“Oh, God! Why the test?” we sometimes question in our anguish. We look around us, and we see the wicked set up, and others, who try to live a Christian life, fraught with troubles.

“Why must we endure such troubles and trials?” we wonder. 

We ask the Father, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), “ why must your children suffer like they do in this life?”            

He answers, “Because they are UNRULY children”.

UNRULY CHILDREN!!! It then becomes clear; it occurs to me that had I followed the Word of God, and sought His guidance diligently on such matters of this life, my life could have been so much more simple, and peaceful. Just the way He wanted it. 

Consider your own children, how in their youth, we as parents wanted only to keep them close, to protect and to nourish them, and give them a life of joy and not heartache. We reveled in their love, their hugs and kisses.   We instructed, and when they became unruly we punished.  Ordained, yet it was heartbreaking, and  we punished them not for our good, but theirs, that they might learn from our wisdom.

Can any of us, who clalm the mantle of Christianity, point to a trial of this life that most certainly would have gone more easily, if not eliminated all together, had we merely followed the guidance that God has most graciously provided us?

Would we really have seen our lives damaged or destroyed by our financial, marital, family or personal health, had we only followed the principles as outlined in God’s Holy Word? 

Would we live brokenhearted and would we carry the scars of such warfare, if we only had taken the more earnest heed to then things we had heard  and not let them slip (Hebrews 2:1)?

Romans 15:4

Maybe your experience has been different than mine—but I doubt it.

Isn’t it a wonderful characteristic of God, that though He has caused grief, He has not cast us off forever?

I could reference several scriptures such as “judging another man’s servant”, “esteeming the other more highly than yourself”, etc, but it really just comes down to this:

The real question concerning unity is whether or not we believe the Spirit of God is able to guide us or not.

Are the words of Jesus true, or not? John says the Christian needs no one to teach him, instead the Christian is supposed to have“unction” from the Holy One and know all things (1 John 2).

We are told in Ephesians (4), that there is one Spirit—if that is the case, then why are there divisions? Do we really think divisions are of God? Are “we” the only ones with the “True” doctrine? 

Instead of a problem with unity, what we really have is a problem with the Spirit—concerning a lack of. 

The Spirit is one—when we are not “one”, we are not walking in the Spirit.

Walking in the Spirit is NOT an exercise of reading the Bible and doing what it says. And yes, some may have certain strength of character that would enable them to accomplish this. If that was the case, however, then why did Christ die on the Cross? 

He died to usher in the New Covenant. Was it not through the “New Covenant” that God put His law in our hearts as He said in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34), that we would do it (Ezekiel 36:27)? 

So then how to walk in the Spirit? 

I guess we all have an inbred desire to follow someone. Why not Christ? It seems as though we can’t find out the way by ourselves, but we must build upon some other’s man’s foundation. “What is the harm to follow those who found out for themselves? Who were spiritual and wise?” seems to be the question.

I am reminded of an exercise we did in military school I attended years ago; probably a leadership development course. The class was on communication, and the barriers to effective communication. 

The exercise was simple, several of us sat in a circle, and one originated a whispered message from a printed source. Just a simple message, only a few words. The last man in the circle then told his version out loud, after the message was passed in a whisper, by all, around the circle. The result was eye-opening. Many times the result of the exercise showed that the message had been severely corrupted in its transmission. 

This is also the concern of those who complain that our understanding of the Bible is not accurate considering it is a translated version of the original. What is the answer to this dilemma?

The Spirit. We believe, according to the Word, by faith, and faith cometh by hearing the Word of God. But what then? We now believe, so do we continue to follow only what we hear?

I say no, that God intended something else. 

Jesus told us that it would be the Spirit, the Comforter, that would be our guide into all truth; not some seemingly spiritual wise man who went on before. Not Jacobus Arminius or John Calvin, nor Wesley or Whitefield, though they all may have known God through the Spirit as well. 

What I see is what the Apostle Paul saw when talking to the Corinthian church a couple thousand years ago. Man wants to relate to man, ie: “I am of Paul, or Cephas, or Apollos”. 

What did Paul say, but who was crucified for you?

None other than Jesus Christ; so then we are called Christians instead of Arminians or Calvinists, or whatever other name we decide to be labeled with. To further divide ourselves would seem to be in conflict with the will of God, as indicated by Christ when He prayed in the Garden:

John 17:21
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Some say Christ never meant for us to sacrifice truth for unity. I heartily agree. Doesn’t the Bible say we are carnal when we separate ourselves (Jude 19)?   What does separate mean but to set ourselves apart from the whole. Jude went on to say those who don’t have the Spirit are the ones that separate themselves. 

Don’t we manifest that distinction when we make ourselves something more than just a “Christian”-such as Arminian Christian or Calvinist Christian?

Why must we continually attempt to place someone between us and Christ? The Catholics do it with the Pope and Priests, the Protestants do it with Calvin or Wesley, and the cults do it with their flavor of prophet as well. In the end, what matters? 

What matters is salvation, and that comes only by the indwelling Spirit of God (Romans 8:11) through the work of Christ. 

Do the Arminians believe this? Do the Calvinists believe this? Of course they do. 

What does it matter if we preach to all men believing all men can be saved, or if we preach to all men believing God has an elect and all others are doomed? The saved will still be saved, and the gospel will still do what God has sent it forth to do.

In sum, it appears to me that the One Spirit (Ephesians 4) has not segregated Christians into different groups-we have done that to ourselves, and the world doesn’t have a clue that God sent Jesus Christ into the world to seek and to save.

 8The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

 9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

 10More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

 11Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

 12Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.

 13Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

 ¹⁴Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Deut 4:

 5Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

 6Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

 7For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

 8And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Some say that God doesn’t intend for Christians to impose their religion on the world, hence we should be tolerant of the sin we see round about us. “Don’t impose your prejudices” they say, “on us, because that makes you a bigot, or arrogant, or conceited, and your comments on the Truth are insulting to us”. 

While God may not have given the believer a command to “conquer” in His name, He certainly did expect us to behave in a manner consistent with His revelation in us (Matthew 5:13-15). We have a responsibility to warn those who oppose themselves of the immortal danger that faces them (Ezekiel 33:6). 

Christians in public office may be expected to check the wedding garment (Matt 22:2-13) at the door, but it is impossible to do so. One cannot consent to do evil in the public sector, then go home and live as a righteous Christian. Freshwater wells do not alternatively spew salt water (James 3:12). To do so is the height of hypocrisy. 

Does the Spirit of God which guides the believer take a leave of absence at this time? Emphatically no, for John says:

3 John 1:11
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

Must evil be defined here? Evil is unrighteousness or sin; the opposite of righteousness. What is righteousness? We have a whole book called the Holy Bible that defines righteousness, and godliness. Man, in attempt to justify himself, then asks "what of interpretations and translations"? They matter not to the believer who is led by the Holy Ghost, which is given to the believer to guide them into all truth (John 16:13), and to bring all the words of Jesus to our remembrance (John 14:26).

But what of enforcing such righteousness on the public sector? I grant that such impositions by the unrighteous would be grievous, for they are unlearned and unguided.  The fact still remains; the Word says that there is no nation as great as the one who will follow the Law of God (Duet 4:5-8).  Only that nation can expect the blessings of God and not the curses (Deut 28).  That Law was not done away with, but codified and fulfilled in Christ (Matt 5:17); who is the end of the Law for righteousness to all that believe (Rom 10:4). Now it is love that worketh no ill to his neighbor, which is the fulfilling of the law (Rom 13:10).

 ¹⁰Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?

 ¹¹Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.

 ¹²The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

 ¹³The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

 ¹⁴He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.

 ¹⁵Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

 ¹⁶He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:

 ¹⁷And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.

 ¹⁸They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

 ¹⁹And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?

 ²⁰He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?