The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Timothy 3:13,
"Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus."
Merriam-Webster defines "assurance" as: "the state of being sure or certain about something, a strong feeling of confidence about yourself or about being right, a strong and definite statement that something will happen or that something is true." Paul tells Timothy that those who serve, if they serve, well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in the Lord.
This past week I saw a Roman Catholic priest asked by a host on Fox News if he knew he was going to heaven when he left this life. I was somewhat surprised at the answer. While I don't recall the actual language he used, he communicated that while he didn't know for sure, he certainly hoped so, "like so many others." The man has no idea where he is headed following this life! How sad! Can't we know for sure? Are we not able to know?
I know where I am going when I die. There is no question in my mind about it. I am going into the Lord's presence. I know it, I am certain of it, I do not have any doubts whatsoever about it.
Am I conceited to harbor such an outlook? Not at all. Confidence and conceit are two different things. Confidence is the feeling of being certain that something will happen or that something is true. Conceit is holding to the notion that somehow I am better than others or that due to my own good qualities I have set myself apart. I happen to be a little too honest for conceit. If arriving in heaven was due to my performance here, you would all have to enjoy it without me. I have too many faults to make it to heaven on my own. Perhaps this accounts for the difference between the priest and me. My salvation has everything to do with what the Lord has done for me, not the other way around.
The Scriptures tell us to be assured when we have embraced the Lord in faith. It requires no departure from humility as it is our faith that informs us that being heaven-bound is all about Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on our behalf. Paul asks the question, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?" 1 Corinthians 3:16. We should know this.
In speaking of the outcome of his ministry, Paul makes an observation that could serve us all well as we contemplate the confidence we have in our own salvation, "Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." 1 Corinthians 3:4-5.
"It is written: 'I believed; therefore I have spoken.' Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself." 2 Corinthians 4:13-14. Our faith should provide us with confidence to know this for ourselves.
Here is something we should take great confidence in, "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands... Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-8.
Perhaps, if we lack confidence, we may need to pray about some things we should know and be convinced of, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:17-19a.
Our faith should provide us freedom and confidence to approach God, "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." Ephesians 3:12. Also, "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16.
We should draw near to God with the assurance that faith brings, "...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings..." Hebrews 10:22. Our confidence richly rewards us, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded." Hebrews 10:35.
Confidence and assurance is the essence of our faith, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Hebrews 11:1-2.
John wants us to know of our salvation, "This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit." 1 John 4:13. Also, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13. He tells us we should know, "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." 1 John 5:19-20.
"Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus."
Merriam-Webster defines "assurance" as: "the state of being sure or certain about something, a strong feeling of confidence about yourself or about being right, a strong and definite statement that something will happen or that something is true." Paul tells Timothy that those who serve, if they serve, well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in the Lord.
This past week I saw a Roman Catholic priest asked by a host on Fox News if he knew he was going to heaven when he left this life. I was somewhat surprised at the answer. While I don't recall the actual language he used, he communicated that while he didn't know for sure, he certainly hoped so, "like so many others." The man has no idea where he is headed following this life! How sad! Can't we know for sure? Are we not able to know?
I know where I am going when I die. There is no question in my mind about it. I am going into the Lord's presence. I know it, I am certain of it, I do not have any doubts whatsoever about it.
Am I conceited to harbor such an outlook? Not at all. Confidence and conceit are two different things. Confidence is the feeling of being certain that something will happen or that something is true. Conceit is holding to the notion that somehow I am better than others or that due to my own good qualities I have set myself apart. I happen to be a little too honest for conceit. If arriving in heaven was due to my performance here, you would all have to enjoy it without me. I have too many faults to make it to heaven on my own. Perhaps this accounts for the difference between the priest and me. My salvation has everything to do with what the Lord has done for me, not the other way around.
The Scriptures tell us to be assured when we have embraced the Lord in faith. It requires no departure from humility as it is our faith that informs us that being heaven-bound is all about Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on our behalf. Paul asks the question, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?" 1 Corinthians 3:16. We should know this.
In speaking of the outcome of his ministry, Paul makes an observation that could serve us all well as we contemplate the confidence we have in our own salvation, "Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." 1 Corinthians 3:4-5.
"It is written: 'I believed; therefore I have spoken.' Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself." 2 Corinthians 4:13-14. Our faith should provide us with confidence to know this for ourselves.
Here is something we should take great confidence in, "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands... Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-8.
Perhaps, if we lack confidence, we may need to pray about some things we should know and be convinced of, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:17-19a.
Our faith should provide us freedom and confidence to approach God, "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." Ephesians 3:12. Also, "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16.
We should draw near to God with the assurance that faith brings, "...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings..." Hebrews 10:22. Our confidence richly rewards us, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded." Hebrews 10:35.
Confidence and assurance is the essence of our faith, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Hebrews 11:1-2.
John wants us to know of our salvation, "This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit." 1 John 4:13. Also, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13. He tells us we should know, "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." 1 John 5:19-20.
How wonderful that we can know here and now about our destination following this life!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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