There continues to be a call for peace worldwide and there is a call for unity among nations, people and religions in hope of achieving this peace. From the secular world the call is most genuine, but from the Christian world such a call is most disingenuous or spiritually misinformed. The Christian has to set the Scriptures, the whole gospel aside and turn back to the world from which they were liberated in order to have such hope. As was the covenant of Circumcision so is the covenant of Grace: “A Covenant of Separation”. The whole object of the Gospel is to separate the Elect from the None Elect.  There must be division and Christ came to do that and indeed he did just that. We see the first sign of this division when God told Eve that he would put enmity between her seed and the serpent’s seed. Since then there has always been separation. There was Adam and Eve from Eden, Cain and Abel, Cain and the rest of the world, Noah and the world of his day. Then he called Abraham to leave his kindred and go to a land that he would show him. Contrary to what God told him, Abraham joined himself to his nephew Lot by taking him along with all that they had. God eventually separated them. This process of separation was further attested to and established by the Covenant of Circumcision given to Abraham. Also by the laws and commandments given to God’s: then chosen people: the Jews and many more evidences not mentioned here. Now the Covenant of Circumcision with all the accompanying laws and commandments were temporary, pointing to and shadowing a better covenant that would come: “The Covenant of Grace”. The Covenant of Grace separates the Christian from the Covenant of Circumcision and from their Citizenship status in this secular world. Separated unto God: “You, The Elect, are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). There is and must of necessity, always be division among the people until the day of Jesus Christ. No amount of organizing and praying will change that. It is the will of God for his Word says so and we know that his word is true. Christ himself was a source of great division among the people. Many of them when they heard him said: “of a truth this is the Prophet”. Others said, “This is the Christ”. But some said: “Shall Christ come out of Galilee?  Hath not the scripture said that Christ should come out of the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was”? (John 7: 40 – 42). We see some of the Pharisees saying: “This man is not of God, because he keeps not the Sabbath day”. Others said: “How can, a man that is a sinner do such miracles”?  In another place we have the Jews disputing among themselves. Many of them said: “He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him”? Others said: “These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind”? They were confused and divided. In spite of all the diversity in race, culture, religion, politics, social standings, beliefs, place, time and objectives there are only two sets of people in this world: “The Elect and the None Elect”; and it is God’s will that there remains a division. He determines how, when, where and by what means it is made.

Christ in his teaching made it clear to his disciples that there would be great division when he told them the following: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth, I came not to send peace, but a sword. I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! Suppose you that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, No; but rather division: 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. A man's foes shall be they of his own household. (Matthew 10: 34 – 36 and Luke 12: 49 – 53). You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diver’s places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached, in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:6-14). The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). It must come to pass. God will not unite the world to satisfy the desires of our flesh; neither will he change that which was confirmed in us before the foundations of the world. There must be division among the people. Many of us will not like the division that is taking place, as it impacts our lives in negative ways and seem to be giving the Devil full control of those institutions of life that we have come to cherish. It makes us feel helpless, but we must not despair, for: “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:28-38). Focus on the Glory that awaits you and press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He has not left you, he has not forsaken you, he is with you always and will be, even to the end of the world. He already knows everything and has everything under his control. Love you always with Jesus love.

W. Bennett