Tag: confidence

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1 John

When we have confidence in God’s love

Child praying

I have to admit, it seems at times that John jumps around a lot in his thoughts. And the jump between verses 13 and 14 seems a bit startling as well.

How do we go from talking about the confidence we have in our salvation and God hearing our prayers and answering them.

But in this case, perhaps the jump isn’t as big as we might first think. The apostle Paul wrote,

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

In other words, if God loved us so much that he would give what was most precious to him, his Son, won’t he give us all things we need?

And I think John is making the same point here. He says,

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

And if we know he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:13-15)

Sometimes we are reluctant to come to God with our requests. Perhaps we feel we are being too selfish or self-centered.

But as children of God, we should come before God with confidence no matter our request. Why?

Because if we loved us enough to save us when we cried out to him, he will love us enough to listen to us whenever we come before him with any request we may have, large or small.

And because he saved us, we can be confident that he is looking out for our best. That means he will never give us anything that would harm us, but only the things that would benefit us.

That’s where the caveat comes in. If we ask anything according to his will, he will hear us. If what we ask for is something he knows is for our good, he will hear us and grant our request. If it is not, he will not.

So let us not hesitate to come before God with our requests. But let us come before him as trusting children. And as his trusting children, let us always believe that he desires our best through his yeses and nos.

After all, through the cross, he has certainly proved himself worthy of that trust.

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Hebrews

Opened up

Hebrews

This is one of my favorite passages in scripture, and one I committed to memory a long time ago.

Every year on the Day of Atonement, the people would wait outside the tabernacle as the High Priest went through the Holy Place and entered into the Most Holy Place with the blood of the sacrifices to sprinkle the ark of the covenant and make atonement for the sins of the people. (Leviticus 16:15-17)

But when Jesus went through the true holy places in heaven, he did something that no priest before him was ever able to do. He tore down the curtain that stood between God and us.

When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain that hung between the Holy Place and Most Holy Place was torn in two. (Matthew 27:51-52)

And by that one action, God was telling the people, “The way into my presence has now been opened up.”

And so the writer of Hebrews tells us,

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

After Jesus entered the Most Holy Place in heaven with his blood, he didn’t merely exit again with the barrier still standing between God and us.

Rather, he came out to us and said, “The way is now open for you to come into the Father’s presence. Come, let us enter together.”

And so the writer of Hebrews says, “Don’t just stand outside the tabernacle, away from God’s presence. Draw near. Jesus has opened up the way through his death on the cross.

“Just as the atonement cover was sprinkled with the blood to purify it from the sins of the people, so now your hearts are sprinkled by the blood of Jesus and made pure before God.

“So you no longer have to fear standing in front of God because of your unholiness. Through Jesus, you have been made holy.”

He then charges us,

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

When trials in life hit, it can become easy to fall away from Christ and the faith that we have in him. We wonder if God really does care, if he truly is faithful and will keep his promises.

But Jesus proved his love and faithfulness to us by going to the cross. How then can we doubt him? So when times get hard, hold on to him, knowing that he is faithful.

And when you see others faltering in your faith, the writer tells us,

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (24-25)

Sometimes people say, “I don’t see why I need to go to church. I’m fine by myself.”

But that is a very selfish way of thinking. Even if it were true (and it isn’t), others need you. They need your encouragement. And you need theirs.

We are to spur one another on toward love and good deeds and not let ourselves get discouraged or complacent.

So consider, think, plot, and plan just how we can get our brothers and sisters to reach out in love and touch this world around us. Especially in light of the fact that Jesus is coming again soon.

The way has been opened up for us to come to God. Are you taking advantage of it and drawing near? And are you encouraging others to draw near to him as well?

The Father is waiting for you. What will you do?

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Ephesians

Freedom and confidence

Ephesians

I wonder how often we take for granted what we have in Christ.

I look at this whole passage in Ephesians 3, and it talks about this mystery that even the Old Testament prophets and priests never really understood, at least, not fully.

What would Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel have thought if they saw the church today. If they saw people coming before God with boldness and confidence.

For that’s what Paul says we have now.

In verse 12, he tells us,

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)

One has to think, did even these prophets have that absolute boldness and confidence to approach God as we do. To call him “Abba, Father. Daddy.” Did they feel that freedom?

Somehow, I don’t think so. There was probably always some fear as they came before him. They were only too aware of their own failings and sin, even when they weren’t face to face with God.

The priests too knew they had to be very careful when entering the Holy Place and Most Holy Place in the tabernacle and temple. To not do so, meant death.

How would they have felt, knowing that we now have open access to God without restrictions?

But because of Jesus, not only have we been cleansed from our sin, Jesus has put his robes of righteousness upon us. Now through him, we can come before God with boldness and have free access to him.

And through us, the angels and demons themselves see something that must make them wonder and fear (3:10). A people who are God’s own, clothed in a righteousness not their own, fully accepted, and confidently, joyfully coming into his presence.

How the Old Testament prophets and priests would have wondered at such a sight.

Do you?

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Psalms

Our hope and confidence

Psalms

Psalm 71 is probably not the most well-known of the Psalms, but the more I read it, the more I like it. It shows the hope and confidence that the psalmist had from knowing God, even during the darkest of times.

He wrote,

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.

In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.

Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress. (Psalm 71:1–2)

I love verse 5 where he writes,

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.

And as he prays for deliverance from his enemies, he once again sings,

As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more. (14)

In a world where people often lose hope because of what they’re going through, this verse resonates with me: “As for me, I will always have hope.”

Why did he have that hope? We see the answer in verse 20.

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

So many times people get angry with God for the trials they have to endure.

But here, the psalmist expresses confidence in God’s goodness. That though God allowed him to go through many trials, that God would raise him up once again.

And so throughout the psalm we see his heart of praise towards God, as he sings things like,

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
you who have done great things.
Who is like you, God? (19)

And,

My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you—
I whom you have delivered. (23)

How about you? In the midst of what you’re going through now, have you lost hope?

Or like the psalmist, are you filled with hope and confidence that God will see you through?