The Manifestation of Christ's Life

"We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- ¹⁰ always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

This was a description of the Christian life by the apostle Paul, one who suffered according to the will of God.  But where suffering abounded, consolation from God was greater still.  It was God who enabled Paul to endure and He is faithful to help us as well.

Paul was pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down.  Blows were landed physically and spiritually upon him yet he was not crushed, did not despair, was not forsaken or destroyed.  It could be said he was upheld and sustained, encouraged by hope in God, experienced God's presence, and was delivered.  The victory obtained through Christ's death and resurrection were manifested in Paul and other Christians in the face of fierce opposition and uncertainty.

The crazy thing is Paul and the believers in the early church did not go into survival mode due to satanic assault and persecution but thrived due to the life of Jesus Christ in them.  The Holy Spirit provided help and comfort they needed to persevere and overcome insurmountable foes in the physical and spiritual realms.  The fruitfulness borne in the lives of God's people was the equivalent of grape vines being fruitful in the midst of a fire or olive trees bearing fruit in a torrential flood.  This power and wisdom for ministry in Jesus has been transferred to His faithful disciples to this day.

The life of Jesus is manifested in our bodies when we are hard pressed on every side but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, and struck down but not destroyed.  We may hope following Jesus means we will not be hard pressed, confused, attacked, or depressed, yet this is hardly the case.  God allows all these things and more so we might know Him through the fellowship of His suffering and so His life might be manifested to us and through us.