Confidence is one of those key words, a word that the believer in Christ is to have at the forefront of his mind at all times. “O ye of little faith” (Matt. 6:30) does not speak of individuals who have extreme confidence in the One they say they are trusting, perseverance is impossible without confidence, trust, faith, obedience, all these and more are not possible unless we have the confidence in Christ that He is risen, that He is always with us, and He can be trusted implicitly in all things.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6) Do you? Do you walk in the confidence every day that shows everyone around you that you fear no man, do you speak boldly for Christ to everyone that you meet, is there an unwavering assurance within you that is visible to all, do circumstances of the earthly nature hold no bearing upon your course. You will meet few Christians like this these days, the congregation must be appeased each week, their faith must be bolstered, for this confidence few hold within themselves.
The getting on with the work we are to be doing for the Master is hindered only by our lack of confidence, the world is continuously, as should be expected, tossing something new at us each and every day, and whether they are personal to us or on the other side of the planet, it draws us away from the confidence we are to have. No one can persevere in the faith that is led astray by every little item the world attempts to throw at us, no one can walk on water with a wavering faith. Satan’s plan, at least for the moment, is not to kill all the born-again believers, it is to thwart the plan of God in their lives, and he is finding his task almost done for him these days.
Confidence in Jesus Christ as Lord of not only our lives but of all His creation excites action, and action is not a high point in the generalized life of the Christian today. Apathy is the standard, fear compounds that apathy, and many unprofitable servants are thereby born. Our task is not easy, rarely do we come upon one whose heart has been prepared by God to become one of His children, more often than not, the lost are either polite, but believe you to be insane, or they are vehemently aggressive, and you will lose your life for the sake of the name of Christ, a great honor indeed. But the average Christian walks with very little confidence today, and my friends the opposite of confidence is a lack of trust.
Fear is the base of this lack of faith in His continuing, abiding presence in our lives, fear of the loss of the known, fear of the supposed, yet false security that many seem to grasp so tightly to, fear of death. I speak not so much of the father who has lost a son, the bereavement can at times draw away a man of God from his Maker for a time, but the man of faith in Christ does not stay away for long, whether his son was saved or not, it is Jesus Christ he trusts. I speak more of those who are turned aside at every small inconvenience, who are led into worrying and doubt by the events that are occurring in their lives or in the world around them on nearly a daily basis. War, famine, plague, pestilence, the news of the world places them in fear, and those who live in fear are committing a grave sin.
Doubt is sin, a lack of confidence is sin, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose,” (Romans 8:28) those who doubt for even one moment that Almighty God is in control are in sin and in need of repentance for this lack of trust. Those Christians who try to order their lives as they see fit, those who profess faith in Christ yet have determined that He should provide their needs and wants as they see fit walk in very little confidence, they have forgotten, or refuse to see, the kingdom they are a part of, the confidence and perseverance that is required of all who call Jesus Lord.
The love of many (Matt. 24:12) is not only waxing cold towards their fellow man, the lost do not know love in the first place, this love is still present in the hearts of many who profess Christ as Lord, although many times it is not expressed externally, it is the love of Christ in the hearts of some believers that is waxing cold, for love in one of its most extreme attributes is expressed in confidence. Circumstances do not alter confidence, He who said, “He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed,” (Duet. 31:8) meant what He said. Current circumstances had no bearing upon these words, the possibility of dire changes did not come into His mind when He promised eternal life with Him for all who would but trust in Him, for all that would walk in confidence with Him.
Many there are that profess this confidence but can show little proof of it, they have no desire to walk thru the fire, they will falter when the storms approach, they will bow before the obelisk of Nebuchadnezzar, and then ask for forgiveness later. The warning signs of our approaching God are upon this planet, confidence, faith, will be required by all who desire to be pleasing in His sight, all of His children will be welcomed, but not all will receive a warm greeting, many will stand ashamed in front of Him in whom they should have had perfect confidence while they were here. How long they will remain that way no man can say, we know only that today is the day that the path of doubt we may be on can be altered.
There are no rewards in heaven for good intentions, actions are rewarded. Not all will hear “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” but those that do will give all the glory to Him in whom they had confidence in.
