Last Sunday as my pastor was speaking I heard him say something that "clicked" inside of me. Now it's Thursday, and I still have what one of my favorite authors calls a "niggling thought" picking away at me... "What did Jesus save me from?"
I know that my future is secure (John 3:16)
and my past is forgotten (Romans 6:6,7).
But, what has He saved me from in this present life?
What advantage does living a Christian life give me now?
The answer is found in the book of Romans:
"Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:1-5, NLT)
In this present life we gain peace, confidence and joy.
Paul does not state that we won't suffer any more in this present life... in fact, he says that we will run into problems and trials. He goes on to say that they are good for us, and develop endurance which produces strength of character, which in turn produces our fourth benefit: confident expectation--hope.
I go through plenty of stressful situations at work throughout the week: customer issues; freight planning; seasonal changes; district, regional and corporate visits, and day-to-day interaction with customers and employees. There are more stresses at home: home and vehicle maintenance; resource allocation (paying bills); family interaction; illness; and interaction with my neighbors/their kids. I have not been delivered from these things in this present life. However, I do have a new perspective on all of these things. I've "changed my para-diggum." Now, I can look at all of the stresses and pressures of life as character-building exercises. They are developing my endurance and increasing my strength of character. I can have the peace of God throughout all of these trials. I have confidence in my future. There is always hope for me... I am secure in my relationship with Christ. I can rejoice in my salvation, and it gives me strength in this present life!
Tonight I had to speak with someone about their recent pattern of behavior. In the past the person had been known to be dependable, cheery and very friendly. Recently, however, I noticed a decline in all three of these areas. I pulled the person aside to talk to them and they related several issues they were presently dealing with. The discussion then proceeded to include the other person's relationship with God. They related to me that the lack of a solid relationship with God, and the lack of their family's involvement in a local church was at the heart of their unrest. I talked about the importance of locking into a good church, and recommended mine. I didn't receive a confirmation that the person would attend my church, but did receive a confirmation that they would actively seek out a "Good Baptist One."I know that my future is secure (John 3:16)
and my past is forgotten (Romans 6:6,7).
But, what has He saved me from in this present life?
What advantage does living a Christian life give me now?
The answer is found in the book of Romans:
"Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:1-5, NLT)
In this present life we gain peace, confidence and joy.
Paul does not state that we won't suffer any more in this present life... in fact, he says that we will run into problems and trials. He goes on to say that they are good for us, and develop endurance which produces strength of character, which in turn produces our fourth benefit: confident expectation--hope.
I go through plenty of stressful situations at work throughout the week: customer issues; freight planning; seasonal changes; district, regional and corporate visits, and day-to-day interaction with customers and employees. There are more stresses at home: home and vehicle maintenance; resource allocation (paying bills); family interaction; illness; and interaction with my neighbors/their kids. I have not been delivered from these things in this present life. However, I do have a new perspective on all of these things. I've "changed my para-diggum." Now, I can look at all of the stresses and pressures of life as character-building exercises. They are developing my endurance and increasing my strength of character. I can have the peace of God throughout all of these trials. I have confidence in my future. There is always hope for me... I am secure in my relationship with Christ. I can rejoice in my salvation, and it gives me strength in this present life!
This simple conversation made me begin to think about the Peace of God... the Peace that passes understanding. The opposite of peace is chaos. I know that at times I have felt like the person that I spoke with: as though my life was overwhelming. I have felt like I had loose ends hanging out all over the place, and my life was just about to come unraveled. I've found that the key to overcoming this feeling is to focus on my relationship with God (I have to admit that many times it is my wife that reminds me to take this course); I pray for His wisdom in prioritizing the tasks in front of me and for His strength to overcome the obstacles. I also pray that He shows me the right tools/people I need to complete the tasks. Another focus of my prayer is that He will help me remember the future He has provided for me through His Son.
The opposites of joy, confidence and hope are depression, fear and despair. Again, by focusing on my personal relationship with God, I have been set free from each of these. As I look back at our conversation I realize that the person I spoke with was suffering from all four of the symptoms of a weakened (or non-existent) relationship with God. My prayer is that they take the necessary steps to strengthen their personal relationship with God, and that they find a good church that will help them in their walk.
The salvation that Christ has provided for me has not eliminated the pressures of this World, but it has provided me with a release valve. I can read scriptures that speak of the Lord as my peace (Isaiah 48:18, Colossians 3:15), others that speak of Him as my shepherd (Psalm 23), and still others that speak of Him as my healer (Psalm 6). God has many aspects, all of which combine to provide me with an overwhelming sense of peace as I realize that through Christ I have been reconciled to God. He won't allow me to be tested beyond my ability to stand up to the pressures of the World. When I feel as though I may fail, I can count on the strength that He has already provided for me to make it through--that strength comes in the form of my confident expectation of my salvation.
Thank you, God, for the salvation you have provided through the person of your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me remember that when I face any trials or am forced to suffer in my day-to-day life that your Son has paid the price to plug me into the ultimate source of strength--You. Help me to live in your peace. Thank you for the joy and confidence that you give. Help me to walk in your wisdom. I pray this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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