this world into two separate groups, believers and unbelievers.  Even though you may have blood relatives who don’t share your faith, we can inherit new ones.  In the church we have new brothers and sisters through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Mark 10:29-30  And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

When we become a Christian, God calls us to come out and to be separate.  Other people who are still living in the world do not accept the things that we believe, and we are supposed to join together with others who share our faith, united under the Word of God.

2 For 6:14-18  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

To truly be separate means to be apart from the rest, not connected, and not too attached to anything else. It makes sense that people who live in the world follow the teachings and philosophies of the world whereas those who follow Christ, follow Him and are united together under biblical truth.  We join together with others who call on His name out of a pure heart. So when you choose the Christian life, division is going to happen. This is one of the reasons that Jesus came. Each of us needs to eventually decide, so I ask you a simple question today. Which side of the river are you on?

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc  where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.♥️