" The Christian life is certainly not free of tension. If it were, the triumphant note just sounded in 3:16 might have concluded tidily with 'and they lived happily ever after.' However, though at times we might wish for it, this life is not a fairy tale, and that sort of ending must be left till the end (Rev 12:4). There it is fitting, but now it is a matter of hope. The biblical picture of the Christian life in this present age, confirmed by a long span of church history, is one of the struggle and steady apposition. It is not that there is no joy and peace for the Christian, but until Christ returns, joy and peace are found within the believer and within Christian fellowship, often in stark contrast to the actual circumstances of life." |
