22010.022 Faith: Knowing Who You Can Trust

“Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” —Hebrews 11:6

Faith is personal reliance on a God known to be trustworthy.

During the terrible days of the Blitz during World War II, a father, holding his small son by the hand, ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow. Terrified, yet hearing his father’s voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, “I can’t see you!”

The father, looking up against the sky tinted red by the burning buildings, called to the silhouette of his son, “But I can see you … jump!” The boy jumped … because he trusted his father. The Christian faith enables us to face life or meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but that we are known.

We are emotional creatures by nature. Different personalities respond to God in different ways. One person may have a high emotional experience, while another may be calm and reserved. Faith is another word for trust and in many ways, trust is an emotion. Your faith must be placed in God and His Word, not in your emotions. Emotions can—and will—deceive you. God’s Word never will. Your faith must be placed in God and His Word, not in your emotions. Emotions can—and will—deceive you. God’s Word never will.

The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). The assurance of our relationship with God is based on the authority of His Word. God loves you and you are His child. When you start to feel as if your relationship with God doesn’t exist, go to the facts of the Bible to reinforce your faith in God’s love for you. We live by faith in the trustworthiness of God, and His Word. Our faith is anchored in the truth of God’s Word, and in what we know about God’s character. 

When you ride in an airplane you are exercising faith in the laws of aerodynamics to overcome gravity. If you should, however somehow decide to step outside of the plane while you are in the air, you will find the law of gravity still in effect! It is not the amount or quality of your faith, but the object of your faith that matters! God and His Word are the objects of our faith. The better we know God, the more we feel we can trust Him, and the more we trust Him, the more we experience the reality of His love and power.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 8:38–39

Our faith is anchored in the truth of God’s Word, and in what we know about God’s character. The better we know God, the more we feel we can trust Him. . . the more we trust God, the more we experience the reality of His love and power.

Q. What do you learn about God in the verses from Romans?

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.” —Hebrews 11:1

Q. Why is faith so important?

“Jesus said to them, ‘Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.’” —Mark 11:22–23

Faith is another word for trust. Faith must have an object. We do not have faith in faith. For example, a person could have great faith that the ice on a pond is thick enough to walk on. By faith then, he could boldly walk out on paper thin ice, and his faith would result in an ice water dunking! A person who has a very weak faith may very gingerly step slowly onto a pond of six-foot-thick ice. It is more than enough to support him. The key here is the object of his faith.

Oswald Chambers once said, “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.”

Faith is personal reliance on a God known to be trustworthy.

The great Bible teacher, Charles Stanley, has identified three levels of faith: Little Faith, Great Faith, and Perfect Faith.

Level 1—“Little Faith”

This kind of faith is characterized by struggling to believe God. We hope He’ll answer our prayer, but we’re just not really sure. Sometimes doubts creep in because we’re looking at the situation, not at the Lord and His Word. Or maybe our problem is that we just don’t know what God has said in the Bible, so we have nothing to anchor our faith. An example of someone with little faith is found in Mark 9 where a father who had come to Jesus in hope that Jesus will heal his son says:

“Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” —Mark 9:24

Q. When in your life have you experienced “Little Faith”?

Level 2—“Great Faith”

Dr. Stanley calls this phase “reaching faith” because it involves stretching to believe the Lord more and more. Christians at this level are beginning to stand on the truth of Scripture. When we let the Word of God shape our thinking and petitions, we can know that He will grant our requests. We find an example of this kind of faith in the story of a woman who Jesus healed who had been sick for many years (Mark 5:24–34). In verse 28 she says, “If only I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

Q. When in your life have you experienced “Great Faith”?

Level 3—“Perfect Faith”

Perfect faith is characterized as resting in the confidence that the Lord has already accomplished what we’ve asked. When our requests align with God’s will, it’s a “done deal.” Our job is simply to thank Him and watch His promise become a reality. Jesus said:

“Ask me for whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.”  —Mark 6:22

Q. Has there been a time in your life when you have experienced “Perfect Faith”?

Ask God to grow your faith!

22010.015 How Can You Be Sure of Your Relationship with Christ?

When you make the decision to receive Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you begin an exciting journey with Christ that will never end. But along the way, you may have some doubts. 

Feelings are an unreliable source of security. We must depend on the facts of the Bible to ground our faith in God.

For many of us, the journey with Christ may be long. We have a lot of life yet to live—and some days God will feel very far away. How can we remember that our relationship with Christ is secure—no matter what?

Q. When you have uncertainties in your life, what do you tend to rely on to get you through?

Facts, Faith, and Feelings

When it comes to our faith in Christ, three factors play into the overall picture: facts, faith, and feelings. Facts are usually the most stabilizing of the three. Faith is influenced by the facts. And feelings quite often follow. It’s important to keep these three factors in the right perspective! Haven’t received Christ? The most important decision you will ever make is to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. We are separated from God because of our wrong choices—our sin. But Jesus Christ came to save us from our sin. (Read More or Watch a Video)

First of all, the Bible contains several very important facts regarding our relationship with Christ.

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 8:35, 38–39

“Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.’” —Hebrews 13:5

“For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.” —Hebrews 8:12

As God’s child He will always love you—even when you fail Him. He will never give up on you—even if you give up on Him.

Christianity is a relationship with Christ—based on faith! And your faith is to be based on the facts in the Bible … not your feelings! Faith in Christ may result in feelings … and often does. But feelings are changeable, and you can’t depend upon them. You can only rely on what God says in his Word! 

Q. When you have uncertainties in your life, what do you tend to rely on to get you through?

Q. Think about a time when your feelings influenced a major decision in your life … what was the outcome?

Q. Have you ever made a decision that was based on your feelings that didn’t turn out well, or has someone you know experienced this? What could/should have been done differently?

As God’s child He will always love you—even when you fail Him.

Your feelings are a reaction to specific acts or events in your life. Relying on feelings can cause much confusion. If you depend on your feelings and have a very bad day, what might happen to your faith? It is in those times that we can lean on the facts of God’s Word to keep us strong.

People differ in the way they perceive and respond to things. God created each one of us to be an emotional creature by nature. However, each one of us expresses our emotions in different ways! It is important to remember that different personalities respond to God in different ways. 

One person may have a high emotional experience, while another individual may be calm and reserved. Because emotions vary greatly, they are not to be depended upon as a source of our security. Depending on emotions—or even seeking an emotional experience—causes many to lack the assurance of a personal relationship with God. We think that our emotions will give us greater security … but because they are constantly changing, they actually can make us insecure. 

Christianity is a relationship with Christ—based on faith!

The Bible says:

“The righteous by faith will live.” —Romans 1:17

“Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” —Hebrews 11:6

“Whatever is not from faith is sin.” —Romans 14:23

The assurance of our relationship with God is based on the authority of His Word. God loves you and you are His child. When you start to feel as if your relationship with God doesn’t exist, go to the facts of the Bible to reinforce your faith in God’s love for you. We live by faith in the trustworthiness of God, and His Word. Anchor your faith in the facts of the Bible, and your faith will be strong.

Q. When you have uncertainties in your life, what do you tend to rely on to get you through?

Q. What steps can you take to become more secure in your relationship with God?

You Have an Inheritance in Christ

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” —1 John 5:11–13

As a Christian, you are granted an inheritance. This inheritance is amazing! The Bible is very clear that when we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, we become God’s child … and we receive all of the benefits that go along with that relationship. Listed below are just five of the benefits we receive. As you study the Bible you will discover more of the benefits that you experience as God’s child. Faith is another word for trust, and your faith must be placed in God and His Word—not in your feelings.

1. You become a child of God—forever.

“But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children.” —John 1:12

2.     Your sins are completely forgiven.

“And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions. He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.” —Colossians 2:13–14

3.     Christ actually comes into your life.

“Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me.” —Revelation 3:20

4.     Christ gives you his nature.

“So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!” —2 Corinthians 5:17

5.     The Holy Spirit is your guarantee.

“But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.” —2 Corinthians 1:21–22

Memorize one of the verses above to encourage you as you grow in your relationship with God!

Samantha’s Story

Youth leader Samantha Tidball tells how, when she was a teenager, she dated a number of guys and repeatedly found herself bored after a few weeks of dating. She realized that she got an emotional high from the chase—one that wasn’t sustainable. And she says it was sort of the same thing when she first began a relationship with God. When the initial emotional rush was over, she felt empty inside and continued looking for attention elsewhere. She knew God loved her, but she didn’t always feel his love.

She wrote in a blog: “When we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, we become God’s child … And we receive all of the benefits that go along with that relationship. I have learned that I can’t force a feeling. But I can reflect on what I know, and trust that God truly does love me. I have to trust Jesus meant what He said in 1 John 4:9–10, ‘God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.’ If Jesus died for you and me, then what does that say about our worth? Jesus says, ‘There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (John 15:13). Apparently, God loves us enough to die for us; there is no greater act of love.”

Don’t confuse God’s love with the love you get from people. Love from people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with God’s love: His love comes from who He is and it never changes.

Application

In what ways can you strengthen each of these areas of your life when it comes to your relationship with Christ?

Q. Facts

Q. Faith

Q. Feelings

22010.008 Four Immediate Benefits!

Okay, so you’ve asked Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and be the Lord of your life! Now what? It is important that you begin to grow in your relationship with God! He is waiting for you to get to know Him better!

Four wonderful things happen when you first become a Christian: Your sins are forgiven. You become a child of God. You receive eternal life. And Christ lives in you.

Let’s start at the beginning … 

1. Your sins are forgiven.

“And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions.” —Colossians 2:13

“But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” —1 John 1:7

Q. How many of your sins are forgiven?

Q. Is there anything about this concept of forgiveness of sins that is hard for you to accept or understand?

Our sin does not need to haunt us … God has forgiven us. 1 John 1:9 instructs us,

“But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.”

If you do sin, what should you do? Feel guilty? No, your sins have been forgiven! However, the verse in 1 John tells us that we must confess our sins to God. You must agree with God that you have sinned, and thank Him that because of Jesus’ death on the cross, you are forgiven!

In today’s world, many people do not want to talk about sin. It makes them feel uncomfortable, or sad, or angry, or guilty. But God wants us to confess it to Him, and simply let Him have it! Confess your sin and let it go!

Take a few minutes right now to confess your sin to God … and then know that He has forgiven you!

2. You become a child of God.

God’s desire is to fill us with the love of a perfect Father. He knows us intimately and has marvelous plans for us.

“To all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children.” —John 1:12

Q. What is your part?

Q. What is God’s part?

Paul encourages us with these words,

“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He did this by predestining us to adoption as his legal heirs through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will—to the praise of the glory of his grace that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace.” —Ephesians 1:3–7

Q. What does it mean to you to know that you are God’s child?

3. You receive eternal life.

When we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, we will experience abundant life on earth, and then eternal life continuing in heaven.

Eternal life … a life with God forever after we die! Imagine, spending time with God forever! How do we know this? The Bible is very clear!

“For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” —1 John 5:11–13

Q. What do these verses teach you about eternal life?

Q. If you have eternal life today, is it possible for you to lose it tomorrow?

“He [Jesus] has said, ‘I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.’” —Hebrews 13:5

Q. In what way does the verse from Hebrews answer the previous question?

Q. What does this mean to you personally?

4. Christ lives in you!

The Bible tells about a miraculous event that occurs when we trust Christ for our salvation. He actually comes into our lives and takes up permanent residence.

“So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come! And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” —2 Corinthians 5:17–18

Q. Is there anything in your life you can already see that is becoming new?

Being a Christian means you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not a “religious system” or a list of rules, or an inventory of do’s and don’ts. It is a living faith in a living person, God himself.

Now that Christ is in your life forever, you will want to know Him more intimately, and to please Him by the way you think and live.

“For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.” —2 Corinthians 5:14–15

This a very important passage for you to think about!

Q. What are some ways that you have lived for yourself?

Q. What are some ways that you can live for God?

God created us to be His children. He desires us to spend eternity with Him in heaven; however, our sin nature would have prevented that from happening. That is why God sent his only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, in our place, so that we who put our trust in Him can be forgiven.

When we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, we will experience abundant life on earth, and then eternal life continuing in heaven. Jesus Christ is the only one who can bring us to God. Those who don’t put their faith in Christ will suffer eternal separation from God.

Application

Q. What excites you most about your new life in Christ?

Next

Related Lessons from Series Two: Empowered by Christ

God’s Great Love for You!

It’s hard to imagine that the God of the universe cares about each one of us individually, but it’s true! God’s love extends to each and every person … and that includes you!
(Go to lesson)

God’s Purpose for Your Life

Your life matters! God has given you an identity in Christ and has a plan for your life!
(Go to lesson)

32430 The Exchanged Mindset

Living a worldly lifestyle is natural and instinctive to us. We don’t have to choose it. It’s automatic. But it’s impossible to live supernaturally through human means.

Supernatural living is based on our relationship with God and requires the right mindset.

Our frame of mind toward God, the future, and others has a profound effect on how we live our lives. Having the right mindset is a choice, but first, we must clearly understand how God defines spiritual faith, divine hope, and Christian love.

Faith – Lens to Look at God

God is the object of spiritual faith. We trust in Him and His character. Because He is trustworthy, we believe what He says with confidence. We follow through on our trust in God and belief in His Word by taking the appropriate action. As we persevere in doing what God has told us, He brings about the fulfillment of what He said He would do.

“So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward. For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised. For just a little longer and he who is coming will arrive and not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him.” – Hebrews 10:35-38

Hope – Lens to Look at the Future

Human hope is often nothing more than wishful thinking. On the other hand, divine hope is based totally on the goodness of God and His faithfulness to keep His promises.

“Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5

Difficulties in life are like a gym for spiritual exercise. Troubles, pressures, afflictions, and hardships are the exercise equipment designed to build us spiritually.

Whenever we have to face difficulties, our muscles of endurance will be developed if we hang on to God and His words of truth and refuse to give in. Then we will have even more fortitude and stamina for future challenges. Increased endurance helps us to press on so God can burn away the impurities of our character.

It is only as we walk through these tough times with God that we may experience His presence, strength, goodness, and faithfulness to a greater degree. Only with God and by His grace, we can emerge from all the trials as more than conquerors. So, we face the future with this hope in our ever-present heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit in our life.

Love – Lens to Look at Others

God is love. This divine love is an act of self-sacrifice. True love does what is good for others. It is more than feelings. It is an action and also a choice.

“I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35

1 John 4:18 says there is no fear in love. As we experience God’s perfect love for us, it replaces all the fears in us. When your motivation is love, you are bold and secure. “If we love one another, God resides in us, and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12).

32320 What the Bible Says About the New You

As you take a few minutes to read through the following verses, consider what each verse reveals about who you now are in Christ.

“For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.” – Ephesians 2:10

“So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

“But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children” – John 1:12

“See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children—and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him.” – 1 John 3:1

“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.” – Galatians 3:26

“The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children.” – Romans 8:16

“And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)—if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him.” – Romans 8:17

“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

“We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For someone who has died has been freed from sin.” – Romans 6:6-7

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness. Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you. So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh (for if you live according to the flesh, you will die), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.” – Romans 8:9-13

“What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.” – Romans 6:1-4

“For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:5-11

“Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.” – Colossians 3:1-4

“But our citizenship is in heaven—and we also eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” – Philippians 3:20

“Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his plea through us.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20

“So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,” – Ephesians 2:19

“Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27

“For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body—though many—are one body, so too is Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12,13

“Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.” – Ephesians 4:25

“I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father.” – John 15:15

“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.” – Matthew 5:14

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.” – John 15:5

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” – 1 Corinthians 3:16

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19,20

“and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.” – Ephesians 4:24, NLT

32410 Freedom, Peace, Joy, Victory

As a new creation in Christ, you have a new life in a relationship with God. The Apostle Paul describes this life of relationship with God as walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25, NASB).

The Lord is One God in three Persons – the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. One of the most amazing truths about your new life is that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all intimately involved in your supernatural living. In fact, apart from the Triune God, it is impossible. It is an entirely different way of life.

The supernatural living is an exchanged life with the exchanged mindset. It is a life of Christ to walk by the Spirit in submission to the Father. It is characterized by freedom in Christ, God’s peace and joy, and the victory in Christ.

God’s Freedom 

In Christ, you have been set free from the bondage of sin and guilt, the spirit of rejection and condemnation, the yoke of demonic deception, worry and anxiety, and all fear – including the fear of men, evil, death, and hell.

Above all, you have been set free from your old self – your old way of living, thinking, feeling, reacting, everything! You have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you (Galatians 2:20).  

God expects you to enjoy the freedom that you have been given in Christ. Imagine a life free from the bondage of sin and deception. A life where feelings of guilt and rejection are quickly handled as you apply God’s truth. Imagine being so secure in your relationship with God and in your dependence on His promises that your life is virtually free of worry and fear!

Most people spend all of their earthly existence trying to structure a life that offers these benefits. And yet it is completely impossible apart from God. It is only as we believe God for what we’ve been given in Christ and follow Him in obedience that this kind of lifestyle can become reality.

God’s Peace and Joy

In Christ, you will experience peace and joy. God’s peace and joy transcend our circumstances. God is even more committed to our happiness and wellbeing than we are because the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). He expects us to experience a life of peace and joy because we are trusting in Him. 

God’s peace is more than the absence of disturbance or discord. It also refers to being whole and complete. God alone can make you whole. Your new self is complete in Christ. Its source is God, and it begins with your restored (harmonious and complete) relationship with God.

God’s joy is the joy of Jesus (John 15:11). It is in asking and receiving in His name that your joy may be full (John 16:24). Jesus’ heart was fully aligned to the Father’s heart. As our hearts become more like the heart of Jesus, we ask according to His will and receive what God has for us. In His goodness and grace, we rejoice.  

God’s Victory

In Christ, you have overcome the evil one (1 John 4:4) and will overcome adversity. A supernatural lifestyle is not free of misery, pain, and suffering because we live in a fallen world and the spiritual enemy of God is determined to destroy His creation. Why does God allow adversity in the life of His children? Adverse circumstances are life’s training ground in which God forms Christ in us. With the right perspective, in adverse situations, we finally grasp the truth of the exchanged life that our old self is dead with Christ and that our new life is Christ in us. 

Adverse circumstances also provide a showcase to demonstrate the quality of God’s workmanship in us to the watching hosts of both physical and spiritual universes. 

Finally, adversity comes because we live in the universe at spiritual war. The doomed forces of evil are doing their worst to damage the unshakable kingdom of the invincible King.

God doesn’t expect us to endure evil. He expects us to triumph over it. Against evil, we are commanded to resist and stand firm. Even in adversity that is caused by others, people are not our enemy. The Word of God gives us a different (God’s) perspective. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:1). So, our weapons of righteousness (2 Cor. 6:7) against adversity are spiritual and wielded in genuine love (2 Cor. 6:6).

22010.236 A Special Blessing

“Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. Now during the blessing he departed and was taken up into heaven.” —Luke 24:50–51

How like Jesus to bless the disciples before He leaves them! From the area of Bethany—meaning the “house of sorrows”—from His earthly incarnation, Jesus ascends into heaven to reside there. My mind is racing through all the blessings the patriarchs, prophets, and priests gave prior to their departures from this earth. How much greater the blessings from the mouth of Jesus flowing out of His love for us!

We find in the book of Numbers this great priestly blessing:

“The LORD bless you and protect you; The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” — Numbers 6:24–26

Jesus lifts His hands and blesses His followers. Although the exact words are not recorded, we can be sure they were words of encouragement and comfort.

“‘He lifted up His hands and blessed them.’ He did not go away in displeasure, but in love; He left a blessing behind Him. He blessed them to show that, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them to the end. ‘While He was blessing them, he left them’; to intimate that His leaving them did not put an end to His blessing them. He began to bless them on earth, but He went to heaven to go on with it.” —Matthew Henry

The writer of Hebrews tells us:

“Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.” —Hebrews 4:14–16

We too have every reason to hold on to our faith, for He who has called us is faithful! It is Jesus who saves us, lives to intercede for us, allows us to approach the throne of grace with confidence, and grants us abundant grace, mercy, and peace. Paul tells us:

“He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this.” —1 Thessalonians 5:24

“For the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.” —Philippians 2:13

Furthermore, he goes on to say in his letter to the Ephesians that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing:

“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.” —Ephesians 1:3

God has given each one of us special blessings. We have been blessed with every spiritual enrichment needed for our spiritual lives—we need only to appropriate them by faith.

Become More

“God doesn’t just give us grace; He gives us Jesus, the Lord of grace.” —Joni Erickson Tada

Further Reflection

“We came into this world wretched, miserable, and undone creature, in cruel bondage to sin and Satan, under guilt and under wrath, hostile toward God—the fountain of blessedness—and in a state of condemnation leading to everlasting destruction. But when a man is converted, he is brought out of that state of woe and misery into a sure title to glory, honor, and peace forever. When once a man is converted, all this blessedness that we have heard of is his; he has an absolute right to it. God’s work is accomplished for it; His faithful promise is given.” —Jonathan Edwards

22010.235 Do You Love Me?

“Then when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these do?’ He replied ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus told him, ‘Feed my lambs.’

“Jesus said a second time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus told him, ‘Shepherd my sheep.’

“Jesus said a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said ‘Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.’ Jesus relied, ‘Feed my sheep.’” —John 21:15–17

I am sitting by the edge of the Sea of Galilee—right where Jesus spoke these words to Peter—right where the sparks were flying upward and the breakfast was sizzling over the warmth of the fire. I read these words from Scripture aloud and the power of them weighs heavy on me. My mind focuses on the setting and the graciousness and strength of the Master’s words. Here Jesus lovingly reinstates Peter. Peter the impetuous, Peter the denier, Peter the deserter, Peter the one that failed.

King David’s words come to mind:

“The LORD is compassionate and merciful, he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love. He does not always accuse, and does not stay angry. He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve. For as the skies are high above the earth so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers. As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us.” —Psalm 103:8–12

Hadn’t Peter proclaimed that even if all the others fell away, he never would? And yet, hadn’t Peter denied our Lord not just once, but three times? The over-confident Peter, like the famous Humpty Dumpty, had suffered a great fall. However, unlike Humpty, who couldn’t be put back together, Jesus was about to put the broken pieces of Peter’s life together again. Jesus is the master of making beauty from our ashes! The prophet Isaiah foretold:

“To announce the year when the LORD will show his favor, the day when our God will seek vengeance, to console all who mourn, to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness trees planted by the LORD to reveal his splendor.” —Isaiah 61:2–3

The passage of scripture for today contains two important principles: Love Jesus, love others.

In this passage, Jesus uses a form of the word love–agapao–in His first two questions to Peter that means to “love, esteem, cherish, favor, honor, respect, prize, relish, be devoted to; rooted in the mind and will of the subject, to value; it is God’s love towards man.” Only with the third inquiry to Peter does Jesus lower his expectation, using a different word for love, the wordphileo meaning “to be fond of, to love as a dear friend, friendship love, to have affection for someone” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible–New Testament Lexical Aids). Interestingly, Peter responds all three times with the word for phileo love. Peter knew he loved the Lord, but he also knew all too well the weakness of his own flesh. Unwilling to agree to Jesus’ high expectation, he responds instead with what he truly felt in his heart. And Jesus response shows that He will begin with that level of commitment. Our Lord meets us where we are!

Become More

This series of questions to Peter applies to us as well? Who can claim they have not denied Him? Who has not failed Him? Who has not been in need of restoration and reinstating? Do we truly love Jesus? This is a great question! There is no life where there is no love. Jesus will look over our want of knowledge and our want of faith, but He must have our love. And the grand test of that love is our obedience to Him in all things. We are to live for others, care for others, minister to others, do good to others. He loves most that is most like Jesus.

Further Reflections

“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” —Amy Carmichael

“He says not to Peter, Art thou wise? or learned? or eloquent? But lovest thou Me? Then feed. Love to Christ begets love to His people’s souls, which are so precious to Him, and a care of feeding them.” —Archbishop Leighton

“The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked.” —1 John 2:6

22010.234 Jesus Makes Another Appearance

“When they got out on the beach, they saw a charcoal fire ready with a fish placed on it, and bread. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just now caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three, but although there were so many, the net was not torn. ‘Come, have breakfast,’ Jesus said. But none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.” —John 21:9–14

Remembering that His disciples are but mere humans—weary and exhausted from their night of fishing—our Lord mercifully and compassionately provides a meal for them by the seashore. And by doing so, Jesus is showing His working disciples that He cares for their bodies as well as their souls. How comforting! Wet and cold, weary and hungry, the Lord supplies fire to warm and dry them, and food to feed and fill them. Jesus is the supplier of all our needs! In Him is the sufficiency for life, both present and eternal. The Psalmist proclaims:

“For the LORD God is our sovereign protector; the LORD bestows favor and honor; he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity. O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, how blessed are those who trusts in you.” —Psalm 84:11–12

Nothing smells better when one arises in the morning than the smell of breakfast—coffee brewing, bacon frying, biscuits rising. Surely the disciples were wide-eyed and appreciative over this labor of love. King David’s words of Psalm 103 come to mind:

“Praise the LORD, O my soul! With all that is within me, praise his holy name! Praise the LORD, O my soul! Do not forget all his kind deeds! He is the one who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, who delivers your life from the Pit, who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion, who satisfies your life with good things, so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s … As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on his faithful followers; for he knows what we are made of, he realizes that we are made of clay.” —Psalm 103:1–5, 13–14

Christ tells His friends to bring to the shore the fish they have just caught. He wants them to eat of the labor of their hands. Whatever we have gained through God’s blessing upon our industry and honest labor has a particular sweetness to it, and Christ here desires for them to taste the reward of their miraculous catch. I believe the Lord also wanted to show His disciples that the secret to a successful life will be for them to work according to His command and to act with implicit obedience to His word. It was as if Jesus told them to look into the net to see for themselves how profitable it was for them to do what He said.

Finally, Jesus invites his disciples to join Him! Treating them as friends, He invites them to His table. No one needs to ask about who he is, they fully understand. There seems to be no doubt, only awe.

“To sit, and eat, and drink, in the company with one who had risen from the dead, and appeared and disappeared after a supernatural manner, was no light thing. Who can wonder that they felt awed?” —John Charles Ryle

Our Lord serves as the Master of the feast offering bread and fish. He shows Himself alive and having a true body by eating and drinking with His disciples:

“We are witnesses of all things he did in both Judea and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen. Not seen by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen–who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” —Acts 10:39–41

Become More

“God is continually drawing us to Himself in everything we experience.” —Gerard Hughes

Further Reflection

“God’s blessings at times came to us through our labors and at times without our labors, but never because of our labors.” —Martin Luther, emphasis added

22010.233 Stop Doubting and Believe

“Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he replied, ‘Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it.’

“Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.’” John 20:24–27

Ever had your hope turn cynically skeptical? What was counted on when hope was alive, what was perhaps believed to be a given, in a swift blinking of an eye becomes dashed to pieces without even a shard of hope remaining.

Thomas—one of the Lord’s close-knit group of twelve—had been absent on Jesus’ first appearance to His disciples. Excited and amazed, those present told him they had seen the Lord!

We have no idea why Thomas was not with the others when Jesus came—we only know that he missed out on the blessing. And as a result, he felt shut out and empty in the cold chill of unbelief while the others were warmed and filled.

Refusing to believe what the other disciples tell him with great assurance, refusing to remember Jesus’ own words to him before His crucifixion, refusing to listen to those who have no purpose in deceiving him, Thomas passionately declares that he will not believe unless he himself touches the Lord’s body. He ties his faith to physical evidence. Thomas’ case demonstrates how grief and doubt can influence us to say things of which later we may be deeply ashamed.

And yet, Jesus lovingly and graciously acquiesces to the skeptical demands of the Thomas. We see Jesus oh so gently strengthening a man’s doubting, weak faith, kindly allowing even His wounds to be poked and prodded in order for this friend to believe. Jesus appears to the disciples for the express purpose of convincing and satisfying the mind of Thomas. Thomas, the doubter, who had recklessly spouted his faith could only be had by sight and touch.

Jesus timed His visit when not one of the Apostles was missing. He was completely aware of those who had secretly assembled behind that locked door. He knew not one of them was absent and He times His appearance accordingly. Our Lord’s eye is forever upon His children! I am thankful for David’s encouraging words:

“The LORD pays attention to the godly and hers their cry for help.” —Psalm 34:15

We are also told in 2 Chronicles:

“Certainly the LORD watches the whole earth carefully and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.” —2 Chronicles 16:9

Out of the deepest love and concern for him, Jesus desires freedom for Thomas. Freedom from his persistent doubting. Freedom from his questioning. Freedom from his discrediting of his friends. Remember, Thomas was the one in bondage; the other disciples had been strengthened in their faith, they were joyful and free. Jesus wanted this apostle as well. He wanted Thomas’ unbelieving disposition gone—for his own good and for God’s great glory.

Become More

“Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.” —John 20:29

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. For by it the people of old received God’s commendation.” —Hebrews 11:1–2

Further Reflection 

“After all, the case of Thomas is not an uncommon one. Some people are so strangely constituted that they distrust everybody, regard all men as liars, and will believe nothing except they can see it all, and work it all out for themselves. They have a rooted dislike to receive anything on trust, or from the testimony of others, and must always go over the ground for themselves. In people of this kind, though they know it not, there is often a vast amount of latent pride and self-conceit; and it is almost ludicrous to observe how entirely they forget that the business of daily life could never go on, if we were always doubting everything which we could not see for ourselves. Nevertheless they exist in the Church, and always will exist; and the case of Thomas shows what trouble they bring on themselves.” —John Charles Ryle