“But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Hab 2:14 AMP
“Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness.” Hab 2:4
“Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him [out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain, but I have prayed for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren.” Lk 22:31-32 AMP
“Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Edom [descendants of Esau] and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because he pursued his brother Jacob (Israel) with the sword, corrupting his compassions and casting off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually and his wrath he kept and heeded forever.” Amos 1:11 AMP
How many believers are seeing divisions in the Body of Christ in a new light?
How many of you are hearing reports from other parts of the Body that call into question the authenticity of another’s beliefs, doctrine, and practices?
How many have witnessed an exodus from fellowship of numbers of believers because of disagreement or division?
How many of you are currently living in a Christian home in a Christian marriage where unity in purpose and intent is lacking, and you live basically estranged lives but you are stuck because of anger, unforgiveness, and wrath?
How many of you have terminated fellowship with an established place of worship, and have embarked upon a home-based cell group that follows the teachings of some national Christian figure?
Right now the Body of Christ is reeling and staggering under multiple variations of the above descriptions. It is reeling in the family unit. It is reeling in the fellowship houses.
The cause is some division. It can be for many reasons, and I do not discount any of those. Maybe you have discerned a wrong spirit, or a wrong doctrine. Maybe those things were addressed but they seemed to fall on deaf ears. Maybe your warnings were utterly dismissed and you felt so as well.
Here is the point of my discussion: I believe there are multiple siftings going on in the Body at multiple levels. Their goal is like what Peter experienced in Luke. His sifting was first of all about separating him from his pride, for his soul was not straight or right within him. Second, it was to establish and strengthen Peter in compassion and Truth, so that when his faith prevailed he would turn and strengthen and establish the brethren.
You see Peter had a destiny on earth just as we do. And it is for a time such as this…But Peter had to be conditioned and strengthened to be of the same foundational quality as Jesus before he could bear any weight.
The Body of Christ is in just such a similar place. There is much earthly sediment being kicked up even within the Body, and even within households within the Body. This sediment obscures clarity and makes issues murky like water that has been churned.
Where we make our mistakes are in decisions and ways that are not led by Christ. We think we are discerning the Lord’s heart when for conscience sake we withdraw and forsake fellowship. But any withdrawal from a home or a fellowship, or from the Body needs to be led by the Holy Spirit.
Our confidence has to be more trusting in the Spirit than our own opinions. We see the speck in our brother’s eye, but fail to see the plank in our own eyes. Even worse, having observed the speck of our brother’s, we make a decision before even interceding or travailing in prayer.
None of this activity is beyond the observation of the Lord. He understands that we are but dust. But He has also provided a way so that we can stand up under every temptation, even the temptation to judge and then cut bait and run.
I read about Esau and how he did not remember his brotherly covenant when Israel sought safe passage and was refused (passage through Edom). Esau had nursed wounded pride and anger. Amos says he kept his anger yet it tore perpetually. The issue wasn’t that he was not treated badly by Jacob. He was. But Esau chose the way of his flesh to try and address this situation rather than becoming willing to confess his anger and sense of betrayal and even himself turning back to God.
So many in the Body are standing in this tactical path of Esau – their eyes on their right of having been wrong or betrayed. So many are keeping their anger almost as a badge of courage rather than submitting it to the Lord and receiving their healing. It is important to recall Beloved, Esau was lost when he gave up his birth right and then reaped condemnation because he pursued his brother with the sword.
Many in the Body are becoming like Ham who could not hold back his glee at finding out the fault of his father Noah. They then broadcast this failing to all who will listen, but the cup of their intercession sadly remains empty.
What is my point? I believe sifting comes to all of us in the Body. Only when we have been broken in this manner can the life of the Holy Spirit have freedom in us to break through the natural self. Only then can we walk in the Spirit … because the grain of corn has fallen to the ground and died (Jn12:24).
I believe the Lord is more than able to protect Truth, Unity, and accuracy in His Body, just as He has done in His word. But where we get confused is we think we are the arbeiter of truth and we should contend with all those who believe differently. But what the Lord wants is us to walk out His playbook strategy according to His power and might, and in His nature. We think we see the end point of truth and rush to that point rather than walking in the right way.
The Book of James Chapter 3 speaks about natural wisdom – that natural wisdom mankind was born with the first time. He describes this wisdom as earthly, unspiritual, of an animal type that can even be demoniacal. This is the wisdom of man, responsible for jealousy, envy, contention, rivalry, selfish ambition, confusion, unrest, disharmony, rebellion, and all sorts of evil and vile practices…even in the church.
But there is a better wisdom, wisdom that comes down from above: it is pure (undefiled), peace-loving, courteous, willing to yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits, wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity).
The Body of Christ stands at the threshhold of its destiny, but it will fail unless is refuses to operate according to natural wisdom and instead embraces wholeheartedly the wisdom from above. The Body’s destiny is to be as earthen vessels filled with the knowledge of the glory of God as the water covers the sea (Hab 2:14). But there is only one footpath to approach that destiny. It is to walk in the Spirit in obedience to Jesus and His word, which translates as walking like a little child: humble, lowly, loving, and forgiving (Mt 18:3).
None of these four traits can be seen in the current divisiveness and self-righteous backbiting so prevalent within the Body’s rank and file today. It is time to lay down the swords of flesh that keep us perpetually in a conflict state, press in in Love to the fullness of the Presence of God, and to be about the intercession and travail where we discern error, and snatch those out of the fire in love.
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