Place Your Confidence in Christ!

Walk in Him, Rooted and Built Up in Him!

Colossians 2:5-7; 1 Timothy 1:3-5

Again, I like using the Amplified, classic edition. Particularly, the emphasis it puts on faith. In Colossians 2:5, faith in Christ is explained as a leaning of the entire human personality on Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness. It is more than a mental assent. It is a sold out to Jesus without holding back. 

Verse 6 instructs me to walk in Him; meaning I am to regulate my life and conduct myself in union with and conformity to Jesus. I am to strive to act in accordance to what Jesus would do. 

Verse 7 tells me that the roots of my being are to be firmly and deeply planted in Him, fixed and founded in Him and to overflow with thanksgiving. When I stop to comprehend this all, I see that Jesus has given me all that I need, in order, to place my full confidence in Him and that He can bring about the changes in my life so that all I do and say brings glory to God.

1 Timothy 1:3-7 confirms what was said in Colossians, yet it is this faith in Jesus that keeps me from being mislead by any other doctrine and meaningless arguments. The world is an ever growing hostile place to the Name of Jesus and yet He died for all. I desire to be firmly rooted in Jesus because I know that without Him I would not be where I am today. Jesus has never failed me nor has He forsaken me.

My Prayer: Dear Jesus, Thank You for giving Your life so that I am reconciled to God. Help me to live my life rooted and firmly established in You. May others place their confidence in You. Amen.

What Does God Take Delight in?

God Delights In or Takes Pleasure In.

Psalm 147-10-11; Micah 7:17-19; Philippians 4:17-19 

AMP, classic edition

I was reading Psalm 147 today and I was struck by verses 10 & 11.

¹⁰ He delights not in the strength of the horse, nor does He take pleasure in the legs of a man.

¹¹ The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness.

 

I thought to myself, "What does God take delight or pleasure in?" So I went in search of what God delights in and I came across the above scriptures. 

In Psalm 147, I found that God delights in those who fear Him and put their hope in his mercy and loving kindness.

In Micah 7:17-19, I found that God takes delight in showing loving kindness and mercy to His people. He also shows compassion and will cast our sins into the depths of the ocean.

In Philippians 4:17-19, Paul mentions that gifts that he received from Epaphroditus that the Philippians had sent him. Paul referred to them as a fragrant offering and sacrifice that God welcomes and in which He delights. Therefore, God delights in offerings given to the benefit of those who are in service to Him.

What does this mean to me? In order to delight my God, I am to reverently and worshipfully fear Him and put my hope in His steadfast love and mercy. Receive His loving kindness and the fact that He will remove my sins to the depths of the ocean. In gratitude for what God has done for me, give cheerfully to aid those who serve God. I know that according to Zephaniah 3:17 God takes delight in me and rejoices over with singing. I do desire to bring delight and pleasure to my God and King.

My Prayer: Dear God, may all I do and say bring pleasure to You. I give You praise for Your loving kindness and mercy for You have removed my sins to the depths of the ocean. Forgive me, Father, when I fall short. Amen.

Be Merciful and Judge Not One Another

To Forgive is More than Mere Words

Luke 6:36-37

When I came upon this passage in the Amplified, I was struck by two things.

1.) I am not to judge others self-righteously nor condemn others when I am guilty and unrepentant and I will not be condemned for my hypocrisy. 

2.) I am to pardon (forgive) others when they are truly repent and change and I will be pardoned (forgiven) when I truly repent and change. 

Repent means to change direction; to turn from what I was doing wrong. Change is to do that which is right in the sight of God. God is merciful (responsive, compassionate, tender) and desires that I am merciful too. As I do unto others it will be done unto me. 

For if you forgive people their trespasses [their ^[a]reckless and willful sins, ^[b]leaving them, letting them go, and ^[c]giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

 

Here, I am instructed that in forgiving others I am to leave their reckless and willful sins, letting them go, and giving up the resentment. This I cannot do on my own but is possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is a process and a willful choice on my part to let go of the resentment. With God's help, I can choose not to remember someone's sin against me when I am with that person. I can honestly say that I have experienced this and it is so liberating and I know that it is a God thing. By the grace of God, I am able to be merciful to those around me. God makes it all happen and all that is required of me is to be open to His work in my life. In times like these, I stand amazed at what God has done in me. 

My Prayer: Dear God, I am forever grateful for Your forgiveness of my sins. Thank You for helping me to forgive others as You have instructed me to. May this help others to see that the power to forgive comes from You. Continue to give me the desire to do Your will. Amen

 

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 6:14 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
2. Matthew 6:14 James Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary.
3. Matthew 6:14 Webster’s New International Dictionary offers this phrase as a definition of the word “forgive.”