Many Christians make the mistake of trying to walk in order to sit. But that is a reversal of what is found in Ephesians. Our reasoning tells us if we do not walk, how will we ever reach our goal? What can we attain without effort? How can we ever get anywhere if we do not move? Christianity does not begin with a big DO, but with a big DONE. We are invited to sit down and enjoy what God has done for us; not to set out to try and attain it for ourselves.
The Christian life from start to finish is based upon the principle of utter dependence on Jesus. He will give us everything we need but we can receive none of it except as we sit with Him. The work has been finished. We take on an attitude of rest. We only advance in the Christian life as we learn first of all to sit down.
This was God's principle from the beginning. In the creation, God worked from the first to the sixth day and rested on the seventh. The seventh day became the sabbath of God; it was God's rest. Adam was created at the end of the sixth day. So, that means Adam began his life with the sabbath; for God works before He rests, while man must first enter into God's rest, and then he can work.
And here is the gospel: that God has gone one stage further and has completed also the work of redemption, and that we need do nothing whatever to merit it, but can enter by faith directly into His finished work.
And here is the secret, the point of today's post: deliverance from sin is NOT to do something, but to sit, to rest in what God has done. Once you have ceased your struggle with sin, once you have reached despair, sitting helps you to realize that Jesus has already done everything.
Jesus longs that we will just let Him do and do and do. He wants to be the Giver eternally, and He wants to be the Doer eternally. If only we saw how rich and how great He is, we would leave all the giving and all the doing to Him.
"God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love for us... made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus."
This post is adapted from the book, SIT, WALK, STAND by Watchman Nee.
BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.