1 Samuel 30:21-25 “Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them. Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.” But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.”
Sectarianism is bigotry, discrimination, prejudice or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion or the factions of a political movement. Jesus faced this even in His day when there were other believers doing the works of the Lord who were not known as disciples. Luke addresses this in his gospel:
Luke 9:49-51 NKJV “Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”
Who would have thought that on the day of such victory that jealousy and bigotry would arise in David’s camp? It would seem that everyone would be rejoicing rather than trying to figure out who would come out ahead.
There were some spiteful men in the 400 that went with David to reclaim their families and possessions.
The Bible identifies them as wicked and worthless men. They thought they were right and justified in their thinking because they were in the battle and these men were not.
These men were allowing their ego to overtake their logic. They would allow those who stayed behind to reclaim their families, but they did not want them to share in the spoils of victory claimed from the Amalekites. They also wanted these individuals and their families to leave from their presence. Apparently these men who stayed behind were considered cowards by those who had gone on to fight the Amalekites and the returning heroes wanted nothing to do with them.
Please notice that this was not the majority of the 400, but a minority of the men who had gone with David to fight the Amalekites. However, it only takes a few to destroy a victory celebration and make it a contest of wills.
God never intended for us to develop spiritual bigotry or be divided by denominational walls. When the Church of God was started, we were known as a Holiness Movement, not a Holiness denomination. Speaking in tongues, miracles, and manifestations were not the central focus of our early church fathers establishing our organization. Their desire was to bring the reestablishment of true commitment to God, His Word, and the Great Commission. The latter being to “take the Gospel into all the World.” We believed then that God was no respecter of persons and that all could be saved as we still do today.
John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
Acts 10:34, 35 “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
We taught that salvation is free to every person that hears the truth and receives it.
John 6:45 “It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”
John 12:48 “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
We also taught that salvation can only come through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
We never taught that denomination could save you because our founding fathers saw the inner failings of churches that trusted in their creeds more than God and His Word. We still teach that there is one way to heaven and it goes through Jesus. We still believe that the preaching of the Word is what helps us to understand and know the way of salvation. We still believe that only Jesus can bring salvation into your heart.
There are two requirements to get to heaven. They are that you give your heart to Jesus Christ and live according to His Word. It's not membership, not denomination, not doctrine, not theology, or even personal conviction that can get you into heaven. It is only by allowing Jesus to have your heart and life and living by His Word that you can make it into glory.
“But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. For who will heed you in this matter?”
People that really get a relationship with Jesus desire to live holy.
Psalm 24:3-5 “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
People that are really saved know where Jesus lives.
John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
People that have that relationship with Jesus will obey His commandments. They know what the rules are because they study His Word.
1 John 2:5 “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
Every part of the Kingdom work is important.
“But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.”
Ephesians 4:4-7 “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
Verses 14-16 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
Matthew 20 tells the story of the householder who needed laborers for his vineyard.
-Early in the morning for a penny a day.
-The third hours for the same wage.
-The sixth hour for the same wage.
-The ninth hour for the same wage.
-The eleventh hour for the same wage.
Those who had labored the longest complained because those who came in later in the day received the same wage. The household owners reply was this:
Verse 13b-16 “Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”
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