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The sermon presents divided allegiance as a deep disease of the heart rather than merely an outward behavioral problem. It exposes formal worship, religious frivolity, self-justification, and church division as symptoms of an inward conflict between God and the world. Such hypocrisy brings misery, makes a person spiritually useless, and will be exposed in the final judgment. Spurgeon nevertheless distinguishes the divided hypocrite from the brokenhearted sinner and directs the latter to Christ’s sufficient atonement, inviting wholehearted trust in Jesus for cleansing and salvation.
Theological center: Salvation rests on Christ’s substitutionary atonement, received by genuine faith, while divided and hypocritical profession faces God’s final judgment.
Applications: Examine your heart · Reject religious hypocrisy · Consider final judgment · Recognize the heart’s deceit
Primary texts: Hosea 10:2 · Mark 3:25
“Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty.” Hosea 10:2 THIS passage may be taken as referring to the people of Israel as a nation, and it is not less applicable to the church of God. It is one grand and grievous fault with the church of Christ at the present day, that it is not merely divided somewhat in its creed, and somewhat also in its practice of the ordinances, but alas, it is also somewhat divided in heart. When the differences are of such a character, that as people of God we can still love each other, and still unite in the common battle against the cause of evil and in the common end of building up the church, then there is but little that is faulty. But when our doctrinal divisions grow to so great a head that we cease to co-operate, when our opinions upon mere ordinances become so acid towards each other that we can no longer extend the right hand of fellowship to those who differ from us, then indeed is the church of God found faulty. “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Even Beelzebub with all his craft cannot stand when once his hosts are divided. If Beelzebub be divided against himself, even he must fall and assuredly this must be the case with those who lack that craft which might tend to overcome disunion. Oh, my brethren, nothing can so soon cast down the church from its high place, mar its glories, and diminish its opportunities of success, as divisions among the hearts of God’s people. If we would grieve the Holy Spirit and cause Him to begone, if we would provoke the anger of the Most High and bring down trying providences on the churches, we have nothing to do but to be divided in our hearts and all will be accomplished. If we wish that every vial may empty out its ill, and that every vessel may withhold its oil, we have but to cherish our bickering till they become animosities, we have but to nurse our animosities till they become hatreds, and all the work will be fully completed. And if this is the case in the church at large, it is peculiarly true in those various sections of it which we now call Apostolic Churches. Oh, my brethren, the smallest church in the world is potent for good when it has but one heart and one soul, when pastor, elders, deacons, and members, are bound together by a threefold cord that cannot be broken. Then are they mighty against every attack. But however great their numbers, however enormous their wealth, however splendid may be the talents with which they are gifted, they are powerless for good the moment that they become divided amongst themselves. Union is strength. Blessed i…