The Normal Christian Life

November 13, 2015

The Normal Christian Life

Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!

Matthew 10:25

We are seeking the life in Christ as our way of life because this is the life Jesus wants for us. Our life in Christ is the normal Christian Life. Watchman Nee devoted an entire book to Romans 1-8, called The Normal Christian Life. Bishop N.T. Wright’s summary of the normal Christian life can easily be a summary of Nee’s book: what is true for the Messiah is true for his followers.

While Bishop Wright wrote his line in the context of our right standing with God, the line equally applies to the trials and tribulations we encounter in this life. Not only did Jesus encounter the Devil during his time in the wilderness, one of his own disciples was held firmly in the grip of the forces of evil. Some in Jesus’ own family were at a loss to grasp his ministry. He was continually baited and assaulted by the establishment of his time, and on the whole, misunderstood by the people.

Jesus has promised that his followers will encounter all these types of trials, and more. As Henry Blackaby has so wisely observed, when we do encounter these trials, what we do next reveals what we truly believe about Jesus. Note, the emphasis is on what we do next, not what we think or feel as we encounter a trial.

Someone wisely noted that when we encounter trials and tribulations, we can either become bitter, or better. Yes and amen. As we turn to God and seek His grace to respond to our difficulties, we are on the road less traveled; we are on the road to better.        

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.