In certain spots the contour of hills gives a tremendous illusion that the law of gravity is askew. Near Los Angeles there is a hill where thousands of motorists stop their cars, shut off the engines, release the brakes, and seemingly roll uphill. But if a plumb level is placed on the ground where the cars "roll up the hill," it can be seen immediately that the cars are actually rolling downhill. The eye can be deceived; the level cannot.
If we do not read closely enough in the Bible we are inclined to get a distorted picture of Christ. We have heard so often that He was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief' (Isa. 53:3) that we overlook the fact that He must also be seen as a man of joy and acquainted with fellowship.
There is a great deal of difference between the position of a guest and that of the host. The guest necessarily enjoys his status only while he is a guest. The owner is owner wherever he is. The Christian is far more than a guest with God.
The Christian does not have to give things up when he becomes a believer - things give him up. Unhappy is the man who spends time trying to give up things. He is seeking to perform a self-crucifixion which can never be complete. The only way to have an ordered life is to move to Christ, and He will make the changes as we move.
The Christian has to learn to live in the world, but he must draw all his resources from outside of the world. The more he does for God, or rather the more he lets God do through him, the greater will be the need of renewing his strength in the presence of God.
