The highest Christian life is vital, it is not mechanical. The house was built on mechanical principles, by adding one section to another the tree is based on vital principles, adding layer on inner layer. The spiritual life is vital, arising from a source and dressing with an appropriate expression, manifesting and fruciendo. Under the law of men we try to build a justice based on effort and external work.
The spiritual fruit grows spontaneously from a vital root and from a living tree. The Christian does not need to try to produce the fruit, as well as to have life more abundantly. Because the Master has said: "He who abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit." God is not so much looking for us to do more for Him, but to draw more from Him, from His own life, and so, to Him again what is properly His.
The prophet Jeremiah anticipated this new method of justice by his glorious vision of the new covenant that God would make with his people in the New Testament dispensation. He declares: "I will pure my law in your mind, and write it in your heart."
He creates in us a new and spontaneous principle of justice, which is his own justice, which is Jesus Christ, and manifests his own nature in justice, holiness and love.
The principle of Christian obedience is not what we do because we must do, but because we love. This is the automatic force that God uses even in the natural world to make the most extraordinary transformations. What is the explanation for man's patient work day after day, year after year, spending his life on his monotonous and exhausting task in the factory or in his own business? It is the thought in the wife and the children, whose loving ones are welcome at night and whose well-being and happiness are their reward. God keeps the world united, with all those countless hearts and homes, by those spontaneous forces of human love.
How often have we seen some selfish girl being suddenly transformed into a patient, laborious wife and happy mother, willing to spend the night in fatigue and extreme work and sacrifice for her little family, and asking for no other reward but that of her happiness and affection Then God, in the greatest kingdom of grace, places in human hearts the secret of a great love, and that transforms selfishness into sacrifice and sordidness into service.
Then, there is the infinite relief of the positive enjoyment of this higher higher principle of life. We do not have to continually think about things we should not do, but keep busy with Christ and light will keep us from darkness and good will overcome evil.
The story is told of a river captain who was engaged in the transport trade in New Orleans. He was asked if he could drive a boat in Mississippi and Ohio. He said he could. He was asked if he knew where all the dangers of these rivers were, so he would be able to avoid them. With a glint in his eyes he replied: "I know where the dangers are and it is among them that I hope to demonstrate my ability to navigate." It is enough for us to know the channel and keep our course there. It is enough to walk on the road of the King and ignore the dangers that are on each side of the road.
The true spiritual life is a very simple matter and there is infinite comfort and sufficient help for the traveler, even if he is a fool walking in it. We have already learned the secret, step by step, and day by day we are living this according to his own simple word: "How did you receive Christ Jesus, the Lord, so you walk in him?
