Do Nothing Out of Strife

The Bible lists strife as one of the identifiers of immature, carnal, unspiritual Christians.

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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.”
Galatians 5:19‭-‬21 KJV

“for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?“
I Corinthians 3:3 NKJV

Notice that in both scriptures cited above, Apostle Paul was speaking to believers, Christians. Christians who consistently refuse to yield to leadings of the Spirit.

Strife means bitter conflict, discord, antagonism, a quarrel, struggle, clash, competition or rivalry.

The Bible admonishes us to do nothing out of strife….

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves.”
Philippians 2:3 AMP

Living a strife-free life is possible when we walk in love and humility (II Timothy 2:23 NKJV, Proverbs 13:10 NKJV).

“Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.”
Proverbs 10:12 NKJV

As we saw in 5:21, people who operate in strife and deal according to the flesh cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

“…they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”…. do you want to inherit the Kingdom? What is the Kingdom?

What is the Kingdom of God?

The Kingdom of God is about; righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit….in the Holy Spirit. These are experiences designed for this earth, not necessarily heavenly….

“for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking [what one likes], but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.“
Romans 14:17 AMP

“nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Luke 17:21 NKJV

Let’s crucify flesh and put on a new man…

“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.“
Galatians 5:24‭-‬26 KJV

Vain glory comes from selfishness and pride, pride itself being an expression of selfishness.

Brethren, let us walk in the Spirit that the fruit of the Spirit will be fully manifest in us.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 KJV

AboutGrace Obomanu

Grace obomanu is a Christian Blogger and Founder; 'Grace Obomanu Foundation'. Grace is an inspiring writer who intentionally projects the truth of God's word by sharing simple yet profound truths from the Bible. She writes with a revelational thrust, sharing wisdom, insights relatable to everyday living with particular emphasis on Victorious Christian Living. Her foundation, a non-profit trustee, continues to make impact, adding value to people's lives through outreaches, mentorship, bible teachings and counseling, partnerships. Grace has a diploma in Ministerial Training (with emphasis on Spiritual Leadership from Rhema Bible Training Center Nigeria. She trained as a medical doctor and has years of experience in Health Systems Management. She also holds a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Liverpool.