Opposing forces

Opposing forces

There has always been opposing forces; people who hold different views of the same thing. Having said that, does it seem to you that there is more division now than any other time in history? Looking back through history, are people really that more divisive than they were hundreds and even thousands of years ago? I think not.

From the very beginning of time, Adam and Eve had opposing views. Adam was willing to take God at his word and not partake of the Tree of Life: at least he was in the beginning. Knowing how the devil tempts people, I'm fairly certain he had already tried to convince Adam it was okay to eat from the forbidden tree before he used his cunning skills to tempt Eve. Why would he just single out Eve to tempt? That's not even logical or consistent with the devil's character. Eve just simply had a different opinion of what God required and it was the downfall of mankind.

Then, there is Cain and Abel who could not agree on what the appropriate God-pleasing sacrifice was. Like Adam and Eve, they both knew what God had told them to sacrifice, but Cain, like his mother, didn't quite believe God's way was the only way.

By the time Noah's generation came along, people were very corrupt. The Bible tells us that God "saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thought of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). Only Noah and his immediate family stood on the side of God. All the rest of the people took the position that God's way was not the only way.

Throughout the Bible there is a long list of people who couldn't agree; people who held opposing opinions. In fact, that's basically what fills the Bible and history, too.

Lot and his wife couldn't agree "God's way was the only way" when they were forced out of Sodom right before fire and brimstone rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah. (Gen. 19:24-26). Then there is Jacob and Esau; Joseph and his brothers; King David and his sons; Samuel and King Saul; Daniel and the presidents and priests. In the New Testament, the Pharisee's and Sadducee's held opposing views and both were against Jesus even to the point of killing him.

Century after century; generation after generation the battle goes on. The battle is not only real, but it's intense. Moving into our day, the world remains politically and religiously divided. "Cut this. Don't cut that. Do this, don't do that." We hear it every day.

In my opinion, our only protection is to put on the whole armor of God as described in Ephesians chapter six. God's way is the only safe way into eternity, although there are many who will have an opposing opinion.

Opposing forces are not new. It's in our own families; our own churches; our own nation. It has been throughout history and it will always be here on earth. The devil will always recommend an alternate path. Let's pray for wisdom to choose the right path.