Through the inerrancy and authority of Scripture.
How well do I know the Lord? How well do you know him? How much do we want – long – yearn (Philippians 3:8) to know Him? Have we ever weighed and stacked up the world’s temporary tinsel and the harmful self-indulgent desires of the flesh against the priceless privilege, the overwhelming preciousness and the surpassing worth and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus and progressively becoming more intimately acquainted with Him?
Our honest answer to that question will reveal what we value most highly. If somehow you have gotten off track and despair of recovery, listen to (Dr. Stanley) “A failure is not a person who fails but a person who fails and gives up,” I can tell you that there is far more grace in God’s heart than there is sin in your past. I know from experience because I have been there. Because I was saved as a very young child, definitely my sins were greater after salvation than before.
I was depleting my lifespan bank account and a wastrel. I thought I would never again get back into right relationship with God and I was often troubled and frightened. But one day I had an urge to pray, so hoping, confessing, I knelt before the Lord. I discovered that God had never disowned me, I was still His child and He loved me. He cleansed and forgave my sin, lovingly welcomed me back into fellowship with Himself and the miracle of God’s amazing grace enveloped me. I was (Psalms 32:1-5) cleansed, forgiven and set free from all guilt. Not because I deserved it but because Jesus had paid my sin-debt in full. Some time later, I discovered a church which exalted Jesus as the only Saviour and proclaimed the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. That was many years ago and through the teaching of godly pastors and personal study of God’s Word I have learned and grown. Still, joyfully and thankfully, I continue to learn and grow. I have discovered that it is always right to give up on self-effort, to have no confidence (Philippians 3:3) in the flesh. But it is always wrong to give up on God’s provision for (John 10:10) abundant life which Jesus came (Colossians 3:4) to live in us through (Romans 8:2) the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are not saved BY good works but we are saved FOR the good works (Ephesians 2:10) which God has prepared for us to do.
My desire is that my love for the Lord will be the reason for everything I think – say – do, because I know that God, in His unfailing love for me, gives me His enabling power to fulfill my desire. I want to be so abandoned to God that nothing matters but pleasing Him. As persecution of Christians increases all around the world and will continue to increase, I want to regard nothing as insignificant but that I will be loyal to Jesus in the smallest details. Then, in His strength, I will simply keep on keeping on in steadfast loyalty to Him whatever comes. (Oswald Chambers) “If you remain true to God, He will lead you through every barrier into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself. Only the Holy Spirit can impart to me personal passionate devotion to Jesus. If He sees any opportunity to exalt Jesus, He will take my heart, my nerves, my whole personality and make them blaze and glow with devotion to Jesus Christ. Where the sin and the sorrow cease and the song and the saint begins.”
Just as there is taste, enjoyment and nourishment in physical food, there is taste, enjoyment and nourishment in the spiritual food of God’s living Word. If we do not get daily nourishment from the Word of God we will be pathetic sickly specimens. Jesus said (John 15:7) if My Word abide in you. How can we be prepared to give answers (1 Peter 3:15) when questions are put to us?
How can we (Romans 12:2) know God’s will? How can we deepen our fellowship with the Author if we never read His Book? How will we explain our starved souls if we neglect what is essential and readily available?
If Jesus is exalted and glorified in my life, it will be to the honour of the Father, to the joy of the Holy Spirit and to my spiritual maturing. If God’s Word is not my daily sustenance, no matter how old I am, I will never reach maturity. It seems to me that it would be revolting and an affront to the kingdom of heaven to be an aging spiritual skeleton.
Thank God for everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18) because whatever it is, it is God’s will for you at this particular time.
Every who – why - what – when – where (5X?) in my life is always fully taken care of by God’s foreknowledge, Omniscience, His limitless Omnipotence and His unfailing, unending love.
God’s will is the only safe haven
God’s way is the only right direction
God’s timing crowns it all in the peak of perfection