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Works of the Flesh Part 8: Strife

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“I Need You Now” by Smokey Norful.

Works of the Flesh Part 8: Strife

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia). At the Last Supper, Judas had a secret evil scheme. Shortly thereafter, Jesus was imprisoned and the disciples were scattered. An example of what strife does.

Gal 5:19-21 (KJV) 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 
Phil 2:3-5. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5  this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

 
The verses above tell us that strife is a work of the flesh and that we are to avoid doing things through means of strife. Both strife and vainglory are contrary to living a productive Christian life. To be motivated by strife is to want to do something to provoke another. To be motivated by vainglory is to engage in activities for the purpose of self glorification or self conceit. What a wicked thing it is to be involved in the things of God for these motives: to provoke another and or to glorify ourselves. Both motives abandon the command given to us by Jesus: that we should love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34).

 
It is impossible to live in this world without encountering argumentative people, and we are surrounded by people who willingly embrace vainglory as a means of self promotion. When we take a good look at what strife and vainglory really are we can better understand why we are told to avoid them.

 
According to Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary, the original Greek word that is translated as strife is eritheia. Eritheia means “intrigue, i.e. (by implication) faction :- contention (-ious), strife.” So strife is related to intrigue. Intrigue is from the from the Italian word intrigare, meaning “to entangle.” In English, intrigue means “a secret scheme or machination.” A machination is a “scheming or crafty action or artful design intended to accomplish some usually evil end.” An example of strife and how it causes faction or separation is Judas at the Last Supper. He had an evil secret plan- a machination which only Jesus could see at the time. The effects were soon evident when Jesus was imprisoned and the disciples were scattered. So now we can review what strife really is: It separates (faction), it involves elaborate and artful schemes to achieve an end that is evil (intrigue).

 

Knowing what strife is helps us to understand why it is so detrimental to families, businesses, cities, and nations. Any scheme to achieve an evil end does not have a godly origin. Intrigue is an evil weapon forged in Hell.

 
So how then are we to avoid strife? We must be mindful that we do not practice it. Our eyes must be open, and we must be willing to examine every motive and subject them to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). The Bible gives clear instructions on how to have pure motives and ways of accomplishing pure objectives:

 
4 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. When we do this, we are less likely to act selfishly.

 
5  “this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” We are to have the mind of Christ. This requires that we study the word of God diligently, and be in communion with Christ. It is impossible to know someone unless you communicate with them. Our relationship with Jesus is no different.

 
6 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men..” Humility is an inward posture or attitude that makes it possible for us to treat others with respect and kindness.

 
By keeping our eyes on Jesus, and refusing to make ourselves the center of all our concerns, we will avoid being a perpetrator of strife.

 

 

© 2012 Verneda Lights. All Rights Reserved.

The video “I Need You Now,” by Smokey Norful was uploaded on Youtube.com by wayrral on Jun 22, 2007. Verneda Lights and E-graphX Omnimedia have no ownership in this video. It is used for instructional purposes only.

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