Believe in Jesus
Dear Christian, there are many different seasons in this life that you will have to face, there is no denying that. But those seasons where it seems as if the Son of God has been veiled from the eyes of your heart is definitely the most difficult. When Satan attacks a Christian, the fiery storms of temptation rage in his heart, trying to exacerbate the besetting sins that once lay hold of him, which enslaved him in utter darkness. Oh, the violent war that rages in the child of God when the flesh becomes tempted. It strives to gain the preeminence, and if were capable, it would crucify the son of God all over again. The scriptures tell us, “The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”
In these moments, the child of God will anchor themselves to the everlasting words of Holy Scripture. And this is one of many truths that it teaches us, “ THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”— that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”
J.C. Philpot, seeking to comfort Christians who are in the travails of sin, pinned, “He will never forsake the work of his own hands, for he which “hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” If ever, then, if but once in your life, you have felt the gospel to be the power of God unto salvation; if you have ever had one view of Christ by living faith; if but once only, under the influence of his blessed Spirit on your heart, you have laid hold of him and felt even for a few minutes that he was yours, your soul is as safe as though it were continually bathing in the river which maketh glad the city of God, continually drinking of the honey and milk of the gospel, and walking all day long in the full light of his most gracious countenance.”
So regardless of what the world says or what their emotions and feelings may be telling them, the born again Christian will always cling to the eternal words of God, which are rooted in heaven and made known to us by the working of God’s Spirit. Concerning this, Paul said, “For all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Peter also affirms this by saying, “no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
Reader, this is a battle that only the Christian knows. It is impossible for those who have never been touched by the efficacious grace of God’s love to believe in the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. For in an unregenerate state they will never cast themselves upon His mercy. They are dead in their sins, living in the lusts of the flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and are by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Jude, the brother of Jesus, says they are like “clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam (vile passions); wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.”
My friend, please listen. Every Christian was once lost and bound by God’s judgment. They were also by nature children of wrath. But the word of God came to them, opened their hearts to the truth, showed them their sinful heart, and then pointed them to a bleeding savior hanging on a tree bearing their iniquities. Paul explained, “But 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 Christ (by grace you have been saved).” May God bring you to Himself today. Amen.