Jesus said to her,
“I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
(John 11:25-26)
What I see as a cause of division is when people see in another something that is not there.
So a for instance is, that person over there says this because they have "an evil spirit", "are influenced by
evil spirits", "are deceived", "are dishonest", "have no integrity"
Most have perfect justification for how they feel, but need others to be a particular way. The flat earth
people need all the satellite industry, rocket industry etc to be lying and billions of "$" being spent on
imaginary things, as well as government, scientists, airline pilots. It gets so bad everyone is part of it.
So when any religious group start to make people one thing alone, then it begins to go wrong.
So if I say a few words, maybe two sentences, this does not make me evil, it means I have said a few
sentences. It may take years and lots of interaction to truly see me. But if one needs the few sentences
to justify a deluge of abuse, then the abuser holds the problem in their hearts. It is the abuse that
demonstrates the level of the issue.
Paul expressed this in terms of a fragrance.
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.
15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.
2 Cor 2:14-16
It should worry those who claim to know Jesus if Jesus's words create the fragrance of death.
For them, this fragrance rather than seen as a warning is seen as satan causing doubt in their standing.
I can only testify, this whole process is how God convicts and turns us around. It is a great thing to know
where we stand in the light, so that He can forgive us and sort us out.
And it is this that to me is Gods ministry in our hearts. It is not a belief or a position I have, it is what
God does through His Spirit. The question is are we listening and prepared to move and take the next
step.