"Sowers of Discord"
“Sowers of Discord”
Blessings folk!
There are six, no wait, there are seven things the Lord despises. The Hebrew idiom of “six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him” drives home the point of that which the Lord truly despises.
We have reached the last point.
Review the passage…
Prov 6:16-19
16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
KJV
“He that soweth discord among brethren.”
Sadly this is pervasive within the Body of Christ.
Jesus warned us of such in Matthew 13 with the story of the wheat and the tares.
Sowing discord is done in many ways.
Perhaps a word of doubt is spoken.
Perhaps a “corrective” word is given.
Perhaps a full, open attack.
Perhaps … you get the idea.
There is no limit to the manner in which evil can be sowed.
We are told repeatedly in the Word that we are to seek the unity of the Body.
Ps 133:1
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!
NASU
Here what Jesus said…
John 17:23
23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
NASU
Eph 4:1-3
4 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
NASU
We do not have to establish or create unity.
Unity is already among those who are true believers.
We are to seek unity, preserve unity, live in the unity that is in the Spirit.
Those who are not truly saved are not part of that unity.
They may be...usually are…”church members”, but that is just man’s thing.
Remember, never confuse the organization that is called the “church” with the organism which is the true Body of Christ.
There are many “church members” who by their very nature - unredeemed - will seek to bring division and discord among the true Body.
Heed how the Lord describes them…
Prov 6:12-15
12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
KJV
Prov 16:28
28 A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends.
NASU
John had a problem with such a person…
3 John 9-10
9 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.
10 For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church.
NASU
What are we to do?
Acknowledge that there will be those who profess to be believers, yet the deeds of their lives reflect the deeds of the flesh rather than the fruit of the Spirit.
Speak the truth to them.
Love them.
Let them not tear down.
If they refuse to repent, remove the leaven.
What about those who are true believers?
3 John 11
11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
NASU
Examine yourself.
Be certain that you are of God.
Be certain that your deeds reflect such.
Finally, let us be certain that we do not have/do
- a proud look
- a lying tongue
- shed innocent blood
- a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations
- feet that be swift in running to mischief
- a false witness that speaketh lies
- sow discord among brethren
These things the Lord hates.
Tell folk.
Talk of these things.
Share, especially with our children…
Col 3:14
14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
NASU
Blessings!!