Joy in Spite of...

Experiencing Wondrous Joy is not living life without difficulties. It is abounding in hope and grace in spite of the difficulties. It is, in fact recognizing that our difficulties are mostly of our own making and are compounded by an immature assessment of our very own faith. For example, immaturity considers the Lord Jesus a helper. Maturity knows Him to be life itself.

Dr. J.E. Conant wrote: “Christian living is not our living with Christ’s help, it is Christ living His life in us. Therefore that portion of our lives that is not His living is not Christian living; and that portion of our service that is not His doing is not Christian service; for all such life and service have but a human and natural source, and Christian life and service have a supernatural and spiritual source.” Paul insisted, “For to me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21) and, “I can do all things through Christ” (4:13).

William R. Newell said, “Satan’s great device is to drive earnest souls back to beseeching God for what God says has already been done!” Each of us had to go beyond the “help” stage for our new birth and thank Him for what He had already done on our behalf. God could never answer a prayer for help in the matter of justification. The same principle holds true for the Christian life.

Our Lord Jesus waits to be wanted and to be all in us and do all through us. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him” (Col. 2:9, 10). God is not trusted, not honored, in our continually asking Him for help. In the face of “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19), how can we beg for help? Our responsibility is to see in the Word all that is ours in Christ and then thank and trust Him for that which we need.

F. J. Huegel declares: “When a Christian’s prayer life springs from a right position (a thorough adjustment to Christ m His death and resurrection), a vast change in procedure follows. Much of the mere begging type (though of course asking is always in order, for the Lord says, ‘Ask, and ye shall receive’ [John 16:24]) gives away to a positive and unspeakably joyous appropriation. Much of our begging fails to register in heaven because it fails to spring from right relations with the Father in union with Christ in death and resurrection: in which position one simply appropriates what is already his. (italics mine)‘All things,’ says the Apostle Paul, ‘are your’s. And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s’ (I Cor. 3:21, 23).”