The Source of Power and Perfection

"Complete self-confidence is not merely a sin; complete self-confidence is a weakness."
G.K. Chesterton


I'm sitting in the dark, wanting to die.  I tried to resist her, but continued to lose the battle of lust.  "I can't resist you," I whisper as she attempts to seduce me.  I escape her, but unwillingly.  I longed for defeat; I longed for her victory over my body.


I'm holding on the barely existing virginity, wanting to die.  No matter how hard I try, it is inevitable.  I will fall as my fathers fell.  I can't escape hell, or so it seems, until these words unlock my cell of sin:


"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died for my sins."


I feel peace cover me like a blanket.  I no longer want to die.


With my sins forgiven, I experience perfection.  My new life begins.  I no longer place my confidence in my good intentions, but in my salvation, in my Savior. 


In His Presence, I experience power.  Faith in Him is power.  Faith in myself is weakness, as G.K. Chesterton said above.  I know better than anyone my limitations.  But He is unlimited in knowledge and ability.  Completely trusting Him is power, perfection, and sanity. 

How Reasoning Increases Your Faith

Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.  Hebrews 11:19

True faith is never blind or unreasonable. 

Because faith comes from hearing and believing what God says, and because what God says is truth, you can draw certain conclusions about your life based on what God has promised you.

For example, God promised Abraham a son, Isaac.  He promised Abraham that through Isaac Abraham would be the father of nations.  So when God commanded Abraham to kill Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham reasoned like this:

1.  God promised that through Isaac I would be the father of nations.
2.  God commanded me to kill Isaac.
3.  Therefore, God, who cannot lie, will raise Isaac from the dead.

Notice how Abraham's reasoning assumes two things:
1.  God's faithfulness.
2.  Abraham's obedience.

In other words, Abraham assumes that he will actually go through with killing his son. He expects Isaac to actually die, and thus for God to actually resurrect him.  This is reasonable, if it is a given that God cannot lie. 

True faith is never blind or unreasonable.

Let's take another example.

Jesus said that if you seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, God will provide your needs.  Say you are seeking God's will for a trip you need to go on.  You need to repair your car in order to make the trip, or so you believe.  God reveals to you that it is His will for you to make the trip, and that you will indeed make it to your destination.  Now these things must follow reasonably:

1.  God will provide you with the money you need to repair your car and make the trip.
2.  The money you already have is enough to repair your car and make the trip.
3.  If you have no money, and God does not provide the money, then your car will make the trip without being repaired (or he will provide another car.) 

One of these three things has to be true if God indeed promised you would make the trip. 

True faith is never blind or unreasonable.

If you start with what God says, commands, or promises, knowing that God cannot lie, you can draw certain conclusions from His words, and those conclusions are expressions of faith.

What has God promised you?  As a result, what must be true in your life?

You Confidence and Assurance

"You're destroying your life!  Think about what you're doing son.  It doesn't make any sense!"


"Mom, I know you don't understand.  Trust God and trust me."


"I do, but I want what's best for you, and I don't know if you've thought this through."


"I've not only thought it through, but I've prayed about my decision and I have peace about everything I'm doing."


"How can you be so confident?  What assurance do you have?"


"What Jesus said gives me assurance of what I hope for:   Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  This is the assurance of what I hope for, and the evidence of what I don't see at the moment.  I know I only want God's will, so I also know that He will not only reveal His will, but provide for me to do it."


"I understand son.  I'm with you and will pray that God blesses your faith in Him."


Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Has God Ever Failed You?

Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.  Joshua 21:45

 

When? 

 

When has God failed you?

 

Make your case against God, and make your case for yourself.

 

After all, to make a case against the trustworthiness of God assumes that you have never failed Him, or anyone else.

 

When has God promised you something and then broke His promise?
Make your case.  Accuse the Almighty.  And show yourself trustworthy, one who has kept every promise, to God, and to people.

 

When has God told you He would do something, and then failed to do what He said?
Make your case.  Give evidence of God lying to you.  And show that you've never lied since you learned to talk.

 

The trustworthiness of God has been questioned since The Garden of Eden:

• “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
• "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

According to Satan, you can't REALLY know what God means. 
According to Satan, you can't trust God's words at all. 
He said, "You will surely die."  But Satan said, "You will not surely die."


Who do you believe?
Who can be trusted?


Has God ever lied to you?
Have you ever lied to God, or anyone else?


I look on my life and see God taking care of me faithfully.
He's never lied to me or deceived me.
He's always been straightforward with me, and with you.


I know this because it is impossible for God to lie.
When He speaks, He acts.
When He promises, He fulfills.


God has never failed you, and He never will.
Wherever you are in your life, and whatever you need from God right now, He will provide it.


If you agree, pray this prayer with me:


"Our Father in heaven, You are perfectly trustworthy.  I place my complete confidence in You to be who You claim to be, and to do what you promise to do.  In the name of Jesus, my life is yours. I will follow Your Spirit wherever He leads me to day, and every day.  Amen."

Is Your Faith Real? (Part 3)

In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:10


Have you ever had surgery, or been put under anesthesia? If there is a moment that your life is in someone's hands, it's then.  You are totally at the mercy of the doctor. 




But this state is the Christian life.  Not just in tragedy.  In reality.




As believers we by definition must believe God to bring about His will and glory in our lives. 
I know this for myself.


I'm in Key West Florida because God wills it.  How do I know?  There came a point where my wife and my first born son had to move out of the apartment we were in.  It was going to be condemned.  We had to go.  So at this point I ask God to show us His will:  Key West or somewhere else.  During this time a new apartment complex was being built.  A lottery was being done to determine who would live in these nice affordable brand new apartments.  So I prayed, "God, if you want us here, then pick us in the lottery."




Over 300 people put in numbers.  We were number 14. 


I then prayed for the job God wanted me to have and received God's promise that I would indeed receive the job for which I was applying.  He told me the process by which I would get the job, and sure enough, God's word came to pass.




Since then, numerous doors have opened and closed, and God has delivered me from trials and troubles so obviously that I know He is with me.  Looking back over my life I see how dependent on Him I really am.




Do you see the same as you think back over your Christian life?  Do you see that you couldn't be where you are if it wasn't for God?

Is Your Faith Real? (Part 1)

You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.  C.S. Lewis, From "A Grief Observed."


What in your life depends so much on God that if He doesn't come through you simply won't make it? Moses and the Israelites at the climax of God's deliverance knew the answer to your question.


The Red Sea is in front of Moses and the Israelites.
Pharaoh and his armies are behind them.


There is no escaping the Egyptians or the Red Sea.
But God is there.  His angel.  His Cloud.  His Servant Moses.


We read this Biblical story in awe, but sometimes don't see that we are now the children of God, the chosen people of God on earth.  This means that God will put us on display in the same way.  He will make it known through our lives that He alone is the true God, our only Deliverer, our only deliverance.  This shouldn't surprise us, because this is how He saved us.


The truth or falsehood of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a matter of life and death to you and me.  If it is true, we have eternal life by believing in Jesus.  If it is not true, we might as well commit suicide.  Because our lives are based on believing something that means life or death to us, how much more will our life of faith mean that if God isn't with us, we are as good as dead?

When God Puts YOU On Display

"Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you."  John17:1


There are times in your life when God will put all attention on you.  He may powerfully bless you to make Himself known to all who witness your life.  He may allow great trouble in your life to greatly and powerfully deliver you.


GOD BLESSES YOU TO DISPLAY YOU
God blessed David with a dramatic victory against Goliath.  That day David was on display.  God glorified David so that David would glorify God.  David's zeal for God's glory drove him to kill the blaspheming giant.  He knew that God was with him and the nation, and against the idolatrous Philistines.  All eyes were David, and thus all eyes were on God.


GOD ALLOWS TROUBLE TO DELIVER YOU
Joseph was sold as a slave by his envious brothers.  Yet God was with Joseph, even as a slave.  Potiphar, Joseph's master, saw and knew that God was with Joseph, because Joseph succeeded in everything he did.  Yet again, Joseph experienced great trouble in his life.  He was falsely accused of rape, and put in prison for over 10 years.  Yet God was still with Joseph, and the jailer knew it.  And when the time came, God greatly delivered Joseph, exalting him as ruler over all Egypt.


Now the times of blessing may have hardships, and the times of trouble will have God's blessing and presence.  Yet in both times, whether blessing or hardship, God displays you for this reason:  To test and approve of your faith.


So what are you supposed to do before God displays you?


You do what you were doing before the display:  Trust God.
It's because of your trust in God that He will put you on display.
Trust Him.  He will bless you. He will deliver you.