Wait For It!

[Netchaplain]

It has been well said that “the lost need saved and the saved needs delivered.” The Christian’s battle (Eph 6:12) is not over redemption “once” secured, but over oppositions to our walk, e.g. the old man, Satan and the world. Believers do not wait for deliverance from the guilt of their sin, it need being effected only “once” (Heb 10:10), but must continually be delivered in their walk from its “dominion”; which are encouraging words of a promise, that “Sin shall not have dominion over you” (Ro 6:14)! For the saint there are continual difficulties to encounter (2Ti 2:3), and the trial itself is not the primary issue, but the manner of response to it is. Two important things to recall are that there is never an unbearable trial, and that we’re to “cast” them on God (1Co 10:13; 1Pe 5:7). The only “cares” that cannot be entrusted to God for resolution are those He was not aware of. Got it?

The first action is not to wonder why the trial has risen, which is a show of being His, but to remember to expect there will always be trials to teach and cause us to exercise our faith in Christ’s expiation for our sin, and the encouraging word here is that though it be in us, we are not in it (Ro 8:9); and the sooner we remember this in the trials, the quicker deliverance is once again enjoyed from its hardness, and evil has served its purpose—to keep our minds and hearts on the Deliverer!

Waiting for deliverance is the primary issue concerning our spiritual maturity in Christ, for it is in such times as these believers glorify God the most; and there is increase in the spiritual strength of our faith with each and every encounter. There is more learning of encouragement in believing God through our difficulties than in our ease (which is to be enjoyed - 1Ti 6:17), because exercise of faith always brings increase of its strength (Heb 5:14), for each deliverance in our walk is a manifestation of our “acceptance in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6).

It’s all in the waiting, for “If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (Rom 8:25)! Thus, the Christian “battle” (Eph 6:12) is never over retaining salvation, but manifesting it in our lifestyle (Mat 5:16); and the manner of our response to evil displays our position in Christ. Remembering where “ground zero” lies gives direction to where we are to “walk circumspectly”—and that concerns the closest enemy—“the old man” within.

Even Hopkins (1848-1918) gives strong advice as to this application: “The trouble of the believer who knows Christ as his justification is not sin as to its guilt, but sin as to its ruling power. In other words, it is not from sin as a load (Heb 12:1- how often we carry needless weights—NC), or an offense, that he seeks to be freed—for he sees that God has completely acquitted him from the charge and penalty of sin—but it is from sin as a master” (from which those reborn are constantly delivered in our walk more all the time – Ro 6:6, 12, 14—NC).