DIVISION IN SCRIPTURE???

The relentless drive in our contemporary political environment to push people into one of two groups is largely centered around ideas of responsibility. Who are we responsible to? Who are we responsible for?

Within Christian circles, we find this same division. We would ALL probably answer that we are responsible to God, but one group would say we are responsible for ourselves only. The community will straighten itself out when individuals step up to the plate. The other group would say we are responsible for our community. Individuals will grow into good citizens when their environment is good. Interestingly, when we turn to Scripture, we find division also…division between verses that encourage one then another….because it isn’t either/or, it’s both/and. How do we move beyond this?

As Christians, we often look to the Bereans as the standard for Bible study. In the Scriptures we find, “11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” In some sense, we uphold this standard with every Bible study we go through, every sermon…we are looking to the authority of the Word to guide us.

In what way have we failed to uphold this standard?? I think it is in our reception of political and social commentary. We have failed to measure what we hear against the Word. Instead of the results the Bereans had of many believing, “also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men,” we have many walking away. We have deconstruction. Because we have held onto political and social narratives rather than the Word of God.

BUT

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

The healing our country needs starts with us, God’s people, on our knees. Praise Him that His mercies are new every morning and nothing is impossible with Him!!