joh 07v43 There Was a Division Among The People Because of Him
"THERE WAS A DIVISION AMONG THE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF HIM."
John 7:43
It was true then, and it is
true today: the Lord Jesus Christ is the cause of great division among men.
(Read Matthew 10:34-36 and Luke 12:51-53). Spurgeon said, "Between
the poorest saint and the brightest moralist, there is a great gulf. We may not
be able to perceive it in the outward character, but there is as deep a gulf as
there is between the feeblest form of life and death, - a gulf which only
omnipotent grace can cause any man to pass over. "The radical
difference between the true believer and the unbeliever lies in their relation
to Christ. That is the point of divergence." It is foolish for us to
refuse to recognize this division. The seed of the serpent hates the seed of
the woman. The child of bondage and the free born son cannot live together in
the same house. There no compatibility between believers and unbelievers.
To the unbeliever Christ is nothing; but to the
believer Christ is everything. The unbeliever trusts himself, his works, his
priest, or his church for acceptance before God; but the believer trusts Christ
alone for his whole salvation. To the unbeliever Christ is a stone of stumbling
and a rock of offence; but to the believer Christ is exceedingly precious. The
unbeliever is motivated by pride, seeks his own gain, lives by the principle of
covetousness, and has his heart attached to this world. But the believer is not
the same sort of man. He is motivated by the glory of Christ, seeks the will of
Christ, lives in this world by the principles of love and faith, and has his
heart fixed upon eternity.
The point is this - If you trust Christ, love Christ,
serve Christ, and seek the glory of Christ, you will be wise not to seek the
companionship of men and women who care nothing for Christ. Such companionship
can only bring you pain and misery.