I believe and trust that God will save me and am confident in my entrance into eternity. I believe in the promises made regarding my salvation. That is a HUGE thing to trust and to believe in. There is so much faith involved in what we believe God will do when He takes us from this earth. I believe the following without a shadow of a doubt because I believe God’s word is true and has been fulfilled time and time again. What makes me so quick to distrust the other promises He makes to me (to all of us) in His word? If I can trust Him with the biggest part of life, where I will spend eternity, why can’t I fully, daily trust Him with the details of my daily life here on earth?
This is what I believe to be true:
1) We were created to be in relationship with God. Man’s sin broke that. Eve ate the dang apple and sin entered.
2)Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.
Sinful:
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). ALL have sinned. Not some, all.
Separated:
"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).
God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. Man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably fails.
3) Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Only through Him can we know and experience God's love and plans for us.
He Died in Our Place"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
He Rose From the Dead
"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
He Is the Only Way to God
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6).
God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.
4. We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
“…Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” Romans 10:9-13.
We Must Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). How many good things would ever make me good enough? My good works would never be enough. It has to be by faith.
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8)
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
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I believe it intellectually, yes, because of historical facts, fulfilled prophecy, and proven truth, but more over in my heart I believe it because I have experienced God’s faithfulness in a personal way. I have experienced “perfect peace,” after fully trusting Him with the circumstances He has placed before me (Isaiah 26:3). I have experienced His healing power when I thought my heart couldn’t possibly be put back together again. “You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth, you will bring me up again” Psalm 71:20. I have experienced God’s strength when I had nothing left in me. “Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel--he is the one who gives POWER and STRENGTH to his people. Blessed be God” Psalm 68:35. I experienced His answers to prayer. And yet, even though time and time again He has displayed His faithfulness to me, I still struggle to fully trust. One day I can trust with my heart fully abandoned to His will and then the next day satan can slip his little hands in and steal that perfect trust from me.
I can see with each trial and each phase of our journey how my trust “roots” begin to run deeper and hold on tighter to the faithfulness God has established with me. Our faith is being refined. Maybe someday, satan won’t stand a chance against my faith. Maybe, just maybe. “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith ---more precious than gold that perishes though it is test by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 1:6-7.
My sweet friend Melissa always reminds me, “Where there is fear and distrust, your faith is lacking.” The genuineness of my faith is being tested and refined...and I can only hope that it will result in God being glorified.
“Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we CHOOSE to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us” You Can Trust God, Jerry Bridges. Part of starting blog is tracking His faithfulness in the details. That is one way I can actively remember how God has been faithful. I have to actively be in the word so that I know what His promises are and furthermore, be aware of the ones He has already fulfilled. When I sit back and “trust” without taking action on my part to establish my trust, the storms hit harder.
I loved this quote from a good friend of ours:
This is what I believe to be true:
1) We were created to be in relationship with God. Man’s sin broke that. Eve ate the dang apple and sin entered.
2)Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.
Sinful:
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). ALL have sinned. Not some, all.
Separated:
"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).
God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. Man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably fails.
3) Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Only through Him can we know and experience God's love and plans for us.
He Died in Our Place"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
He Rose From the Dead
"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
He Is the Only Way to God
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6).
God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.
4. We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
“…Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” Romans 10:9-13.
We Must Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). How many good things would ever make me good enough? My good works would never be enough. It has to be by faith.
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8)
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
-----
I believe it intellectually, yes, because of historical facts, fulfilled prophecy, and proven truth, but more over in my heart I believe it because I have experienced God’s faithfulness in a personal way. I have experienced “perfect peace,” after fully trusting Him with the circumstances He has placed before me (Isaiah 26:3). I have experienced His healing power when I thought my heart couldn’t possibly be put back together again. “You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth, you will bring me up again” Psalm 71:20. I have experienced God’s strength when I had nothing left in me. “Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel--he is the one who gives POWER and STRENGTH to his people. Blessed be God” Psalm 68:35. I experienced His answers to prayer. And yet, even though time and time again He has displayed His faithfulness to me, I still struggle to fully trust. One day I can trust with my heart fully abandoned to His will and then the next day satan can slip his little hands in and steal that perfect trust from me.
I can see with each trial and each phase of our journey how my trust “roots” begin to run deeper and hold on tighter to the faithfulness God has established with me. Our faith is being refined. Maybe someday, satan won’t stand a chance against my faith. Maybe, just maybe. “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith ---more precious than gold that perishes though it is test by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 1:6-7.
My sweet friend Melissa always reminds me, “Where there is fear and distrust, your faith is lacking.” The genuineness of my faith is being tested and refined...and I can only hope that it will result in God being glorified.
“Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we CHOOSE to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us” You Can Trust God, Jerry Bridges. Part of starting blog is tracking His faithfulness in the details. That is one way I can actively remember how God has been faithful. I have to actively be in the word so that I know what His promises are and furthermore, be aware of the ones He has already fulfilled. When I sit back and “trust” without taking action on my part to establish my trust, the storms hit harder.
I loved this quote from a good friend of ours:
“Reminded once again today that if God were to give us the desires of our hearts, before he changes our hearts, it would ruin us. Thankful for what He gives, what He withholds, and what He takes away. It's this trust that can give me joy in the midst of the storm. He loves me, and He is good, and that is enough”- Dylan Grace.
The long time quoted verse, especially in the infertility world is, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” Psalm 37:4. It took me a long time to learn that the, …”desires of my heart,” doesn’t mean getting what I want. Dylan was spot on when he said that God must first change our hearts...to be aligned with HIS. I previously missed the verses that precede and follow the one I mentioned above. The surrounding verses say, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness,” and “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will do this. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his own way, over the man who carries out evil devices” Psalm 37:3-5, 7. After I trust in the Lord, befriend faithfulness, delight myself in Him, commit my ways to Him, be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him I think my “desires” might look a little different. What do you think? I’d say maybe this what active trust looks like. :)
As I continue to, “ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him...” I will praise Him for all the good things He is doing in our lives. Going on four years of waiting is hard. Focusing on the things He is doing helps me wait patiently...
-Thank you for the compassion you have poured in my heart for those who are also experiencing varying types pain and loss.
-Thank you, Lord, for showing me there is more to life than the white picket fence and the All-American family. So much more.
-Thank you for showing me that the world doesn’t revolve around me and the happenings in my life.
-Praise you for continuing to put me in hard situations to sift out the yuck and sin in my own heart.
-Thank you for giving me opportunities to love others above myself.
-Thank you for the friendships you have placed in my life to encourage, love, and challenge me.
-I am so grateful for the group of women that I wouldn’t be blessed to know unless I had walked this road, the Common Thread ladies. I have so many role models and big hearts in front of me. Thank you for showing that you care and affirming your love for me by sending these women.
-I can’t say enough about the good you are doing in our marriage.
-And thank you, Lord, for the amazing things you are doing in Brad. I can’t tell you how much fun it is to watch you mold and shape him into a strong leader. I love him so much more today, than yesterday. Thank you for your faithfulness in that.
