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1. Luke 11:17
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.
Any kingdom will be ruined by division and disunity. Even God's kingdom. Unity is very important. Why?
2. 1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
The goal is to be "perfectly united", no divisions at all. Do you tolerate disunity in your own heart? How? Against whom?
3. 1 Corinthians 1:11-13
11 My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas "; still another, "I follow Christ."
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
It is wrong to compare and criticize one leader over another. How do we do this?
4. 1 Corinthians 3:1-5
1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ.
2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?
4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task.
Remember: Spiritual babies start quarelling. Have you quarelled? With whom? Have you resolved it?
5. Matthew 5:23
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Go immediately to Christian who has a bad attitude towards you. Can you think of anyone? Let's work it out.
6. Ephesians 4:25-32
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
26 "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
v25 : It's a lie if we bury our bitterness or malice and act like everything is ok. Have you ever hidden a bitter attitude?
v26 : "Do not let the sun down while you are angry". Go immediately. To whom do you need to go speak or confront.
v27 : Division is the devil's foothold. Remember, Satan is the one who does not want us to work it out! Why?
Resolve all bitterness and slander. Meditate on this for moment.
Hebrews 12:15
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
9. Psalm 10:18
defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
Remember : Silence is not an option. Bad attitude must be worked out. Otherwise the bitter root will grow.
10. James 1:19-20
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
20 for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
Here are some guidelines and advice.
Watch out for the serious sin of slander or gossip. Do not repeat, do not make negative comments about one person to a third person. Whether a young Christian or old Christian do not gossip about them.
Titus 3:10
Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.
You can be thrown out of the church for divisive slander.
1 Corinthians 5:11-13
11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
13 God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."
Do not even eat with a gossip!
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Slanderers will go to hell.
Romans 1:28-32
28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;
31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Remember : it is a sin to listen to slander. Do not even listen to it.
Ephesians 5:7
Therefore do not be partners with them.
Do not even be partners with them.
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