LIVING IN INFINITE SUPPLY

The first reaction that many have upon seriously reading the teachings of the New

Testament is that Jesus is presenting us with directions that can never be followed and commands

that can never be obeyed. The life style that emerges is the dream of the idealist.

How can we forgive our enemies seventy times seven? How shall we find resources in us to

turn the other cheek to the man who has just hit us? The very idea of making a gift of our shirt

to the thief who has just stolen our jacket sounds absurd. It all sounds so idealistic that very few

churchgoers consider His teachings an outline of a life that can be lived on this planet, especially

in the twentieth century. Some doctrinally place it all in some future never-never land. But a

serious reading will not allow that, for every word of it is to take place where enemies need to be

forgiven and thieves are a daily reality.

It is some of His greatest promises that bring us almost to despair.

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you,

and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.

(Matthew 11:28,29)

The words could suggest that Jesus is cruelly teasing us. How could He use such words as

light and easy to describe the way of life He expounded? His every word cuts across all that is

natural to us. Surely if we are ever to achieve what He said, it will be with gigantic effort and

willpower. For most of us the words we associate with the Christian life are not light and easy,

but more like determination, dedication, vows and re-dedication. After all our pledges we still

produce failure before many days are past. Yet Jesus said His way was easy and light. What is

it that we are missing?

With all our failure as Christians we have reduced the Gospel of necessity to one of receiving

God's forgiveness. We come confessing our failure to live in love for God and man, asking for God's

forgiveness. And we receive it every time!

But if that is all the Christian life is about, we must say that God did not expect us to take

His word seriously - He knew it would be too difficult for us! That is absurd. There must be more

to it than receiving forgiveness, or Christianity is the news of God mocking us in our helplessness.

Do not underestimate forgiveness! Before we can know fellowship with God, sin must be

dealt with. God, the Holy One, cannot fellowship with sin. It must be punished in such a way that

perfect justice is satisfied. Jesus accomplished this once and for all when He took our sin upon

Himself and paid the penalty to the full in His death. He was raised from the dead because justice

was satisfied. When we accepted His work for us, we were made to stand before God as if we had

never sinned. For sins committed afterward we could receive instant forgiveness.

But the Good News is more. It states that not only are our sins forgiven, but we are brought

into an actual functioning unity with God through Christ. The pages of the New Testament abound

with such phrases as, "Christ in you," "I live yet not I but Christ lives in me," "God which works

in you," "Greater is He that is in you ...," "He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit," and many

more.

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