The Christian life is a journey, and we’re still “on the way.” We’re still in the process of being conformed to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29)—and that will be true all the way home to heaven. The Lord is shaping us—like a potter working the clay, squeezing and pushing and pulling and forming it into a beautiful work of art. And all of that takes time—a lifetime.
So, then, in the meantime, it’s good to rest in our Savior’s strong arms while we’re “under construction.” In 1630, Richard Sibbes wrote A Bruised Reed, focusing on the promise of God’s kindness and mercy toward his children amidst their (our) growing pains:
- “The church of Christ is a hospital, wherein all are in some measure sick of some spiritual disease or other, so all have occasion to exercise the spirit of wisdom and meekness” (p. 34).
- “If God brings us into the trial he will be with us in the trial, and at length he will bring us out, more refined” (54).
- “If God’s builders fall into errors and build stubble on a good foundation, God’s Spirit, as a spiritual fire, will reveal this in time (1 Cor. 3:13), and destroy it” (78).
- As the Holy Spirit indwells believers, “… so he will drive out all that rise up against him, until he is all in all” (92).
- “Weakness with watchfulness will stand, when strength with too much confidence fails” (96).
- “When we have fallen, and by falls have been bruised, let us go to Christ immediately to bind us up again” (114).
- “We are stronger after defeats, because hidden corruption, undiscerned before, is now discovered, and thence we’re brought to make use of mercy pardoning & power supporting” (116).
- “Satan will object, ‘You are a great sinner.’ We may answer, ‘Christ is a strong Saviour’” (123).
