Promises of Sin vs. Promises of Christ Part 3

What about pride?

Growing in the gospel includes fighting for a sense of true confidence. Pride says trust in your accomplishments, your awards, your approval for worth. Pride says you should have confidence based on your performance.

The gospel says that your confidence should come from the performance of another (Jesus). The gospel says your pride shouldn't be in yourself, your moral record, your job performance, your financial security, etc....Rather, your pride should be in the cross. Your only boast should be in the cross. The gospel says our sufficiency comes from Christ, and Christ alone.

"Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 

Not that we are sufficient ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, 

but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient." 2 Corinthians 3: 4-6

*Much of this is taken from Jonathan Dodson's "Gospel-Centered Discipleship"

Who Am I?

A seemingly simple question of identity. Yet, I'd be curious as to how people would respond if you randomly stopped them and asked. Here is how King David might answer that question:

"The LORD is my shepherd"

Psalm 23:1

For David, the answer is simple. Here is how I imagine David answering:

I am the LORD's. I belong to Him. I am a sheep and He is my shepherd. 

Sheep may be dumb, stubborn, needy, weak, and often ignorant, 

and I am not too proud confess that I am those things as well. 

I may be dumb, but I am His. My shepherd leads me. 

I may be stubborn, but I am His. My shepherd is infinitely compassionate towards me. 

I may be weak, but I am His. My shepherd is my strength, and His strength is made perfect in my weakness. 

I may be needy, but I am His. My shepherd provides for me. He carries me through. 

I  may be ignorant, but I am His. My Shepherd shows me the way and restores my soul.

My only hope in life and death, is that I belong to my Lord. My confidence is not in my ability as a sheep, but rather in the fact that my shepherd is the Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for His sheep. I am His. 

He has done it. Trust him.

"A hungry man eats even though he does not understand the composition of his food, the anatomy of his mouth, or the process of his digestion. He knows that he lives because he eats. Another far more clever person understands thoroughly the science of nutrition, but if he does not eat, he will die with all his knowledge. There are, no doubt, many in hell at this hour who understood the doctrine of faith but did not believe. On the other hand, not one who has trusted in the Lord Jesus has ever been cast out, though he may never have been able to intelligently define his faith. Oh, receive the Lord Jesus into your soul, and you will live forever!"

-All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon

...

When asked, "How do you feel about the state of your soul today?", it is easy for me evaluate the purity and progress of my heart and mind as the basis for my answer. And though I pray I continue to grow in my understanding of doctrine and things of faith, my instinctual "self-based" evaluation feels like a haymaker to the gut sometimes. Only when we simply claim Jesus as our answer, is there life giving, peace bringing, and rest instilling confidence.

The Lord Wins

Came across this verse in the story of Israel crossing the Red Sea.

Exodus 14:14

"The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."

Preceding it, Moses says to Israel in verse 13, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today..."

Proceeding it, the Lord says to Moses in verse 17b-18, "And I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."

We know the plot.

The chapter ends in verse 31, "Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord..."

....

What jumps off the page is the Lord's perfect nature to make a promise, and get it done. No questions, no plan B's. He chooses to rescue Israel. He declares his will to do so. And accomplishes the task.

Also, what we see in this story like so many others in scripture, is the Lord's characteristic purpose in PROCLAIMING HIS NAME and REDEEMING HIS PEOPLE.

What a mighty God we serve. What an incredible confidence we have in His power not only to act for us, but then bring us to Himself.