MONDAY March 20, 2017
Dealing with Strife
Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs. Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord. - Nehemiah 3:3-5
Notice how Nehemiah recorded the problem he had with the nobles–– they had refused to help in the work of the Lord. There was a lot of physical and strenuous activity needed to rebuild the walls, but these nobles would not lend a hand or shoulder any of the burden.
Nehemiah not only faced opposition from without but also from within. His enemies on the outside had received important information from those cooperating with them from the inside. There were people from the inside who had spied out the work of God, and had given a full report of how the plans were proceeding to Nehemiah’s enemies.
In the Corinthian Church there was much carnality, sexual sin and strife. Believers not governed by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25), will become carnal people. These carnal Christians from within the church, had caused deep division, and hindered the work of God. Believers began to follow after a certain person’s name––what teacher they liked best.
In 1 Corinthians 3:3, the Apostle Paul exhorted these carnal Christians for their worldliness: For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? We cannot have the philosophy of the world in the Church. It is good to examine our lives daily to make sure we are not being used by the enemy as a tool of division and strife.
Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
~1 Corinthians 1:10~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!
