“SO THEN DEATH IS WORKING IN US”

Affliction and adversity allows us the audacity to hope, to demonstrate trust in our Savior -- shining brightly in the face of Bad -- knowing our Lord is in control. It is this “If I perish, I perish", this “Though He slay me I will trust Him" attitude of the heart that hands satan his greatest defeat. You see, our victory isn’t found in whether we live or die, but in our attitude of absolute trust in God as we live or die. The enemy may pursue us with adversity and affliction but we are never forsaken... never alone. And he can bring us to our knees but he cannot destroy the Blessed Hope we have in our Lord -- he cannot touch our eternal life in Christ!  When we refuse to deny God our trust during the onslaught of Bad, disregarding the physical outcome, we demonstrate great faith.

Listen to the words of the great Apostle Paul : “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.  For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So then death is working in us...” Notice the purpose for being “delivered to death”... delivered to adversity and affliction: “That the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” Our struggles with adversity and affliction bring submission to the Lordship of Jesus and death to Self, allowing the Christ-Life to emerge within replacing our Self-Life as our life. This is how we are “conformed to the image (nature) of His Son”, predestined to be Christlike. “So then death is working in us ... I am crucified with Christ.”

STRUCK DOWN, BUT NOT DESTROYED

(Ester 4:16; Job 13:15; 2 Cor. 4:8-12; Rom. 8:29; Gal. 2:20)