Condition and Position - By John Lysaught - http://www.raptureready.com/soap2/lysaught42.html
We each have a condition and a position in life. They don't necessarily line-up, but if you think about it, we all have a condition in life and a position in our Christ relationship. Let me explain this to you so you can understand, and maybe gain an appreciation for your condition and position.
What is the condition of your life? It can be many things. It can be whatever is going in your life. It can be your past, present, and perceived future. For many the conditions are: Financial, marriage problems, addictions, medical concerns, etc. Your condition is basically your physical world and your condition in it. Maybe you are having a hard time financially. This is a condition. Maybe it is an overwhelming stress at work. This, too, is a condition. Maybe your poor health is getting you down. This is also a condition. Get the point?
Your condition is based on the tangible world we live in, and the circumstances that you face on a daily basis. Conditions change but your position should, at a minimum, be constant with your relationship with Christ. He loves you and doesn't want life to affect your relationship with Him.
Your position in Christ is separate from your condition in life. There is a difference. Your condition may change, but your position doesn't. Your condition in life should not affect your position in Christ. Yet, for some, it is easy to let conditions change your position. Regardless of your condition, your position should be constant and always growing up, not down. What do you think about this? I think it is a pretty good depiction of life and Christ as explained to me by my Christian mentor.
Let's say that your condition has changed. For example, finances, something we all have or are struggling with. Just because your condition (financial troubles) have gotten worse or are failing shouldn't affect your position with Christ. They are separate. Don't tie your condition to your position with Christ.
When faced with worldly problems, your position with Christ should never be tied to the conditions you are facing. Just because you face challenges in conditions in the tangible world does not mean your position should be changed in the intangible hope in Christ.
Let's take me for example. I have very poor health. This is my condition. Some days it is worse than others. My condition is the problems with my health. As my mentor explained to me, my condition has nothing to do with my position with Christ. Conditions change and my position with Christ is not changed. Just because I live in a broken body, it doesn't have to relate to my position with Christ. My condition may change but my relationship with Christ is unchangeable. If I trust in Christ and still seek Him, my position will not move down, but will stay constant or go up, regardless of what ills I'm facing in the world and what Satan tries to throw at me.
We all face troubles and our conditions will change, but the constant in all of this is the strength we can have is in our position in Christ. You can do one of two things with your conditions. One, you can let it bring down your position with Christ. Two, you can let it raise your position with Christ. What do you do when faced with bad conditions in your life? How does it affect your relationship with Christ? Okay, I'll give you the answer: Your condition should not affect your position.
I had never thought of any of this before and it makes perfect sense to me now. I used to tie my condition to my position. When I felt bad because of health or some other conditional problem, I felt my position with Christ change for the worse. How wrong I was. As my mentor explained to me, we are in a fallen world and with it come attacks from the devil to our physical bodies, and other conditions to try to get us to change our position with Christ. We must fight this and remember that conditions don't change our position. With our faith in Christ, we will not be affected by Satan and the conditions in our lives that he messes with.
Even during times of blessings, when our conditions move to the better, it should not falsely change our position with Christ-for conditions will change for the worse, eventually, because Satan has a way of throwing wrenches into our lives. With true strength in Christ our position should never change with Him when Satan gets involved in our conditions. When our conditions change, our position with Christ should always be improving, not losing.
This is why when we face adversity, we must remember that it is a condition and does not change our position. Remember that we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). We can overcome our conditions and endure our conditions while at the same time still hold our position with Christ.
Isaiah 41:10: "Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
Regardless of your condition, God is still with you and will uphold you (your position). Your conditions may change, but your position with Christ should not be affected by your conditions.
Satan will try to change your conditions for the worse in an effort to get you to change your position with Christ. Satan will use challenges to get you to lose faith, but this should not be so. If you remember your position in Christ, the conditions of your life should be meaningless in your relationship with Christ. Fight Satan and his efforts to use life against your relationship with Christ.
Christ is love. Christ is our Redeemer. He is our Rock and our salvation. Remember this when conditions in your life challenge you to lose hope in Christ. Keep your hope alive and seek more strength for Christ to not let your conditions affect your positional relationship with Him. Regardless of what is happening in your life, Christ is there for you, His arms always open to wrap you in His love. He will help you overcome your conditions or the challenges you face as long as you keep the faith.
Remember that your condition does not affect your position. Remember that God is steady and sturdy in His ways and won't let you fail. You may stumble, but he will not let you fall down. Keep working on your position with Him and disregard your conditions as they are just distractions from Satan to try to swerve you away from Christ.
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