O come all ye faithful,
The big C church is in a state of existential crisis and process. I believe God has allowed Satan to trap the church in the Fools Choice (binary divisive thinking), such that the Church cannot escape the division through a simple cognitive process alone. Rather the way to escape division is through submission of our wills to God’s unifying will (“slaying” of wills to use a charismatic phrase) on our knees before the altar of incense in prayer. Thus, it requires a spiritual transformation of the church to escape the division trap, a transformation that will burn those with an over-reliance on their ego by slogging them down in legalistic binary thinking. This is not to say there isn’t a single standard of truth. Rather, God has allowed Satan to present different aspects of biblical truth in progressive and conservative agendas and pit each side against the other as the enemy.
God has allowed Satan to twist truth to create a test of love as a gift to mature His bride. In the end, God is sovereign and in control and all His plans are for good. (Jeremiah 29:11–14)
Matt5.44–45 “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
This test of love requires the Christian to love the person the world (and even their progressive or conservative disposition) is telling them is the enemy.
It’s a test that will discipline the church into becoming huios (Greek for mature sons and daughters of God). This trial of trials is an oportunity for spiritual growth that He is inviting us into. Many will fail and many have gotten stuck in their cognitive all-or-nothing thinking and fear. (This is not to say they are not saved, but they will remain stagnant in their spiritual growth.)
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John13.35
What will remain will be beautiful and will shine in a world of fear and division. I believe He’s preparing His bride for greater things to come! Praise the Lord!
May we enter this invitation into conversations where Christ’s divided body can sharpen one another and see that they are incomplete without the other. Conversations where “proving the other side wrong” is exposed as a trap of immaturity. Probably many will enter these discussions with anxiety ready to spar, yet may Satan’s plans be demolished and these Christians be surprised to find themselves in an arena to practice Love with a peace that transcends all understanding!
In Love,
Warren
P.S. Forgiveness and Love are the keys required to untwist this knot of truth and gain access to a full Kingdom perspective. It is not a simple cognitive problem of the mind. Rather it is a relational polarity of the heart that ails the Church. But Jesus offers us the remedy if we follow Him. O come let us adore Him! Matthew 6:24
