If we read the words of Jesus carefully, the last days of time will include the spirit of division and separation. This divide is meant to disrupt the work of the Kingdom and is framed as a tool of the devil. If possible, the enemy would love to segregate us from each other by whatever means he can. I am convinced that we are living in the moment of perversion and confusion; both of which are intentional measures to thwart the Gospel.
The Church must be careful not to be influenced by the world’s view of what is appropriate or acceptable. The spirit of the age will use our common words and redefine them to promote guilt, thus dividing the body of Jesus Christ. We are One body with One name: Jesus. There is only One church! Language, culture, and background is not greater than the Faith. My ethnicity is not more important than my inclusion into the Body of Jesus Christ. However, the world is pressing all religions to view personal culture greater than doctrine or scripture. I reject that false premise. We are the Saints of the living God first. We are the bride of Christ first! Everything is either secondary or inconsequential.
It is the design of the enemy to segment people. However, the Bible declares that Jesus died for all regardless of origin, creed, or color. Paul wrote that all have sinned and come short of God’s glory. No one is inherently good or right. We were all born with a sinful nature. Yet by the Blood of the Lamb and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, we are a new creature in Christ Jesus! This is the Word. There is no addendum needed. There are no additions granted by modernism.
The culture of the church IS our culture. That is why Paul and the writers of the Bible addressed each other as “brother.” It was the salutation given to a family member. Whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free, inclusion was made possible by the baptism of water and Spirit. This generation of humanists are defying the scripture and demanding that we celebrate diversity in every form. This is the antithesis of Paul’s message. The apostle taught us to be hid in Christ. He wrote that our identity is found in the Cross, not in individualism. In fact, the concept of independence negates the fundamental tenet of dying to our old nature and becoming part of the body.
My prayer is that we would be sober and vigilant in these last days. The world is spiraling downward. We must try the spirit of the age and make every effort to live a holy life as unto the Lord!
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole