The unity of the Spirit!

Reflecting on Mark 3:20-30

“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:25)
As a Jesus follower, I see divisiveness as a serious concern.
From the beginning, the spirit of evil uses division to conquer.
Though Adam and Eve were together, the serpent only approaches Eve.
When asked about eating, Adam turns on Eve, and Eve blames the serpent.
Their children are divided, and Cain kills Abel.
And our world has been dividing ever since.

Jesus makes a simple observation: being divisive will destroy.
Though we are one human family, we separate into ‘us’ and ‘them’.
We ‘other’ others, treating them as different and less than us.
We all do it, and I know I do it too.
Though we all ‘fall short’ of God’s love, we see others as worse.

The spirit of evil loves this, and uses it to great effect.
Look at the history of Israel, or the history of the church.
I look at my own experience of the church, and it is divisive.
We accuse a person or group as ‘sinners’, and then do what God did not do.
We remove them, we other them, we separate ourselves from them.
Or more subtly, we make it impossible for them to stay with us.
God joins Himself with sinners in love.
Jesus moves towards sinners with compassion.
Yet we put up barriers and restrictions, and pronounce judgments.

For me this is all happening in real time.
I am witnessing a house divided against itself coming undone.
Leaders turn on members, members on leaders, and members on members.
And the slithering serpent is smiling.

Jesus has defeated the strong man (the spirit of evil).
Jesus has released (the root meaning of ‘forgive’) Satan’s captives.
We are graciously restored as sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.
The Spirit of life has once again breathed God’s life and love in us.
As God’s creation family, we are free to love and serve like God, like Jesus.
So how should we relate to each other as brothers and sisters?

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:13-15)

Paul echoes Jesus: if we bite and devour each other, we will be destroyed.
By turning on each other, we are sinning against the Spirit of life.
This is how I see the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
We label what God loves as something evil.
We resist the healing reconciliation of the Spirit by being divisive.

As a Jesus follower, I am compelled to heal and restore, to reconcile and unite.
I am called to join with sinners like Jesus did, with compassion.
I am called to build up the family of God, and not tear it down.
I am called to build bridges, not to put up walls.
There is one Church, and each local church is an imperfect part of it.
We all belong to the OHCC – the one holy catholic Church.
The rest of our labels and denominations are serpent-inspired divisions.
The SBC, the CRC, the UMC, the PCC, the RCC, these are human labels.
For a house divided against itself cannot stand.

If you are seeking or serving Jesus, you are my brother, my sister.
Even if you are not, you are still my brother, my sister.
All humans and nations and groups are a part of God’s creation family.
We are all in varying stages of lostness, and equally in need of mercy.
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)
To not do this is to resist Jesus, and to blaspheme against the Spirit.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, forgive my own thoughts and actions that separate me from others, as if I am above or better than they are. Remind me again how You join with 'sinners' in order to help, to help and to restore them to God's family.

Use me to unite God's house and family, to eagerly look for and welcome back the prodigals as well as grace the hearts of the older brothers.