WHY ARE THERE STRIFES?

^[p. 374] WHY ARE THERE STRIFES?

Differences amongst christians exist to such a lamentable extent that every true-hearted one would gladly hail any attempt to account for their existence. It is plain that if all were walking in the Spirit we should be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. It is not necessary for agreement about any given thing that each should look at the same side of it. For example, one might dwell on the beauty of a bird’s feathers, another on its song, another on its power of flight, while another might confine his attention to its usefulness; but each, in a varied way, is occupied with the one object, and co-operating to a common end. Each star in the sky has its own distinct light and mission, and yet there is no clashing with one another — all work together for a common object. Christ and the church might engage many, and though there would be a variety of apprehensions, there would not necessarily be strife, if the one object were common to them all. Each of the apostles wrote on subjects diverse from the others, and yet they were in perfect concord.

If, then, a common object ensures a common interest, how is it that there is not concord between christians who have Christ and the church as their object? If they have one common interest, we might conclude that there would be no discord. But we do not find it so. Many have Christ as the one common interest who are not agreed, but who, on the contrary, disagree much as to the way and mode in which this interest is to be expressed. This was the case with Martha and Mary. They had one common interest; but one sought to please the Lord according to her natural mind, while the other waited on Him for the unfolding of His own mind; and this was really the “good part” which should not be taken away. Hence it is evident that there is something more required than a common object of interest, even though it is the ^[p. 375] greatest. There cannot be a common interest without a common object; but when, as in the christian, there are really two powers in deadly opposition to each other, it is necessary for agreement that each should co-operate in the same power; that is, in the Spirit, and not in the flesh. The real cause of the disagreement between the two sisters was, that one was occupied with the Lord in man’s way, and the other was learning from the Lord His way.

Now this is the great cause of all the differences amongst us. There is far more real love to Christ amongst christians than is generally allowed by one denomination to another; but the strife is often bitterest where there is most zeal. When the flesh is countenanced, and its means adopted, there must be direct collision with every one walking in the Spirit of God, for the more the aim of each is the Lord, the more openly must the contrariety in their modes of action appear; and thus they are manifestly distanced. The purpose is right in a multitude of cases, but the way the purpose is carried out discloses whether one is carnal or spiritual. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other”. There must be strife when flesh and Spirit come in contact. All the mistakes of the disciples, while personally attached to the Lord, arose from this. He was their Object, but they, regarding Him with their natural mind, misapprehended everything. Thus Peter proposed to build three tabernacles on the mount of transfiguration, and at another time rebuked the Lord for speaking of His death, which drew from Him the severe censure, “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men”.

Now in this lies the root of our strife in general; that is, man’s feeling or judgment sways, and not the Spirit of God. Every one walking conscientiously can see how easily he can slip into his own judgment or feeling with ^[p. 376] regard to the Lord, and thus be at the very antipodes of the spiritual mind with reference to the matter in hand; and as a rule, the natural counsel has many more approvers than the spiritual, because it addresses the natural mind, which in its judgment always makes man prominent; and hence every natural mind in the audience is in sympathy with it. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God”; on the other hand, the Spirit of God considers absolutely for God. The collision, in every case, is really between God and man. Is it for man you are considering, or for God? From what arose all the distress and exercise of heart to the psalmist, in Psalm 73, but that he had made himself paramount in his review of all that was passing around him; for when he was in the sanctuary, where God was paramount, everything appeared quite differently? The greatest contrariety existed between the psalmist when he was outside the sanctuary, and when he was inside. There was not one single point of agreement between the two.

Let us learn from Isaac how a natural thing can influence us. He did eat of his son’s venison, and hence he determined to bless him, entirely forgetting the word of the Lord, “the elder shall serve the younger”. But he was delivered. It is a terrible moment when we have to cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. “And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed”.

If we are not walking in the Spirit, it is as natural to us as is the air we breathe to give self prominence, even in the things of God. A thorn in the flesh was inflicted on Paul, lest he should be exalted above measure, because of revelations which were given him where there was no recognition of him as a man in the flesh. Hence we find that almost every servant of God makes mistakes when he is off his guard; as Moses, speaking unadvisedly with his lips, or Paul, denouncing the high priest. Self is ^[p. 377] ready to be uppermost, and when it is so it is in collision with the Spirit of God.

Constantly we find in Scripture that when two or more of the people of God are engaged in any service, the man of faith, the man resting on God, is hindered in his service, and strife ensues, because his companion, or companions, seek to serve according to their own thoughts. Thus the greatest strife may ensue between the closest friends. Abraham suffered most from Lot. Lot followed his natural tastes, and, doubtless at the time, encouraged himself with the feeling that he was more prosperous than Abraham. See the unhappy collision of Aaron and Miriam with Moses; the two former seemed, to all natural sense, contending for what was right and proper; but, alas! envy was at the bottom of it, and it was really with the intent of exalting themselves that they cast this reproach on their own brother, and God’s most honoured servant. David was sore distressed by the sons of Zeruiah. In like manner there is strife between Paul and Barnabas, two men who had long worked together in the Lord’s service in the most blessed way. And why? Because Barnabas considered for his kinsman, and Paul for the Lord only. Barnabas evidently did not think that the Jewish tendencies of Mark were of so grave a nature that he was thereby disqualified from being a companion with him in the Lord’s service, while Paul, who considered simply for the Lord and the good of His people, distinctly refused to accept his company or cooperation; and it seems, from the reference made to him in Colossians 4, that there had been orders about him, which were not to be enforced at the time the apostle wrote. Surely, the more we investigate, the better we shall see that the cause of strife generally between any two christians is that one has allowed human consideration of some kind to sway him, while the other, with a more single eye, considers for the Lord only. I do not deny that a great deal of mixed motives intrudes, and the best of purposes may be grievously damaged by ^[p. 378] the allowance of human interference. Thus the bringing up of the ark in David’s time was interrupted, and almost defeated, by the well-intentioned interference of Uzzah.

There would be no cause of strife if we all were so simply devoted to the Lord that our bodies were a living sacrifice, not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewal of our minds, that we may be able to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The more positively abstracted we are from all here, and all that influences us here, and in association with the Lord, the more we are qualified, like Moses coming from the mount, to judge of what is going on here, and to judge of it as God judges of it. And as then Moses was at issue with Aaron, so it is now. The more any one is imbued with God’s things at the moment, the more is he at issue with his closest companion in the Lord, who is literally in the midst of the things here, and thus more or less affected by them.

In any controversy, we can almost judge of the power which influences us, by the first sayings. The tongue betrays the heart. The utterance discloses the real state of it. When it is man that is most before the mind, the tongue expresses it; when it is the Lord, the language is unmistakable. There is in the opening of the mouth an indication of what is to follow. As it is said of the wise woman, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness”.

But this is not all. There is a great practical distinction between divine wisdom and the wisdom of this world. Divine wisdom always ministers to the soul first, and then insists on separation; as it is written, “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding”; while the wisdom of mars panders to man’s tastes, and leads captive by giving expectations, where there is nothing real and true.

May we walk so continually in the Spirit that we may be ready for every emergency, remembering this, that if we are not habitually walking in the Spirit, when a ^[p. 379] special need for help comes, He will, as it were, stand aside, to make us feel how feeble we are without Him, and how we become the occasion of strife instead of union. The Lord help us to be faithful in that which is least, that we may be faithful also in much.