We May Have Confidence and Not Shrink Away

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We May Have Confidence and Not Shrink Away

We’ve probably all experienced a time  when we did not live up to  what was expected of us.      For some it might have been  the completion of a homework assignment  or a project at work.      For others,  it might have been returning an important phone call  or some other responsibility.      It’s embarrassing  to have nothing but a lame excuse.      A lame excuse  is no excuse.      We just want to get away  from the person who is demanding  a valid reason  as to why we didn’t live up to such reasonable expectations.

God has some very reasonable expectations  of His children.      1 John 2:28, tells us,

And now,  little children,  abide in Him,  so that when He appears,  we may have confidence  and not shrink away  from Him  in shame  at His coming.

So,  how are we living up to  this reasonable expectation?      Our Lord is simply asking that we  “abide in Him”.      That means that we are to take time  each day  to grow in His word  and grace.      We study God’s word  —  because  —  it leads us in His truths,  so that false teachers  don’t bamboozle us  away from God’s truths.      That is only sensible,  because God’s truths  are precious,  and they alone  lead us to eternal salvation.      If we seriously want eternal salvation,  we must  “abide in Him”,  because there are so many different false preachers  salivating  to take us away from Christ and have their own following.

We also  “abide in Him”  by obeying what we learn  in His word.      So,  that would mean that  we remember that we are saved by God’s grace  through faith in Jesus alone.      We can’t let anyone take us away from that truth  because that is God’s repeated promise.      And, we can’t let anyone fool us  into thinking  we aren’t forgiven  when we confess our sins to God  and ask for His forgiveness.      If we’ve been fooled  into imagining  we have to work our way into heaven  —  that is an indication  that we have not been abiding  in the word of God.      Those who think they have to work their way to heaven  are essentially calling God a liar.      They are not understanding  or  refusing to believe  God’s given holy promises  of grace  —  full and free,  because of what Jesus has done for us  on the cross.

When we faithfully  “abide in Him”  we gradually learn all sorts of wonderful things  about God’s grace,  eternal truths,  promises,  holiness,  trustworthiness,  love,  forgiveness,  and on and on.      God is so almighty  and great in love  towards us.      We simply have to  “abide in Him”  so that we are enabled  to grasp the truths  of God’s love for us  as individuals.

If we lazily refuse to  “abide in Him”,  we will be duped into thinking God doesn’t care about us;  that we can’t be forgiven  for what we’ve done;  that we have to try harder  to work our way into heaven;  and that the intriguing false preachers are more valid than God Almighty.

Then,  when it’s our time to meet our God,  we will be so ashamed  of how we lazily  let the world deceive us  into all sorts of falsehoods.      We had a chance to live rightly  and let God be our strength and teacher,  but we were too lazy  to do so.      We’re still breathing.      We have another chance  to abide  in our Lord.

As we enjoy the blessedness  of abiding in our Lord,  we say,  “Hallelujah!      Lord,  in You  we are free to see  and understand  the holy joys and comforts  of Your salvation  in Jesus Christ.      Always draw us close to You.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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