How does a lack of the fear of God cause division in churches? Mala Chindogo explains in this video that within the church, there can be division among members because of gossip. People do not gossip because they care about a person, but because they want to stir up strife. When there is no fear of God in that person, they don’t strive to encourage and build up that brother or sister in the church as God commands us (1 Thessalonians 5:11), but they seek division, and they seek the harm of that individual. As you examine your life, are there ways you are gossiping about another, either directly or subtly? How are you going about encouraging and building up the body of Christ? Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV) – “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Within the church, people have knowledge of a brother or sister who's struggling with something, or maybe they just have an issue with someone in the church, and they'll start creating all kinds of sort of a prayer list. Let's pray for sister so-and-so, they're dealing with this. But it's not, and because of the lack of fear of God in their hearts, it's not that they care and love that person. It's because they want to turn everyone else around them against that person.