True COURAGE

Are you timid?  Cautious?  Could you use some courage?  Scripture says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). If you’re in Christ, these promises are not only a source of joy, they are the foundations of true courage!

When God looks at you, he doesn’t see you; He sees the One who surrounds you. Failure’s not a concern for you; your victory is secure. How could you not be courageous?  In Hebrews 10:22, the writer says, “Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus—let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.”

The point is clear. The Father of Truth will win, and the followers of Truth will be saved. The prize is yours. Applaud the victory!

The Prison of Pride

The prison of pride. You’ve seen the prisoners—the alcoholic who won’t admit his drinking problem; the woman who refuses to talk to anyone about her fears. Perhaps to see such a prisoner all you have to do is look in the mirror!

The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (I John 1:9). The biggest word in Scripture just might be that two-letter one, if. 

Confessing sins, admitting failure, is exactly what prisoners of pride refuse to do. They say, “Listen, I’m just as good as the next guy.”  “I pay my taxes.” Justification. Rationalization. Comparison. These are the tools of the jailbird. But in the kingdom of God they sound hollow. Many know they’re wrong, yet pretend they are right. As a result they never taste the exquisite sorrow of repentance.

Blessed are those who know they’re in trouble and have enough sense to admit it!

You cannot Save Yourself

You work hard, pay your dues, and “zap”—your account with God is paid in full.  Jesus says, “No way.”

What you want costs far more than you can pay. You don’t need a system of payment, you need a Savior. You don’t need a resume, you need a Redeemer.

The Bible says, “For what is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).  Don’t miss the thrust of this verse.  You cannot save yourself. Not through the right rituals. The right doctrine.  Not through the right goose bumps. Jesus’ point is crystal clear. It is impossible for human beings to save themselves.

It’s not the possessions—it’s the pomp that hinders us. It’s a different path. Admission of failure isn’t usually admission into joy. Complete confession isn’t commonly followed by total pardon. But then again, God has never been governed by what’s common!

Stubborn PEACE

Who do you know with a stubborn peace? Their problems aren’t any different, but there’s a serenity that softens the corners of their lips.

A priest visited just such a man in the hospital.  The man was nearing death. The priest noticed an empty chair beside the bed and wondered if someone else had been there. The old man smiled, “I place Jesus on that chair, and I talk to him.” The priest was puzzled so the man explained. “Years ago a friend told me prayer is as simple as talking to a good friend.  So every day I pull up a chair and Jesus and I have a good talk.”

When his daughter informed the priest her father had died, she explained, “When I got to his room, I found him dead.  Strangely, his head was resting, not on the pillow, but on an empty chair beside his bed.”  The picture of stubborn peace!

To Be SEEN

If we’re not looking up at God, we’re looking inward at ourselves and outward at each other. The result?Quarreling families. Restless leaders. Fence-building. No trespassing signs.

If we see only ourselves, our tombstones will have the same epitaph Paul used to describe enemies of Christ:  “Their god is their own appetite, they glory in their shame, and this world is the limit of their horizon” (Philippians 3:19).

It’s why God came near.  To be seen.It’s why those who saw Him were never the same. Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. And Christian service is nothing more than imitating Him whom we see. The Bible says, “Unless a man is born again, He cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

God came near. There is no truth more worthy of your time. 

From God Came Near