Why the radical division, the antithesis, between believers and unbelievers?

The Bible tells us that we are all born spiritually dead and under the dominion of Satan. There are two kinds of people walking on earth, the spiritually dead and the spiritually alive, the saved and the lost. This is the radical division. It was something God did. Speaking to Satan just after the Fall, He said, “…I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed…” (Gen. 3:15). We learn later in Scripture that the woman’s seed is Christ and Christians, while Satan’s seed are the unregenerate. The enmity (or opposition) is put in place to insure against the natural tendency to seek mutual agreement or compromise. But God says no! no compromise with evil. Christians are to grow in grace and the wicked are to see their wickedness more and more clearly with time.

In principle, these two groups have almost totally opposite viewpoints as to: origins, ultimate reality, man’s place in the universe, the meaning of death and many other things. They should be at odds on almost any issue but, because of today’s inconsistencies, the lines are not crisply drawn. The thinking of the newborn Christian does not immediately change to that of a mature Christian. He has a great deal to learn, and typically even more to unlearn, and will never reach perfection in this life. Likewise, there are many unbelievers that seem to be more Christian than many Christians. They are moral and live in general accord with God’s laws but they do so out of habit because that’s how they were trained and not because of anything on the inside.

So today, the antithesis is not readily apparent. But it is clearer than it was a century ago (there were no open controversies such as today’s abortion, feminism, homosexuality or pornography issues then). As time goes on, the fundamental differences between the two will grow much clearer and the battle lines will be more distinctly drawn. It will be more like it was in the early church where declaring for Christ might mean death in the arena. The false professors will be screened out and the church will be more pure and more effective in the work of the Great Commission.