Michelle’s email and Token’s testimony last Wednesday, (both about strife) makes me consider something that the Lord showed me. That is, strife doesn’t exist in the Spirit – because the Spirit cannot be offended! Any kind of offense that we experience, any hurt or injury that we feel is just to our flesh. The Spirit in us is not offended, nor hurt, nor any other thing that is not producing the will of God. And it is not striving with others to be right.
To flee from strife, to flee from the effect of someone’s poor treatment of us, or from the desire to defend ourselves from it, is just to be spiritually minded. Strife and other carnal things just can’t get a foothold into God’s Spirit in us.
Jesus was never offended. Even during his crucifixion, he pitied and prayed for the lost souls trying to hurt him. God has that same Spirit. And with a heart free from strife, and free from offense for all of the hate He has endured, He will execute perfect judgement on the souls that He damns for eternity.
We are to be like-minded. Full of His Spirit that is praying and hoping and working for the souls that despitefully use us while executing the same perfect judgment to be free from strife and avoiding all of those who pursue it.
Jerry