CONSIDER IT PURE JOY
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2‑3, NIV)
There exist within the redeemed child of God that which could be described as two sources of life and energy. The first is the indwelling life of Christ (Galatians 2:20), the divine nature (2 Peter1:4).
The second is what the NIV terms “the person without the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:14) or “the flesh” (Galatians 5:17) and the NKJV calls the “natural man” (1 Corinthians 2:14). This is what we could call the “self‑life.”
What this means is that although we have been redeemed through the blood of the everlasting covenant and been made “new creations” in Christ, we still have the choice to derive the strength we need to live our lives from out of our own inner resources without the energising power and direction of the Spirit of God. In other words, it is possible for us to live out of the energy provided by our own will, our own strength and a sense of self-righteousness, being guided by our natural wisdom. In doing this we are ignoring the fact that Christ is made unto us wisdom from God (1 Corinthians 1:30) and has freely given to us, under the terms of the New Covenant, the “gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21) and everything else we need to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3).
To “walk after the Spirit” means that the energy and activities of the “self‑life” are to be abandoned.
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:9‑10, NIV)
But our “natural man” will not lightly relinquish control. It is in constant conflict with the indwelling life of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14). While the two co-exist within us, when we cultivate one it grows stronger and dominates our behaviour while the influence of the other is weakened.
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. (Galatians 5:17, NIV)
The only way that this can be dealt with is not by the refinement or strengthening of the natural man, but by the breaking of its power and influence over our lives.Jesus told Paul: “my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). The weakness to which he was referring is the weakness of our “natural man,” our “self-life.” Paul responded:
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10, NIV)
Jesus himself said:"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3, NIV)
Allow me to paraphrase that a little.
“Happy are those who find brokenness in their natural life through the dealings of the Holy Spirit for it is they who enter into the blessings of the New Covenant and experience at first hand the resurrection life of Christ.”
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