2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Divisive might not be the perfect description for this devotional. While listening to a brother in the Lord speak to a group of men this word kept coming into focus in my mind. The talk was about identity, specifically our identity in Christ.

Divisive is defined as tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people. As I read Paul’s warning to us in Romans 7, there are two forces within me that pull at me for their attention. In this there is the potential for hostility between the spirit and flesh. The spirit identifies me as being in Christ. I find my purpose, passion and progress in Christ. I find in my flesh the memory of sin, pleasures and the ability to hear all the lies that tell me I am not worthy of being in Christ. So much of what I went through when I first came to Christ put that glorious light upon sin in my life that I might die to sin.

Matthew 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

Since Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, the single eye, looking upon Jesus, my body is full of light. Satan, our enemy would have us look inward, at self, and in so doing focus on the old dead flesh. Satan can only resurrect dead things in darkness.

Psalm 143:3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Luke 19:27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Harsh words from a loving Savior. Surely He isn’t talking about me! My Lord is gracious and merciful. My Lord understands me, my situation and is so forgiving. I cannot believe He would talk that way about me. I love the Lord.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

But I do lord. I keep your commandments.

Luke 18:20-23 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

Obedient but with reservations. Jesus struck at the heart of the rich man’s devotion. While this example is easy to see, it speaks to a particular reservation which many of us do not face, extreme wealth. I’m not like that. I am not wealthy.

I knew a man strong in the Lord, gifted, wise, sound in faith, a pillar of the church. He refused to be baptized. His reasoning; baptism is not a requirement for salvation. It gains you nothing. OK, I understand that and I agree. Jesus said be baptized, it is a simple request. If this man reserved the right not to be baptized over such a simple matter, what did he reserve in his heart which was even harder to let go of in obedience of faith? I do not know, that is for the Lord to say.

“Reader, if there is a reserve in your obedience, you are . . .” I will not finish that quote for you. Allow the Holy Spirit to finish it in truth.