Seeing that A Life that Lives Christ is a Life full of Forbearance & without Anxiety

A life that lives Christ is a life full of forbearance and without anxiety; the Christian life should be a life that is full of forbearance and with no anxiety, casting all our anxious cares on the Lord and allowing Christ to live in us for His expression today.

Amen, Lord, we love You and we want You to live in us! Be expressed through us as we live a life full of forbearance and without anxiety! Amen!

This week in our morning revival, we come back to the main topic of, Enjoying, Experiencing, and Expressing Christ (part 3), and in particular, this week we are on Philippians 4.

We want to prayerfully consider Christ as Our Virtues, the Peace of God, Our Secret, and the One who Empowers Us. Oh, what a wonderful Christ we have!

The book of Philippians reveals to us a wonderful Christ who is not only for us to enjoy but also for us to experience and express. We believers in Christ are those who received God’s mercy to believe into the Lord Jesus and have Him as our life and person.

We were converted to Christ; we are converts, those who love the Lord and live to the Lord. However, it is easy for us to lose our taste for Christ, that is, to be distracted by many things other than Christ and pay attention to things other than Christ.

So we need to come back to the Lord and ask Him to keep us open, fresh, emptied, new, living, and young with Him.

We do not want to be stale and old; we do not want to think that we know this and that about the Lord, so now we have it. we want to be living and new with the Lord.

We want to keep our being open to Him so that we may have a fresh touch with Him and be full of life, living one spirit with the Lord.

If we keep ourselves fresh, new, living, and open to the Lord, we will take everything that He speaks to us in His word and ask Him to make it our reality.

We do not want to be set, settled, and occupied; we want to be fresh with the Lord. We want to be able to be changed by Him inwardly and conformed to His image outwardly.

We want to be un-occupied, un-settled, and un-set so that He may flow in us in a free way and we would express Him!

Something wonderful would be worked out on this earth if a man would offer himself fully to God to be fully possessed and occupied by God.

When we realise this, we will simply give ourselves to the Lord today so that He may occupy us and possess us. We want to be filled, possessed, and occupied with Him so that He may work in us and live in us today! How wonderful!

A Life that Lives Christ is a Life full of Forbearance and Without any Anxiety

We believers in Christ have Him as our life in our spirit, and we aspire to live Christ. The apostle Paul declared, To me to live is Christ (Phil. 1:21). This was a testimony of Paul’s inner reality.

To him, to live was Christ. But how does this translate into our daily living, even in our expression in our daily life?

The expression of living Christ and having Christ as our life can be found in Philippians 4:5-9. In these verses, we see many virtues that express Christ; here we see a picture of a life that lives Christ.

Christ is our pattern; the way He lived, thought, behaved, and acted can be seen in Philippians 2, where Christ is our pattern. How can we live a life according to the pattern of Christ?

It is by having the virtues and living seen in chapter 4.

On the one hand, we need to condemn philosophy, reject culture, and renounce religion, even counting all these as refuse, in order to gain Christ.

On the other hand, we need to have a life that lives Christ; we need to live Christ in our daily living.

A life that lives Christ is a life full of forbearance and without anxiety; this is what we see in Philippians chapter 4. On the positive side, we have forbearance, even Christ as our forbearance.

On the negative side, we have no anxiety, no anxious living. Our Christian life should be a life of living Christ, a life full of forbearance and without anxiety.

What is forbearance? It is an all-inclusive and all-embracing term showing us the expression of Christ.

Paul considers forbearance and the lack of anxiety as the first two aspects of the expression of a life that lives Christ.

A life that lives Christ is a calm, tranquil, peaceful, and quiet life; Christ is our forbearance in our daily living.

But if we have a life of turmoil, we do not live Christ but rather, we’re one with Satan. Oh Lord! For us to live a tranquil life, a life that lives Christ, we need to have Christ as our forbearance.

Forbearance is reasonableness and consideration in dealing with others. To have forbearance is to deal with others without strictness of legal right.

Forbearance is not just patience and moderation; it is much more than that. If we have forbearance, we will not argue with others or fight with them; we will not debate with them or fight for our own rights.

We may have a lot to say to others, but we will have the patience and moderation in dealing with others, not saying anything in response to provocation or irritation.

People may say things to us or may do things to us to provoke or irritate us, but we have a life full of forbearance, and we do not respond to provocation.

This is especially true in our living together. If the brothers live together in a brothers’ house and the sisters live in the sisters’ house, the most precious one among them is the one who is most forbearing.

It is not just the human patience or endurance; it is the Christ who lives in us. If we lack forbearance, we will easily react when we’re offended. Oh Lord!

A proper Christian life is a life of calm; we don’t just react to what others do or say to us but rather, we live a life in which we don’t argue with people or fight with them. Amen!

The Christian life is a life full of forbearance and without anxiety; it is a life of living Christ.

Forbearance is versus any selfish ambition and vainglory; when we have Christ as our forbearance, we do not have ambition or seek vainglory but rather, we live Christ.

When we have a life full of forbearance, we will not have murmurings or reasonings; rather, we will have tranquillity and peace, being calm, and having forbearance.

Only the Lord Jesus in us can live such a life; our Christian life is a living Christ, and this living of Christ is a life of forbearance and without anxiety.

When we live Christ, we will not argue with others; others may be upset with us, and we inwardly contact the Lord, realising that it’s best not to say anything.

When we speak to someone and they are upset with us, we inwardly turn to our spirit and exercise forbearance, that is, allow Christ to live in us; then, we wait for the right time to utter a calm word.

In married life this is especially important; we all have to admit that we fail in this respect so many times.

Maybe the husband or the wife is argumentative, so the other spouse needs to be careful about the way they speak.

It may not be wise even to call on the name of the Lord out loud; even such a calling can stir up trouble. Oh Lord!

But inwardly, we call on the Lord, and we wait for the situation to be tranquil before we say anything. May we learn to live one spirit with the Lord in this way so that we may express Him in our daily living, even to have a life full of forbearance and without anxiety!

Lord Jesus, we love You and we want to live one spirit with You today. Live in us today. May our Christian life be a life of living Christ. May we have a life full of forbearance and without anxiety. Amen, Lord, we open to You. We remain in fellowship with You. We just want to contact You in all things and concerning all things. May we have a life that lives Christ, a life where there’s forbearance but no anxiety, no worry! Amen, Lord, may we have a life that is calm, tranquil, peaceful, and quiet. May we learn to turn to You inwardly so that You may live in us a life full of forbearance and with no anxiety. Live in us today. Be expressed through us. Oh Lord, we give You our daily living. We give ourselves to You in relation to those around us – our conversation with them, our daily situations, and all the aspects of our living. May we not be the ones who just react to what is happening or to others’ words; may we inwardly turn to You and have You lived out of us as a life full of forbearance and without anxiety!

Anxiety Disturbs our Life of Living Christ; Forbearance is the Sum Total of a Life that Lives Christ

We need to always remember that anxiety never comes from the Lord; we may be anxious about legitimate things, even in serving the Lord and in living the Christian life, but anxiety is never from the Lord. Anxiety comes from Satan.

Anxiety is the sum total of human life, and anxiety disturbs the believer’s life for living Christ (Matt. 6:22-34).

The Lord Jesus told us not to be anxious in anything – for our life, what we should eat or drink, for our body, what we should wear.

What use is being anxious to – can we add anything to our stature if we worry? God takes care of all the lilies of the field and the birds of heaven, and they do not worry; He will also take care of us.

Anxiety comes from Satan and disturbs our life of living Christ. However, forbearance comes from God and is the sum total of living Christ.

These two, anxiety and forbearance, are opposites. Instead of being anxious, we should rather seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things we need will be added to us.

Satan injects anxious thoughts about tomorrow into our mind; instead of being anxious for tomorrow, we should simply seek God and His kingdom today!

The more we grow in the Lord and know Him, the more we learn to live Christ and have a life full of forbearance, we will have no anxiety.

The Lord will show us that, under the sovereign hand of the Lord, we can live Christ whether we have all things or we lack things.

In all circumstances of our human life, anxiety is present; when we have things, we are anxious for more things, and when we don’t have anything, anxiety is still there.

Anxiety makes the whole world turn, because people are anxious, they do this and do that, even invest in this or that, to make sure their future is safe and secure. Oh Lord!

The whole world is full of anxiety. But our Christian life is a life full of forbearance but without anxiety.

When we sense anxiety coming in, when we sense anxious thoughts rising up in us, we need to exercise our spirit and contact the Lord. He will show us the birds that do not work nor sow, but the heavenly Father cares for them.

The Lord is able to take care of us, no matter how much or how little we have. Human life, however, is full of anxiety; the totality of man’s life is anxiety.

The totality of a proper Christian life is forbearance. To live Christ is to have forbearance without anxiety.

The little birds in the field, which seem to be so insignificant and none of us people care for them or feed them, yet our heavenly Father cares for them, He knows when one of them falls, and He takes care of each one of them.

We may be anxious about a test coming up at school or an inspection at work; the Lord, however, wants us to simply live Christ, that is, have a life of living Christ, a life full of forbearance and without anxiety.

Sufficient for the day its own evil; we should not be anxious for tomorrow; just enjoy Christ today, just live Christ today!

Christ is fresh, new, living, and present for us today; we should just enjoy Him and live Him today, forgetting about the things behind and not worrying about anything in the future.

Lord Jesus, we cast all our cares upon You for it matters to You concerning us! Amen, Lord, we choose to turn to our spirit and have no anxiety! Praise the Lord, our God and Father cares for us! Thank You, Lord, for providing everything for us. We trust in You and not in what we can do. You are the One who provides. You care for us and You provide everything we need. We want to simply enjoy Christ today and seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness today! Amen, Lord, we seek You! We want to enjoy You today! We forget about the things behind and we do not worry about anything in the future: we just want to enjoy Christ and live Christ today! May we see that anxiety is the sum total of human life and it disturbs our life of living Christ. May we realise that forbearance comes from God and is the sum total of a life that lives Christ! Amen, Lord, we want to live one spirit with You today!

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by the brother Ed Marks in this conference, and portions from, Life-study of Philippians, msgs. 27 and 61, by Witness Lee, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Enjoying, Experiencing, and Expressing Christ (part 3 – 2025 Summer Training), week 25, Christ as Our Virtues, the Peace of God, Our Secret, and the One Who Empowers Us – day 1.
• Similar articles on this topic:
  – A Life Full of Forbearance but without Anxiety (1), video via, LSM Youtube.
  – Philippians is a book on the experience of Christ, and in it, Paul presents many high and profound matters, such as living Christ, pursuing Christ, and taking Christ as our goal. More via, LSM Instagram.
  – A life full of forbearance but without anxiety (6), a portion from, Life-Study of Philippians, Chapter 61.
  – Living a life of forbearance without anxiety, article via, Christian Students in Irvine.
  – A life full of forbearance but without anxiety, pdf via, Nuggets and Gems from the Bible.
  – Have You Discovered the Principle of Life? More via, Holding to Truth in Love.
  – Taking Christ as our forbearance, a portion from, The Experience and Growth in Life, Chapter 13, by Witness Lee.
  – Seek the Riches of Christ, via, New Jerusalem blog.
  – A Life Full of Forbearance but without Anxiety (1), a portion from, Life-Study of Philippians, Chapter 56.
  – Philippians (Program #28) – Excellent Characteristics of the Christian Life (2), via, Bible study radio.
  – Forbearance being the sum total of the human virtues, a portion from, The Experience and Growth in Life, Chapter 15, by Witness Lee.
• Hymns on this topic:
  – I have learned the wondrous secret / Of abiding in the Lord; / I have tasted life’s pure fountain, / I am drinking of His word; / I have found the strength and sweetness / Of abiding ’neath the blood; / I have lost myself in Jesus, / I am sinking into God. / I’m abiding in the Lord / And confiding in His word; / I am hiding in the bosom of His love. / Yes, abiding in the Lord / And confiding in His word, / I am hiding in the bosom of His love. (Hymns #564 stanza 1 and chorus)
  – In nothing be anxious; the Lord is at hand. / In peace and in vict’ry triumphantly stand; / Let nothing affright thee and nothing dismay, / For Jesus is coming! It may be today. / In nothing be anxious; on Him roll thy care. / Thy sins were laid on Him, thy sorrows He’ll bear; / Care free and triumphant press on, still to prove / The strength of His arm and the balm of His love. (Hymns #660 stanzas 1-2)
  – Though griefs and trials on us press, / We will not anxious be, / But all our care upon Thee cast / And set our spirit free. / O may I concentrated be / In fellowship with Thee, / My prayer and incense offering, / Thy Spirit leading me. (Hymns #771 stanzas 6-7)