Does God Ever Work Through Rebellion?

During the time in Worldwide when changes were being made and Worldwide was going into apostasy and ministers and members were starting to leave to form other groups, a local pastor, who did not support the changes but was trying to hold his congregation together and stop people from leaving (apparently only till he was ready to leave), said, God does not work through rebellion.

I thought about this and realized, this is not always true.  God has worked through rebellion.  Not all rebellion is of God, of course, and often or even most of the time rebellion is inspired by Satan.  But God can and sometimes does work through rebellion to accomplish His purpose.  

Here is what may be the clearest example in the Bible.  When Solomon became unfaithful to God (1 Kings 11:1-10), God punished him by taking away ten tribes of Israel, but letting him keep Judah for the sake of David his father.

God spoke to Solomon about this.  

Notice:  "Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, 'Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen' " (1 Kings 11:11-13).

God took away ten tribes from Solomon's son and gave rulership of them to Jeroboam.  God first told Jeroboam through a prophet what He was going to do.  This was a cause for Jeroboam rebelling against King Solomon.

"Then Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king.  And this is what caused him to rebel against the king: Solomon had built the Millo and repaired the damages to the City of David his father.  The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph.
   "Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field.  Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces.  And he said to Jeroboam, 'Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David.  However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes.  But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you - ten tribes.  And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.  So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel.
   "Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.  And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever" '.
   "Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon" (1 Kings 11:26-40).

This came to pass.  Jeroboam and ten tribes rejected the rule of Solomon's son Rehoboam and rebelled, forming a new government over most of the tribes of Israel.

Was this "rebellion"?  Yes.  God calls it that in the passage I quoted above.  He said that Jeroboam rebelled.  "And this is what caused him to rebel against the king..." (1 Kings 11:27).  

Was this rebellion from God?  Yes.  When Judah was about to go to war against Jeroboam and the house of Israel to return them to Rehoboam and the line of David, God stopped them, saying, this thing is from Me.  "But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 'Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me' " '.  Therefore they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD" (1 Kings 12:22-24).

There are examples, especially in the New Testament, where those who obeyed God rather than man had to disobey or resist lawful authority, including the authority of the scribes and Pharisees who sat in Moses's seat.  This authority, like all authority, was ordained by God.

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God" (Romans 13:1).

"Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do' " (Matthew 23:1-3).

Though the authority of the scribes and Pharisees was ordained by God, the apostles disobeyed their command to not preach in the name of Jesus, obeying God rather than man.

"And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, 'Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!'  But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: 'We ought to obey God rather than men' " (Acts 5:27-29).

Christ said that He did not come to bring peace but conflict.  

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household' " (Matthew 10:34-36).

In modern times, we can see many cases where there has been disagreement and conflict in the Church of God leading to separation.  Start with Mr. Armstrong's autobiography.  He was in frequent conflict with Church of God Seventh Day ministers when he attended with that fellowship, and they opposed him.  Eventually he separated from Church of God Seventh Day.  The separation started with a simple refusal to accept salary, but it became complete over time.  He taught things Church of God Seventh Day did not accept.  You could say he "rebelled" against them.  He certainly separated and did a work separate from them.

Many times since the death of Mr. Armstrong members and ministers have had to separate from a fellowship they were attending for reasons of conscience.  When Worldwide massively changed doctrine, ministers and members, for reason of conscience towards God and need to remain faithful to the truth they found in the Bible, left that organization, with ministers, supported by members, forming new groups.  Many of those groups still exist in one form or another today.

I was raised Catholic, but shortly after I turned 18 I found the truth in Mr. Armstrong's teachings, and I went out of the Catholic Church.  I came into Worldwide, then left that organization later to attend and support one of the Church of God fellowships which had formed.  Later, I went out of that fellowship, again for reasons of conscience, to support a fellowship I judged as more faithful to God and His work.  So several times I had to go out of an organization to remain faithful to God and his truth in the Bible.

Others have experienced the same kind of thing.  Not too long ago a fellowship formed of people leaving an organization for reasons of conscience regarding wearing of masks and not being able to sing in services.

I am not making judgments on the mask or singing issues.  I am pointing out that the members who left were doing it to obey God as they understood His word.  That was their motivation, as I understand it.

And we do not all think alike.  We each only know in part.  "For we know in part and we prophesy in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9).  

You might know something I do not know and I might know something you do not know.  We each only know in part.  And that can create disagreement.  There are right ways to resolve disagreements.  But we have human nature and sometime one side or the other (and sometimes both) makes mistakes.  If separation is necessary, it can be peaceful, but often, maybe mostly, it is not.

Paul and Barnabas separated over an issue.  "Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.  But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.  Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God" (Acts 15:37-40).    

Did Barnabas sin by leaving Paul, or did Paul sin by going a different way than Barnabas?  I don't know, the Bible does not clearly say.  But they separated.

Was it God's will that they separate?  Maybe it was.  Maybe God wanted Barnabas to do something separate from Paul.

Did Jeroboam sin by rebelling against Rehoboam?  God does not say that he sinned by forming a new kingdom over the ten tribes.  Jeroboam did sin, but not in his rebellion against Rehoboam.  He sinned later when he changed the dates of observance of God's Feast of Tabernacles and when he worshipped false gods (1 Kings 12:26-33).  

God gave Jeroboam the kingdom.  His separation from the rule of Rehoboam was not a sin.  Notice what God said to Jeroboam.  "So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel.  Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you" (1 Kings 11:37-38).

My point is, there are times when it is God's will that there be a separation.  When that occurs with a minister employed by a COG fellowship, it may be a technical detail whether he quits or is fired.  That is less important than that he do God's will as best he understands it from God's word, the Bible.  Ultimately, it is Christ who employs him, not man.

I mentioned that many of us have had to go out of an organization to remain faithful to God.  This may happen more frequently with Philadelphians, because God gives a special assurance to Philadelphia that in the kingdom they will not have to "go out" anymore.  This implies that in this life, Philadelphians may often have to "go out".

"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name" (Revelation 3:12).

Some may focus on who is right and who is wrong on a particular issue and say that, because the parent organization was right, those who left to form a new group were sinning.  But though we may make mistakes in our understanding, we must strive to obey God's will in our lives.  Whatever is not of faith is sin.

"But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23).  To get the context of this, you can read the whole passage, Romans 14:1-23. My point is, we can make mistakes in our decisions and in our understanding of God's will - He allows us to make mistakes - but we must always be motivated to do God's will the best we can.  To deliberately go in a direction we think is contrary to God's will is sin.

Of course, much division, rebellion, and separation is indeed sin, motivated by our carnal human nature and inspired by Satan.

I am not advocating indiscriminate and frequent splitting and division.  We should try to live in peace with each other as much as possible (Romans 12:18).  Even if a separation occurs, we should desire that it be a peaceful separation, though that seems to be rare.  

But do not be quick to judge a leader or group or brethren who leave an organization because they feel they must leave to do God's will.  Someone who leaves may not be sinning.  It may be God's will to use a new group to carry out His will.

Some might say, it is OK for a minister to leave an organization for reasons of conscience, but he should not start a new church.

But that may be wrong.  An ordained minister of Jesus Christ, whether an employed pastor or an unpaid local elder, has a calling to the ministry.  God's callings are irrevocable.  "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29).  The context of that quote is not necessarily referring to the calling to the ministry, but I think the principle applies.

A minister has to shepherd the flock, as Christ commands.  He risks God's judgment if he abandons them.  If he can join another group, that can be an option.  But if there is no faithful group he can join, he may have to form a new group just to be able to serve according to God's will.

How does God call a person to some act of service?  Sometimes it is simply by commanding loving service by the word of God, the Bible, then showing the need, and then showing a person that he or she has the opportunity to fill that need.  This can be for anything, small or great.  A man or woman who sees the need in the congregation to serve or comfort someone, then acts on that opportunity, is practicing this.

Look at the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).  The Samaritan probably knew God's command, love your neighbor as yourself.  He saw the need.  He knew he could fulfill the need.  So he acted.  God made His will known in that manner, and the Samaritan obeyed God's will.

Whatever we do, it should be motivated by love - love towards God and love towards neighbor.

Don't be quick to judge those who feel compelled to serve God apart from the group they currently attend with.  If that happens, it may be from God.

Those who leave a fellowship, even to join or start a new group or move to a long-existing group, may be acting in a spirit of rebellion inspired by Satan.  But on the other hand, they may be motivated by God's Holy Spirit, by His word the Bible, and by the principle of love towards God and neighbor to serve a need they see as unfulfilled in the fellowship they have been attending.  Only God can read their hearts.

Let God be the judge.