Confidence in Christ

In this fallen world it is so easy to be plagued by fear and doubt.  As a Christian, however, we have a great resource- our confidence in Christ. Unfortunately, many fail to draw on this amazing resource.  Instead, they try to rely on their own self-confidence.

 Self-confidence looks for the strength to face the challenges of life from within.  Maybe we rely on our own wisdom, experiences, or methods of handling things.  And sometimes this strategy works.  But many times, it does not. The self-confident person often thinks they are better than others.  They may be full of pride.  And this very pride can be their undoing. 

 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. (Prov 16:18)

 But most self-confident people are secretly very insecure.  They know that their strategies are not sufficient for the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune", as Shakespeare famously said.  Simply put, the challenges they face often overwhelm them, and may even crush them. 

The believer takes a diametrically different approach to life.  They transfer their trust from self to God.  It is not that they are weak, it is just that they are wise enough to know that He can handle their life better than they can.  Any serious follower of Christ will learn to yield themselves to God as a living sacrifice.

 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Ro 12:1-2)

Confidence in God is an important emphasis throughout the bible, and confidence in Christ is repeated often in the New Testament- especially in the books of Hebrews and 1 John.  A quick survey of the passages on confidence shows the following four themes:

Intimate fellowship with God

 We learn that the sacrificial death of Christ opens a door to confident access to the Father. We have our conscience cleansed and can engage in unhindered interaction with God through Christ.

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb 10:19-22)

 Since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, we all are prone to hide from God because of our shame and guilt.  The shed blood of Christ wipes us clean in a way that allows open and unhindered communication.  We are cleansed, forgiven, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation.  We can walk with Him and fellowship intimately as we were initially designed to do.

Help in time of need

 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:14-16) 

 What a comfort to know that our savior and great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, can understand us through and through.  Though sinless, yet He has experienced the temptations and trials we face.  He knows our joys and sorrows, relationship struggles, challenges, and every aspect of our life on this earth.  He is no "ivory tower" savior, but a flesh and blood human being as our representative before the Father.  This gives us confidence to approach the throne of grace when we are needy.  It also reminds us that He accepts us just as we are.  We don't have to be perfect to be loved by Him. 

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Ro 5:8-9)  

Assurance of salvation

 Probably this most important time when we need confidence is when asking the question, "What will happen to me when I die?"  Of course, the Lord gives us great and magnificent promises we can cling to in this regard.

 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 Jn 5:13)

 The apostle John was writing to a group of Christians who although they were believers in Christ, they may not have had full assurance of salvation.  He clearly says to them that if they have the Son, they have the life- eternal life.  This is a privilege that we possess as Christins.  We can know for sure where we will go when we die!  This confidence is expressed in a variety of ways in scripture.

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. (1 Jn 4:17-19)

I suppose it is a bit natural to feel intimidated when pondering the time when we stand before God on the day of judgment, but we need not be afraid.  The love of God casts out all fear.  In Christ we can be assured of God's love and forgiveness.

 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Ro 8:1)

Boldness in prayer

It is often hard to know how to pray and what to pray about.  In Christ we have assurance that when we pray according to the will of God, He always hears us.  What a great promise!

 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. (1 Jn 5:14-15)

Of course we may wonder, "How will I know if it is according to His will?"  I suppose we can never be absolutely sure about that one, but we can get close.  As we read and study the bible, we will learn more about the Lord.  The better we know Him, the more we will have a sense of what He wants, and how we should pray.  Also, the Spirit will guide our prayer life as we yield to Him and walk in His ways. 

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Ro 8:26-27)

 Conclusion

 We can seek to live our life in self-confidence or Christ-confidence.  Which do you choose?

 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, (2 Cor 3:4-5)

 

All passages used in this post are from The New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995)