New Hope Notes
Confidence Wrapped In Salvation
A Season Of Gifts
Pastor Elwin Ahu
December 14, 2003 - W0350
The Christmas season is here and many of us are still looking for that ëperfectí gift for the ëperfectí someone. As we shop we imagine the delighted response of our loved one when they open our gift. There is always the risk though ñ Will they really like it? And so we anxiously wander from store to store because we lack the confidence to make that special purchase. Our gifts to loved ones are risky for our hearts.
Often this is how we live our lives. We are tentative in our walk because we feel unsure of the outcome. We hesitate to make full commitments. Our anxiety and stress levels increaseÖand we live insecure lives. Do you know the Lord tells us, ìThatís not how I designed life!î ìI donít give you a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind.î (2 Tim. 1:7) ìI came that you may have life and have it ABUNDANTLY!î (John 10:10) Confidence provides the stable foundation we need to take risks. When we are confident we can accomplish all the things the Lord has planned for our lives.
In fact, the Lord says, ìLet us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.î (Heb.4: 16) Even when we call out to Him, the Lord wants us to call out with confidence. How do we get that? It all begins with our understanding of our salvation. We need to understand what Jesus Christ has done for us.
Jesus has covered our sins and paid our debts. Itís as though He handed us His personal credit card and said, charge all our sins to His account. When He died for us He gave us a new identity, a new life. We couldnít even begin to pay our debt. And He knew that so He did it for us. When salvation reaches our hearts we realize that He exchanged our sins for His righteousness. He actually exchanged our identity with His.
ìTruly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also. And greater works than these shall he do, because I go to the Father.î (John 14:12) This is the effect of our salvation. This is exciting news! When we know this deep in our hearts we find an anchor. This anchor gives us the security and stability we need to take risks because you seeÖ
? SALVATION IS NOT A FUTURE EVENT; IT IS A TRANSFORMATION OF OUR PRESENT IDENTITY.
As Christians we often overlook the ìnowî of our salvation. We look ahead to a life in heaven but, we donít see that we have been transformed NOW into someone who never existed before.
ìBut God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with ChristÖFor by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.î (Eph.2: 4-5,8) This is the ANCHOR where we get the confidence we need to stretch ourselves to reach our full potential.
For Group Discussion:
1. Have you ever considered how your understanding your salvation gives you confidence to take risks? How does this provide and anchor for you?
In this season of exchanging gifts with one another we know God has given us the greatest gift: His Son. How can we respond with gratitude? Is there a gift can we give to Him? Letís consider giving back to Him a life of confidence. Such a gift shows Him that we honor His precious gift to us. Therefore, letís first give back to the Lord the gift ofÖ
1. CONFIDENCE TO ACCEPT WHO WE ARE.
There are two critical foundations that we need in order to live the lives God has planned for us. We have to know WHO GOD IS and know WHO WE ARE. Most of us struggle with our identity. Deep down we really donít like who we are inside.
Most of my life I have struggled because I donít like my name. Few people get it right because itís so unusual. Iíve been called some really WEIRD names. This often hurt me, especially when I was young. However, over the years I have had to learn to accept my name. Today I even value it.
We must accept who we are because who we think we are on the inside shows on the outside. You will always live a life consistent with who you perceive yourself to be. Thus, we must accept that we are A CHILD OF GOD because God tells us in His Word: ìTherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.î (2 Cor5: 17)
Remember that when you said, ìYesî to Jesus you became a new person! From that time on you are to have a new value system. You are to value your life the way GOD SEES YOU. ìYou were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.î (1 Cor.7: 23)
Donít subject yourself to the value of men. If your spouse doesnít value you, know that doesnít change how God sees you. To Him, you are precious and have great value because your value is not dependent on your performance. Furthermore, we are given the freedom to live imperfect lives because God takes care of our ëimperfectionsí. Heís covered our debts. Remember, only Jesus is perfect and His perfection covers our imperfections.
Personally, all of my life I have worked hard to be ìnumber oneî. Iíve been judge over 3 courtrooms, partner in my law firm, and captain of volleyball teams. Then God calls me to ministry here at
You too must come to value yourself as your heavenly Father values you. The hands of the creator determine real value. Consider the ëartí you created as a child. An adult may not have recognized your artistic creations. Maybe a bird looked like an airplane to some, but YOU saw a bird. As a child you cherished your creations because they were an expression of your heart. Though nobody would have stood in line to pay for these things, to you who created them, they were priceless and perfect -- they were a work of art.
For Group Discussion:
1. Where do you go to get your identity? Can you trust your Creator, that He didnít make a mistake when He created you?
2. Can you see how the death of Jesus shows that you are valuable to God? Can you value yourself the way your heavenly Father values you?
Please understand that nothing has to be perfect in the eyes of people. What gives value is perfection seen in the eyes of the creator. As followers of Jesus Christ we donít live our lives by the ways of the world. Jesus gave up His life for us! We are precious. So donít loose this confidence and give it back to the Lord as a gift of gratitude this Christmas season. Then once we are established in our identity we can give back to the Lord ourÖ
2. CONFIDENCE TO ACCEPT OUR PURPOSE.
Have you ever asked, ìWho am I and what am I doing here?î This is a question thatís plagued many people since the beginning of time. Often when I donít know the answer to questions I begin to search for answers by looking at what I do know. First, I go to Godís Word to discover why I am here. Then I discover that He says, ìBut you are the ones chosen by GodÖto do His work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made for you.î (1 Pet.2: 9 MSG)
Thatís right! God chooses us! He wants to develop a RELATIONSHIP with us! This was the relationship that was lost through sin. And this is the relationship that is now established through the process of salvation.
When we come to Jesus we have come to the Person who can fulfill our every desire and need.
Many of us search all over the world to fulfill our desires but the Bible tells us, ìWhat does it profit a man if gains the whole world yet forfeits his soul?î Titles, positions, possessionsÖ they all mean nothing. Ask yourself, have the Christmas gifts youíve received over the years satisfied all the needs in your life? Of course not! Only one gift can do this. This gift is Jesus Christ. Isnít this good news?
If you recall, when Jesus lived on earth and healed hurting people. they were often so excited that they had to tell people! So it is with us when something good happens in our life we share the news, donít we? Why not share the good news of what Christ has done in your life? Why not tell people what Jesus Christ has done for you?
Perhaps you donít feel ëqualifiedí to talk with people about Jesus. Maybe you donít think you know the Bible well enough. It might help to consider the early disciples. They didnít have Bible degrees. They simply went around telling people about their experiences with Jesus.
ìWhen they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.î (Acts 4:13)
Have you noticed that the Lord seldom uses highly trained people? Just look around your church! He uses simple people to present a simple message with a simple heart. People donít want to see what Christianity looks like on paper. They want to see what Christianity looks like in real life. ìLet me tell you why you are hereÖyouíre here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. Weíre going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. ÖNow that Iíve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand ñshine! Öbe generous with your lives. By opening up to others, youíll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.î (Matt.5: 13-16 MSG)
Salvation is the greatest gift. God gave it to us so that we would identify with Him and share it with others. A big part of our purpose in life is to share this good news. Thatís why
Perhaps some of you reading this donít know Jesus Christ and are wondering what this message means for you. Please know that someone has been praying for youÖ it could be a relative, friend, or co-worker. It could be someone you have never even met! Do you know that itís possible God has orchestrated every event in your life to bring you to this point today so that you can receive the forgiveness for your sins that Heís provided in His Son, Jesus Christ?
For Group Discussion:
1. Is it hard to comprehend that God wants an intimate RELATIONSHIP
with you? Do you value this gift?
2. Are you able to share this gift with others? Do you know what keeps you from
sharing it?
Established in our identity, then responding to our purpose we can give the third gift to our heavenly Father. This is the gift ofÖ
3. CONFIDENCE TO ACCEPT ANY CHALLENGE.
It is foundational to know deep in our hearts that with Him we can face any challenge.
ìThat is why we have a great High PriestÖJesus the Son of God. Let us cling to Him and never stop trusting Him. [He] understands our weaknesses, for He faced all the same temptations we do yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.î(Heb.4: 14-16 NLT)
Reading this scripture we can ìseeî Jesus Christ in the role of ëplayer-coachí. This verse tells us that Heís already faced every obstacle we can face. When we identify with Him, we too, can face every challenge: disease, divorce, abuse, and even financial setback, just to name a few. We can be honest with our hearts and take our trials to God. Then when we do we will hear His gentle voice say, ìBeen thereÖ done that. My grace is sufficient for you.î Because of Jesus (God Himself having lived in our broken world) we can face every trial knowing HE UNDERSTANDS, HE CARES, and HE IS PRESENT WITH US.
Have you known someone who has faced tremendous obstacles with humor and hope? Have you seen them identify with Jesus and live with faith and confidence in Him? With their identity established in Christ, they were able to face challenges with confidence even if the outcome didnít turn out the way they wanted it to. These people inspire me to seek to know Jesus more intimately. I want to have their faith, and their confidence to stand in the middle of tremendous challenges.
As we close out this year and begin a new year can we be a people who will live our lives in a confident way? First let us accept who we are, knowing that our purpose is to share the Good News. Let us live our lives in such a way that no challenge will ever come between us and the love of Jesus Christ.
For Group Discussion:
1. Are you facing any overwhelming challenges in your life right now? Are you feeling alone in your struggle?
2. Can you ask Jesus to show you where He identifies with your struggle? Can you see Him with you today?
Mahalo to Cynthia Whitehouse, who confidently and faithfully serves our Lord.