The longer I am alive, the more I realize the power of confidence. If you are an avid sports fan, you know exactly what I am talking about. With one play, momentum changes and you can see the team’s confidence grow play by play or on each subsequent possession. Fans become confident their team will win the game or their team will come from behind and pull out the victory to keep their hopes alive of a National Championship.
Confidence can be seen in musicians. You never really know when they make mistakes. They confidently sing or play to the very end. You might see confidence in speakers. They stand up and deliver powerful messages while you witness and hear the confidence in the message they deliver. This reminds me of the story when George Whitfield was speaking and Ben Franklin came to hear him speak. Someone in the crowd asked Ben, “Why did you come to hear George speak when you don’t believe the message he is speaking?” Ben replied, “I may not, but George sure does.”
George Whitfield delivered more than 18,000 sermons to ten million people. He would average 10 sermons a week. One more interesting factoid. George learned how to make his voice carry in the outdoors before there were any electronic devices to help. His voice could be heard … ready … up to one mile away. Talk about confidence!
How did George Whitfield have such confidence in his message? How did the disciples have such confidence in their message? I believe the Apostle Paul gives a great reason that he shares with the people in Ephesus. Look at what he says:
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!”
Ephesians 2:1-5
Verse one says that you were dead. You were dead in your trespasses and in your sins. You wandered away from the things of God. You wandered off the right path. You slipped into a way of life that is not right. And you were dead because of your sins. This means you were dead because you missed the mark or you fell short of God’s glory. Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” You see, no one is perfect – not in their marriage, parenting, relationships, work ethics, and the list goes on. No one measures up to Christ.
Paul goes on to say we lived according to the ways of the world, the devil, and our flesh. No one can escape being lumped into this list. We cannot say we didn’t live according to this world. At one time or another we have fallen into the world’s system. We have desired its position, control, and status, or its opinions. Nor can we say we have never been deceived by Satan and his lies. He has directed us to idols. Idols that will always over promise and under deliver. John 10:10 says, “the enemy comes to seek, kill and destroy.” In the words of John Mark Comer, “Satan’s goal is to drive our souls and society into ruin.” He is labeled as the Father of Lies, the Evil One, the Roaring Lion, the Tempter, and the Deceiver. When we were led by Satan, we lived as disobedient children. We refused to do what God says. Finally, Paul says we lived by the flesh. What you feed grows. When you feed the flesh and its desires, it will grow. We grow in our selfishness, our own ways, a scarcity mindset and everything revolves around our thoughts and our desires. We become the center of the universe.
Verse four begins with two powerful words: “BUT GOD.” God who is the one who turns all this around. “But God is rich in His mercy because of His great love that He had for us.” Why can we be so confident as followers of Christ? Verses four and five give us 3 reasons.
Who is rich in Mercy
- This is God’s Nature – HE IS MERCY
- He is rich in mercy
- He exudes mercy
- He delights in mercy
“Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold on to his anger forever because he delights in faithful love.”
Micah 7:18
Thomas Goodwin says “He is rich unto all; that is, he is infinite, overflowing in goodness, he is good to a profuseness, he is good to the pouring forth of riches, he is good to an abundance.”
Dan Ortlund in his book Gentle and Lowly says “He is a billionaire in the currency of mercy, and the withdrawals we make as we sin our way through life cause His fortune to grow greater, not less.”
Because of HIS GREAT LOVE
- He loved us while we were still sinners.
- He loves the person who feels totally unlovable.
- He loves us even if we do not deserve to be loved.
- He loves us…Did you hear those three words? HE LOVES US!
Christ went to the cross in your place and my place because of HIS great love for you and me.
“But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Made us Alive in Christ
We were dead, now we are alive in Christ. Made us alive means we have been saved from death, from our sins which separates us from God.
- Being made alive gives us purpose and meaning in this life.
- Being made alive makes us aware of others who are far from God.
- Being made alive awakens us to the things of God.
- Being made alive allows us to see how we lived for the world, Satan and the flesh.
“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20“When you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.”
Colossians 2:12-14 {emphasis mine}
Not only did He make us alive, He made us DEBT FREE! He paid the debt we owe and could not pay. Dan Ortlund in his book Gentle and Lowly said it best:
“Christ was sent not to mend wounded people or wake sleepy people or advise confused people or inspire bored people or spur on lazy people or educate ignorant people, but to raise dead people.”
I am confident that I once was dead and he raised this dead soul to life. I am confident in the work he began in me and that he will see it to completion. I am confident that I agree with the Apostle Paul that I put no confidence in the flesh. One of the songs we have sung for as long as I remember is called I Have Decided to Follow Jesus. Based on the truths of this Scripture, I know I do not want what my flesh, Satan, or the world has to offer this awakened soul for the King. King Jesus gives me life. King Jesus gives me purpose. King Jesus gives me a reason and purpose to go everyday into this world confident that I do not want my old life. I am confident in King Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.
THE GOOD NEWS.
Now I gladly proclaim, the world behind me, the cross before me…no turning back.
This post originally appeared at: Gofident: Knowing I Can’t, but He Can — The Bonhoeffer Project