30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 22 7-13 PREPARING FOR THE PASSOVER MEAL 05 Luke 22 8 Factions in the body of Christ
📖 Luke 22:7-13
*FRIEND OF GOD*
Sun11Jul2021 - *Factions in the body of Christ* - _Luke 22:7-13_ - PREPARING FOR THE PASSOVER MEAL (05) - _II Peter 2:1-2_
The Lord is showing us the importance of the Lord’s supper. We must be in fellowship with one another as we come to fellowship with our Master. There can be no divisions, factions and selfishness amongst us, in the body of Christ.
_Luke 22:8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, "*Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat*."_
The Lord’s supper takes immense significance for us since Jesus is our Passover Lamb and He is our unleavened bread. There is the need for preparation as we partake of the Lord’s supper.
We have seen the matter of divisions in the body of Christ that needs to be addressed and discarded. We will now look at the second issue that Paul confronts in the church, which is the matter of factions.
*Factions*
_I Corinthians 11:17-20 Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. (18)
For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are *divisions among you*, and in part I believe it. (19) For there must also be *factions among you*, that those *who are approved may be recognized among you*. (20) Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper._
The matter of factions in the church was so strong that when they came together, it was not to participate in the Lord’s supper but it was for being recognized and given importance. Factions led to selfishness.
Let us now understand this issue of factions in the church.
When we consider our faith and walk with Jesus, the core is our belief in Jesus, where Jesus is our all in all.
Jesus is unique. He is before all things and all things consist in Him. There can be no compromises for us in our surrender to the totality of Jesus’ rule over us.
Any ideology and faith position that deviates from the centrality and the singularity of the lordship of Christ, becomes a faction.
_I John 4:2-3 By this you know the Spirit of God: *Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God*, (3) and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world._
The position of the Antichrist is to deny the uniqueness and centrality of Christ.
It seems as though Apostle John is referring only to the historicity of Christ when he talks of Jesus coming in the flesh. The issue is not about the fact of Jesus coming to the world in flesh, it is much more.
By the flesh, no one can be righteous before God. _Romans 3:10 As it is written: "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE;_
Jesus came in the flesh to give man righteousness before God. _Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, (22) even the *righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe*. For there is no difference;_
*Without Jesus, no one can be made righteous before God*.
When people express a form of righteousness before God, without Christ, or righteousness before God that requires Jesus to be combined with some other practice, then that teaching becomes a faction.
*Jesus came in the flesh for man to be righteousness before God, which we receive by faith in Him*.
_II Peter 2:1-2 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even *denying the Lord who bought them*, and bring on themselves swift destruction. (2) And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed._
How are we to deal with factions in the body of Christ?
_Galatians 5:13-15 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but *through love serve one another*. (14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." (15) But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!_
Love is the basis of all of our relationships. Whatever may be the different factions that will emerge in the body of Christ, we are not to bite and devour one another but we must approach our relationships in an attitude of love, which is demonstrated by serving one another.
_II Timothy 2:24-26 And a servant of the Lord *must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient*, (25) in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, (26) and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will._
We must know that the devil is creating factions in the church through people. *The devil’s agenda is to deviate people from the singularity and uniqueness of Jesus Christ*. We need to therefore patiently teach, in love, so that people will repent and know the truth.
Simultaneously, we also need to know when and where to draw the line and administer discipline regarding factions in the body of Christ.
_Titus 3:9-11 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. (10) *Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition*, (11) knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned._
Rejection does not mean that we stop loving the person or persons. We reject the form of doctrine that is being presented. We must have the maturity, being led by the Holy Spirit, to deal with the matter of factions, appropriately, in the church.
*Thought to ponder*
```When we see factions emerging, let us be alerted that the wicked one is at work. We must bind him and cast him out in the authority of Jesus.```