What is the Christian Life?

The following is excerpted from  Dave Hunt's book An Urgent Call To A Serious Faith:

The Trial of Faith

". . . The Christian life is too glorious to be easy. It must involve trials and testings. This was true of Christ Himself as well as of the apostles and early church. Jesus said, 'In the world ye shall have tribulation' (John:16:33); 'The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you' (15:20).

". . . The faith by which the Christian life is to be lived and which is described as 'more precious than gold' must be tested by temptations, trials, and difficulties. Why? So that when the faith by which the just live comes through the fire of adversity it will 'be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ' (1 Peter:1:7). Of Christ, who left us 'an example, that ye should follow his steps' (1 Peter:2:21), it was said, 'who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross . . .' (Hebrews:12:2). We are able to endure earthly trials because our hope lies beyond this brief life: 'Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory' (2 Corinthians:4:17).

"Those who have trusted God through a deep trial testify that their faith has been strengthened and their joy increased. Having to depend totally on Christ draws us closer to Him and increases our love for Him. Any counsel, help, or support we offer to those in distress should bring them through the trial of faith with their roots deepened in Christ (Isaiah:43:2), rather than enable them to escape the very challenges God intends and the work He desires to effect in their hearts. By allowing us to face seemingly hopeless situations, God intends to move us from mere intellectual belief to practical trust in His provision.

"In  The Power of the Spirit  William Law writes, 'Whenever a man allows himself to have anxieties, fears, or complaints, he must consider his behavior as either a denial of the wisdom of God or as a confession that he is out of His will' (pp. 20,21). Many who call themselves Christians say they have trusted Christ with their eternal destiny, but seem unable to trust Him in this life—a fact which casts doubt on their relationship to Him.

"God wants to test our faith now—and for good reason. Moses told the Israelites, 'The Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no' (Deuteronomy:8:2). Oswald Chambers said, 'God wants you to understand that it is a life of  faith , not a life of sentimental enjoyment of His blessings . . . Faith by its very nature must be tried . . . . "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him"—this is the most sublime utterance of faith in the whole of the Bible' (My Utmost for His Highest , p. 305).

"'Yea, though I walk  through  the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me,' wrote David (Psalm:23:4). He did not expect, much less plead, to be given another path that would bypass that terrible valley, but only that God would be with him through his trial.

"Living by faith involves confronting the difficulties of life, which indeed may have been allowed of God to test and correct us. The Christian life includes learning where we have gone astray and being willing to be corrected and brought back into obedience to God and His Word. It is often in times of distress alone that God can break the hold of that which has drawn our affection away from Him, perhaps without our even knowing it.

Committed to Christ Come What May

"As we walk by faith, and experience God’s faithfulness in trials, praise and worship well up within us. Indeed, praise and worship are to play a significant role in the Christian life. Sadly, so many of today’s praise and worship songs reflect the lack of depth in current Christianity.

"Congregational singing often consists of empty, repetitive choruses which have taken the place of the old hymns of the faith. Phrases are repeated again and again, such as 'We worship You, Lord, we praise You, Lord, we lift Your name on high, we lift our hands, we exalt You,' and so on. There is much clapping and swaying to the catchy tune and beat. Yet the congregation and the 'worship team' seem oblivious of the fact that instead of truly praising and worshiping, they are merely singing words about praise and worship, without mentioning God’s character, qualities, and deeds which evoke worship.

"Sound doctrine, too, plays a vital role in the Christian life of faith. Paul’s life sets the example for us all. In describing his life to Timothy, he put doctrine  first: 'But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions . . . Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution' (2 Timothy:3:10-12). He also warned that 'the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine' (4:3). We are in that day. Doctrine is despised. Entertainment and sermonettes are more popular with today’s Christianettes (loosely quoted from A. W. Tozer).

". . . our confident trust in our Lord through the trials of this life of faith demonstrates the reality of our trust in Him for eternity. A true story about Blondin, who walked back and forth on a tightrope across Niagara Falls, illustrates the point.

"One day, in the crowd watching Blondin, a spectator was trying to explain to a younger man what it means to truly trust Christ. 'What do you think of Blondin?' he asked. 'He’s the greatest!' came the enthusiastic response. 'Do you think he can carry a man across and back?' 'Of course,' was the immediate reply. 'I’ve seen him do it.' Looking the younger man squarely in the eye, the questioner said, 'When Blondin comes back from the other side, he’s going to call for a volunteer. Will you be the man?' The young man turned white. 'Not on your life!' he exclaimed.

"Many have a similarly theoretical faith in Christ. They can sing enthusiastically about salvation, but when life’s adversities strike they have no real peace and joy and run to the nearest therapist instead of to the Lord.

"May He give us grace to live by faith as true Christians; and may earth’s trials strengthen our faith, deepen our love for God, increase our fellowship with and joy in Him, and bring honor and glory to Him for eternity."