Consolation in Christ

Consolation in Christ

“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Phil. 2:1-2.

The usual thing is for people to go around to others to seek consolation, compassion, ‘s and mercy. This can often cause division. Speaking about a person’s personal matters to a brother or sister can put him in a bad light, or cause suspicion to enter the others’ hearts. Perhaps the speaker has it difficult with someone and has a bitter root in his heart, and now he is looking for fellowship with others—the fellowship he has lost. Those he speaks to, in their turn, are defiled by that same bitter root, resulting in cliques in the church, which is supposed to be one.

Paul says, “If there is any consolation in Christ . . . fulfill my joy by being like-minded.” All those who seek their comfort, compassion, and mercy in Christ are like-minded. They are partakers of the hidden life with Christ in God. They don’t need to go to other people to be consoled when they suffer an injustice, because Jesus also suffered unjustly, and the resulting consolation they receive is an eternal consolation for them. If they are contradicted, they are contradicted by sinners, and they don’t need to run off to people to get satisfaction, for Jesus was also contradicted by sinners and is now sitting at the right hand of God. The fact that they are following in His steps is sufficient satisfaction for them. Jesus did not threaten when He suffered but patiently endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him. This is where we find the comfort of love that is in Christ for each one who enters into the same sufferings but does not threaten. Then he experiences what he can attain to in Christ. This will be a comfort for him in the midst of his sufferings. He does not need to run off to people and cry on their shoulder.

In all these situations we need to lay down our lives as Jesus did; all those who do that become one. To them Christ is the anchor of their souls, He who is behind the veil. There they see how it went with Christ as their forerunner, and the certainty of walking in His steps is a sufficient guarantee to them of their glory. This is where they find their consolation, comfort, compassion, mercy, and fellowship in the Spirit.

Satan will never find any room for his wily attacks among such people. But if the consolation that is in Christ is not sufficient for a person, and he runs around to other people, then Satan will find an opening and will rile up one person against another. The result will be an abundance of strife and infighting for vainglory. Such people are not walking in Jesus’ steps even if their words have a pious ring to them; they do not suffer unjustly either. It is only their wounded self-will that is sighing.

Paul says, “Fulfill my joy.” Paul was so concerned that his joy could not be fulfilled unless the Philippians were like-minded. Then he would know that they had begun to walk in Jesus’ steps. By this we can see how far off a person is who is an offense to his brother and yet rejoices over his strength by convincing the majority to listen to him.