◄ Quickened For Service ►

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:10 NLT)

There are values in Christrisen for our bodies now. His risen Life can now energize thesebodies; not, for the present, to change them into the likeness ofHis glorious body, but to quicken them for service. There isrisen Life for these mortal bodies now, but it has to bedeliberately appropriated, chosen, drawn upon. It is useless forme when I am feeling ill and weak to sit down and say, "Oh, Lord,come and pick me up, and put me on my feet, and make me well!" TheLord never does so.

I know this: that in such times of desperateweakness and physical discount, utter inability, any kind ofcoming in of the Lord has always been introduced by the Lordmaking me take hold of Him. The Lord has never come in and mademe suddenly to feel myself being filled, permeated with Life, andrising up. I have known the moment very often come when the Lord,not in an audible voice but in what is as good, a suggestion, aprompting, has said, "Lay hold of Life; lay hold of Me as yourLife!" There were no spoken words, but the intimation was to thiseffect: The time has come to repudiate this state and lay hold ofChrist for Life! And that has been unto a renewal for a furtherperiod of service. The Lord does not take us up like anautomaton; He causes us to cooperate with Himself on the basisof His risen Life. All the values of Christ risen are found byour deliberate and definite taking hold of His risen Life. Thatis but to say, repudiate Adam, whether it be in body, soul orspirit, and stand in Christ for whatever the need may be. Is itfor spirit? Is it for mind? Is it for heart? Is it for will? Isit for body? The one essential is to stand definitely in Christfor the situation.... The whole realm and range of Christ for experience is dependent upon His risen Life in us, and our laying hold of it, standing on it. The Lord show us more of what that means.