ARE YOU SURE?

I want to begin by saying thank you. Thank you to my wife for letting me contribute on this blog. I also want to thank you for reading. This blog has been a great source of encouragement for Julie and I over the years. Your feedback has been key for us getting even more revelation of the Grace of God.

Today I want to ask you a few questions and hopefully encourage you in the process. On what do you place your certainty? What is your true north by which you set your internal compass? When all around you looks shaky and uncertain what is the one thing that is certain in your life? When scandals happen around you in the world what keeps you from giving up hope? Scripture points us to faith in the Gospel as our source of certainty.

Philippians 1:6 in the ESV says, “6And I am sure of this, that he who began(H) a good work in you(I) will bring it to completion at(J) the day of Jesus Christ.

Paul has confidence in the good work that God has started. He said, “I am sure of this…” He had no doubt about it. God has started something that He will carry out to completion “at the day of Jesus Christ”.

James 5:7-8 in the ESV says, “7Be patient, therefore, brothers,[a] until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives(N) the early and the late rains. 8You also, be patient.(O) Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord(P) is at hand.

These verses are found at the beginning of a section on suffering. Often when we suffer we are most tempted to let our faith unravel. Circumstances distract us and we feel our faith deflate with each distraction that comes. But James says be patient! We are to be like a farmer who knows that because he planted a seed he will reap fruit. The farmer has an established heart because he knows the truth about growing and harvesting. He has faith. We likewise should not allow what is going on around us to rob us of our faith in the Gospel. Verse 8 says to establish our hearts. To establish your heart is to believe the Gospel. Believe that Jesus came in the flesh, obeyed the Father on your behalf, became sin for you, died in your place as your substitute, cancelled the written code that stood opposed to you, freed you from the power of sin and death, and will return just as He left to clothe you with your new immortal body! Wow what good news! It is all based on Him not us or anyone else. That is the power behind the Gospel. It hinges completely on Jesus and Him alone. That is what our hearts should be established on.

So I ask you again, on what do you place your certainty? Do you place your faith in people, your self efforts, or circumstance which can change tomorrow? Or have you established your heart by believing the Gospel? You can be sure of this, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.

Faith: Believing in God's Love

Faith used to be such a vague concept to me. A very spiritual sounding word that people used the most when they hit hard times. Honestly, in my various religious legalistic experiences, 'faith' was an expression of self-righteousness, often displayed with the air of a martyr. You see, men and women of faith could often be found standing by God even when they thought him responsible for disease, poverty, and death. The worse off they were in life, the more people proclaimed them super-holy saints of incredible 'faith'. But really, it doesn't take faith to believe that God would inflict suffering on me, it's easy to believe I deserve suffering or punishment sometimes! It takes faith to believe that God will never ever punish or use suffering to 'discipline' me because Jesus doesn't deserve ANY punishment ever again and I AM IN HIM.

To be sure we all pass through trials and suffering at times (and I believe true persecution is in a different category altogether). We have an enemy who prowls around like a roaring lion seeing who he might devour. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against a spiritual realm of spirits who wish us harm and will constantly accuse us and oppose us. BUT we also have an advocate who intercedes for us!!! One who has defeated evil forever and has given us eternal righteousness that can never be defiles or stolen from us. One who came to sympathize with us in our weakness out of lavish and exorbitant love for us, his own people. He will not leave us to suffer but will always intervene on our behalf, there is already abundant grace available to deliver us out.

I understand faith in a way that I never could before since seeing grace. Faith is simple, it is a response to experiencing God's love in a real way, whether his voice or his touch. Faith sees God, sees Jesus, and says, "yes! he does love me, I am precious to him!" Faith is not ashamed of the sufferings of Jesus, but rejoices in his love just as a baby does not apologize for causing his mother pain but reaches out for her loving arms and feeds on her joy in him. Faith leans so fully on the love of Jesus that all fear is banished in light of his beautiful goodness. He is all Goodness! He is all Kindness! He will never never never hurt one of his own. I know this because I believe he is good and he loves me. He has shown me again and again and again. Which one of us will give our child a stone when he asks for something to eat? Doesn't our father in heaven know how to give us good gifts even more? Infinitely more?

Faith is not a work we use to obligate God to perform for us at our word. Faith just receives God's love simply without question, without trying to earn or deserve, without suspicion. Faith sees Jesus and is satisfied, is overwhelmed with joy, is full to overflowing. Faith approaches God without agenda or cunning, with no need for lobbying, begging, or persuading. Because faith believes, more than that, RESTS, in the wonderful free love of Jesus.