"SOME OF US ARE SMILING"
By Jon Quinn
I subscribe to Biblical Archaeology Review, an archaeological journal which deals with investigations and discoveries that are being made in the lands of the Bible. The title of this publication may suggest that those responsible for it are interested in promoting faith in the Bible as the word of God, but that isn't so. Those responsible are simply interested in archaeology which deals with the times and places of the Bible. Writers, and I assume editors, include believers and unbelievers, Jews and Christians and perhaps even Moslems. The editorial policy is to not to take a theological stand about God, Jesus or the Bible.
In recent issues there has been an ongoing debate between Jewish readers and Christian readers. Those who say they believe that Jesus is the only way for all to be saved, whether Jew or Gentile, are accused of being anti-Semetic. Those who say that the Jews are God's people and that faith in Jesus is not necessary at best and useless at worse are accused of being anti-Christian. Its been going back and forth and in the most recent issue an atheist wrote in commending the puublication and making the following statement:
"If ever my reluctant atheism stumbles toward a path of even agnosticism, much less belief, a reading of the letters in BAR will restore my rational footing. As one of your correspondents said, some of us out here are smiling."
This man's point is that he is an atheist; that is, one who denies with absolute conviction that God exists. He says that if he stumbles toward becoming an agnostic; that is, someone who says that there may or may not be a God, that all he has to do is read the letters where those who believe that there is a God; both Jewish and Christians, argue back and forth about Jesus. He is then satisfied once again that his atheism is justified after all. He said, "Some of us are laughing." referring to himself and other unbelievers. I would add to that chorus of delight the laughter of Satan himself!
RELIGIOUS STRIFE IS NOT RATIONAL CAUSE FOR UNBELIEF
"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons..." (I TIMOTHY 4:1).
Religious strife and division might well be good reason to deny the validity of the Bible if such strife contradicted what the Bible said. If the Bible said that believers would never have to face such difficulties, that all who claimed to believe would always agree and get along with one another, and then if that failed to be true, then we would have good reason to reject faith in the Bible as God's word. But what we find instead is that over and over again the Bible warns that things will be this way. So how is it that things becoming exactly how the Bible says that they will be is a good reason to reject the Bible? To the contrary, religious division and strife confirm the trustworthiness of the Bible. Its just too bad that people are the way they are so that God knew that such wickedness was inevitable. He would have preferred us to be otherwise. Jesus prayed, "...that they might all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they may also be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me." (JOHN 17:21). Jesus offerred this prayer on the final night before His death. It was a very important matter to Him. He greatly desired unity among believers, but knew it was not to be. But something else He says in His prayer is also revealing of His knowledge of Human nature. He affirms that those in the world would tend to use disunity among believers as an excuse not to believe! Jesus had the atheist who wrote the letter we noticed earlier pegged almost two thousand years ago!
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF!
"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." (ROMANS 12:18).
Christians have a responsibility to do all they can to maintain the peace as they live by faith. But there are some things we cannot do in the interest of peace and still be faithful unto God. For the sake of peace I can do without having to have my way on everything. I can relinquish something that is rightfully mine. I can abstain from something that is not necessary to my service of God. I can give up a priviledge. I can be gracious to an opponent. I can give the benefit of the doubt.
But sometimes that is not enough. Sometimes we are expected to compromise the faith. Sometimes, in order to maintain peace, it is demanded that we deny some Bible truth, or deny the Lord Himself. This we cannot do! If others, especially those who also claim to be believers, place us in a position where the only way to maintain peaceful fellowship is to compromise some truth taught in the Bible, then we must decline and accept the inevitable religious division that wll follow. We will do all that is Scriptural and necessary to maintain peace, but beyond that we cannot go.
RELIGIOUS DIVISION IS CONTRARY TO GOD'S WILL
"Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching
which you learned, and turn away from them. " (ROMANS 16:17).
It is a tragedy when religious division occurs. Through His apostle Paul, the Lord said to the church at Corinth, "Now I exhort you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Corinthians 1:10). Division is contrary to the Lord's purpose and will. It ought not to happen. It is unacceptable. When division occurs, something is wrong. Now, the division may be necessary, but there is something wrong somewhere when there are two sides in conflict with one another which cannot be worked out and thus division becomes unavoidable. Somewhere, someone has disobeyed God. Someone has set aside His will.
The result of such attitudes that lead to religious division is that we now have hundreds of religious denominations. That is not a good thing. It is not a good thing when the Lord says, "Let there be no divisions among you" and man replies by creating hundreds of religious divisions. It is not good when the Lord says, "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God..." (2 JOHN 9) and man responds by insisting that it does not matter what you teach as long as you believe in God.
As long as some people are willing to allow Jesus to be the absolute Lord of their lives while at the same time there are others who will not permit Him that much authority there will also be religious division. I cannot do much about that, but I can be responsible for my own conduct. After all, that is all the Lord requires of any of us.
I believe that religious division will continue to exist right up to the time our Lord returns. The Bible shows that those responsible for division will be held accountable by the Lord. But I fail to see how religious division is a valid reason to deny the existence of God. It is not a good reason to deny the validity of faith. It is only an empty excuse, and one foreseen by Jesus a long time ago.
