YOUR WORD IS TRUTH
The Bible is full of promises that assure us of
God’s love and our position in Christ. We need to keep some basic promises at
the forefront of our minds all the time to keep us hopeful in our walk with
Jesus and enable us to encourage each other.
Our
Security and Safety
First and foremost, we need to remember that God’s
love for us will never fail under any circumstance. The apostle Paul states it
clearly, “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 NIV84). (Also see
Isaiah 49:16).
We are His
Children
Out of His love for us, God has adopted us into
His family and calls us His children. Even though the world does not recognize us
as such, God does, and we recognize each other as brothers and sisters. The
apostle John calls our attention to this truth, “How great is the love the
Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God! And that
is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know
Him” (1 John 3:1 NIV84).
Assurance
of Our Sins Forgiven
We have the assurance of our sins forgiven, never to
be mentioned again. Unlike us, God does not lie. He has promised to let go once
He forgives. He never brings issues back to accuse or shame us —
·
“Your sins have been forgiven on account of His
name” (1 John 2:12 NIV84),
·
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has
He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12 NIV84).
Ongoing Cleansing
Since we don’t cease to be human after conversion,
our old nature still presents a challenge. It is in constant opposition to our
new nature, resulting in occasional falls. God made provision for those times
as well, and no matter how many times we fall, we can go back to Him for
cleansing and restoration. John clearly states, “If anybody does sin, we have
One who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1
John 2:1 NIV84).
We are
Never Alone
God assures us of His constant presence through the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit:
·
“This is how we know that He lives in us: we
know it by the Spirit He gave us” (1 John 3:24 NIV84).
·
“The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the
dead is living in you” (Romans 8:11 NIV84).
·
“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons
of God” (Romans 8:14 NIV84).
Assurance of
eternal life
We have the assurance of eternal life. We shall be
with Him forever and ever:
·
“This is what He promised us—even eternal life”
(1 John 2:25 NIV84),
·
“God has given us eternal life, and this life is
in His Son” (1 John 5:11 NIV84). (See also 1 John 2:17; 1 John 5:13; Titus
3:7).
·
The night before Jesus was crucified, He prayed
for His disciples and all believers (present and future). In His high priestly prayer,
for us, Jesus asked that God would guide our walk in this life, keep us safe
from the evil one, and pave the way for us to be where He is to see His glory
someday. Would God deny Jesus anything? Of course not! (See John 17:1-26).
Hence we are all set to be with Him forever.
Promise for
Answered Prayers
God has given us a blank check we can cash any time
the need arises. That check is not drawn on a financial institution, and
doesn’t necessarily refer to physical cash, even though it could sometimes. The
name of Jesus is like a blank check to get us whatever we need from the Father,
as long as the request is in accordance with His will:
·
“My Father will give you whatever you ask in my
name … Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:23-24
NIV84).
·
“If we ask anything according to His will, He
hears us. And if we know that He hears us –whatever we ask-we know that we have
what we asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15 NIV84).
Rewards
Employees expect to get paid and even receive
bonuses every now and then. Believers are not employees; we are bond slaves
with no rights. We cannot demand payment for anything we do. Yet without our asking,
our Father has taken the initiative to reward us from time to time, and He has
reassured us regarding the big finale—eternal life with Him.
·
While predicting His death Jesus said to His
disciples, in regard to His return, “The Son of Man is going to come in His
Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according
to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27 NIV84).
·
Also, in Revelation, Jesus reminds us, “Behold,
I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according
to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12 NIV84).
These are wonderful
promises that solidify our position in Christ! Let us review them often for
encouragement, growth, and victory over the enemy!
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