#25: THE WAY OF CONFIDENCE
self-confidence to self-denial.
Hello fellow sojourners. Welcome back to our weekly newsletter. This is where you can find prayers, promises, and treasures on the narrow way. Written for the one in need of a drink of living water.
Last week on The Saturday Newsletter:
Great darkness reveals great light. Jesus came to set a plan in motion: to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth (Eph. 1:9-10). The greatest longing in God’s heart is to become One with His creation. This was the cry of Jesus in the garden and the mystery of God's will revealed.
Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (Jn. 17:11)
Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that this prayer will be answered. In the fullness of time, all things in heaven and earth will be united in Christ. Jesus is still praying for this on the throne and invites us to join His ministry of intercession. It is the cry of the Bridegroom and Bride: "Let us become one."
Enjoy this week’s newsletter.
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From the journal:
“Maybe this is how I walk in confidence. It is by knowing that it is not my performance before men that counts, but the way I live my life before God.
The Lord is teaching me that I can live confidently before men because I can live confidently before God. My confidence doesn't originate with men, therefore it can't be completed or altered by men.”
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:6-10)
As we walk in faith, we grow in confidence.
One of the most desirable characteristics is confidence. We all want to talk comfortably with strangers and be liked by others. We want to live knowing who we are and what we are here to do. Confidence is attractive. It is walking with purpose, conviction, and strength in a confused world.
Confidence is the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something (Oxford Dictionary). We are taught that self-confidence is a good thing and we should strive for it in our personal development. However, nowhere in the Bible does it support self-confidence. All we see in Scripture is self-denial.
Real confidence is only found in Jesus. It is acquired by forsaking ourselves and fixing our eyes on the only One worthy of adoration. Confidence in the flesh always leads to pride—the greatest hindrance to intimacy with God. Self-confidence breeds insecurity and constant doubt in our daily decisions. The way to overcome insecurity is to become secure in who Jesus is. This is only done by faith.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Heb. 11:1-3)
Faith is more than blindly following a mystical religion. We don't have to ascend into heavenly realms and say prayers to a god that has no intention of answering any of them. Faith is not a feeling or a tangible force that controls us. Faith is grounded in the written word of God.
God's word removes ambiguity when figuring out whether “God actually said" or not (Gen. 3:1). Our response is always “It is written”.
Faith is not about believing harder and doubting less. It is a work of the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our understanding. This takes the pressure off of us to believe harder and instead rely wholly on the Spirit of God to make the word of God real.
God’s word beckons us to come to Himself. And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus (Matt. 14:28-29).
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10)
The Bible is clear that we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. We will be accountable for our works (whether good or bad).
An awareness that we are accountable before Jesus strengthens our calling to walk worthy before Him: in humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love, and eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-6). The judgment seat keeps us on the narrow way. It gives us an understanding that our everyday decisions matter.
"For faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience." — Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Cost of Discipleship
Our aim is to please God. When we obey Him, we bear fruit.
This abiding fruit is a testimony of the Gospel that Jesus resurrected from the grave and sent His Spirit to dwell in us. Whether we are at home in the body or present with the Lord, our confidence is in the love of Jesus. It is love displayed at Calvary—love that keeps us all our days.
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. (Eph. 3:11-12)
Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. (Psalm 119:35)
God’s word is a path. It is an eternal, rushing stream that all we can do is jump in its current. His word meets us in our everyday lives, in the hustle of our coming and going. It reaches us in our monotonous work and daily responsibilities.
The path of His commandments keeps us from consolidating our faith to only certain areas of our lives. Jesus becomes all-consuming when His word consumes our gaze. Every footstep follows a word. Like stepping stones, we are led further down the road of Eternal Life.
The path before us becomes delight in the Son of God. He is Bread to sustain us all our days. The Treasure our hearts are longing to find. He leads us on this narrow road; the path He paved for us to follow.
His word is calling in the streets of our busy lives. Let us run after Him.
“I can choose to be anyone I want before men—but what the world needs is burning hearts that have sat in the presence of God, heard His words, and proclaim them to His people.”
