Commenting on Ephesians 2:5-6,

'Even when we were dead in sins, God hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.'

Hannah Whithall Smith writes:

'This is (the Christian's) rightful place, to he seated 'in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,' and to 'sit still' there. But how few there are who make it their actual experience! How few indeed think even that it is possible for them to 'sit still' in these 'heavenly places' in the everyday life of a world so full of turmoil as this . . . A quiet spirit is of inestimable value in carrying on outward activities; and nothing so hinders the working of the hidden spiritual forces, upon which, after all, our success in everything really depends, as a spirit of unrest and anxiety. There is immense power in stillness . . . A knowledge of this fact would immensely change our ways of working. Instead of restless struggles, we would 'sit down' inwardly before the Lord, and would let the Divine forces of His Spirit work out in silence the ends to which we aspire. You may not see or feel the operations of this silent force, but be assured it is always working mightily, and will work for you, if you only get your spirit still enough to be carried along by the currents of its power.'

The gracious good news in all of this is that, when we try to 'sit still' in Jesus and allow Him to have His way with us - and find that we can't, which we inevitably will - when we admit this inability to God, He will supply the ability; He will supply the stillness; He will supply the need! Grace always starts out by pointing out to us what we must do or be to please God and then ends up by supplying the 'do and be' in our lives so that, as truly new creatures in Christ, through the power of God's Holy Spirit, we are changed.

Posted by Steve Mounts at 6:08 AM

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