Through tribulations to...!

   As dying yet behold, we live! 2 Cor. 6:9

   A Christian life without self-denial - yes, without willingness to die from one's own, exists only in the fantasy. It is our flesh that do not want to die!
   When it comes to true Christian life, Jesus talks about taking ones cross up - willingness to loose one's own - and that we have tribulations in this world.
   Renunciation seems to be a word that is not only on its way out of our vocabulary, but simply out of our understanding! What's the good of that?
   And this is what the world think of as Christian life. This is what they see, and only this side of it, because, as the Scripture says: «The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.» (2 Cor. 4:4).
   The world looks at true Christian life as something pitiful, and on true Christians as some poor people. - It cannot be different, nor shall we try to change that, like some does. It only causes that the spirit of this world gets in where it has no business!
   You must rather get your eyes opened more and more for how the whole thing looks like from heaven! The Word says about these the world looks at as poor people - whom it persecutes, mocks and holds up to ridicule -: «If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.» (1 Pet. 4:14).
   Here, as in everything else - things often looks different when the Spirit gives light to it! But the message to us in this text - about these two sides - that is reality! Let us not forget that!

E.K.

Holy Bible New American Standard Version
Translator: E.K.