THE CONFIDENCE CODE (Unlocking Divine Assurance) Part 3 - “Standing When My World’s Falling Down”
I STAND BECAUSE MY FOUNDATION IS JESUS, NOT MY CIRCUMSTANCES
Proverbs 10:25, 25 “When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but thegodly have a lasting foundation.”
Our lasting foundation is Christ. Solomon knew that God was the only foundation upon which to build that would withstand any storm. Let us build our lives upon the firm and solid foundation of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:19-22, 19” So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.”
Paul reminds us in his letter to the church at Ephesus that we are all God’s children, members of God’s family, when we believe in Jesus. Jesus is the cornerstone of the foundation of our faith. The temple is no longer necessary because through faith in Jesus, we become “a holy temple for the Lord.” God lives inside of us by His Spirit, and in Him we have a solid foundation.
1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 10 “Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.”
Our foundation will fail if we try to introduce things that are not in line with the will of God. Paul warns the believers in Corinth that the foundation of our faith will not withstand the fires and storms of this life if it is not built upon the rock of Christ and in line with His teachings and Scripture. He exhorts believers to work carefully according to the standards set by those who have gone before us in the faith, as we keep our eyes on Christ.
Ephesians 3:14-20, 14 “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
We are so fortunate that our foundation is not one of materials that will rot or fade away. As believers our foundation is laid upon the truth of Christ and His unlimited resources that provide us the inner strength to stand, no matter our circumstances. Paul describes our faith as like a tree. If we have shallow roots that are not firmly connected to the solid foundation, then when storms come, we can fall. But when our roots grow deep into God’s love, through spending time in prayer and Scripture so that we truly know Him, then He provides all we need to keep us strong.
JESUS IS THE FOUNDATION INTO WHICH OUR ROOTS MUST GROW DEEP. HE IS THE CORNERSTONE THAT SUPPORTS WHAT WE BUILD, BUT WE MUST BUILD. IN MATTHEW AND LUKE, WE ARE TOLD ABOUT THE WISE MAN WHO BUILT ON THE ROCK. JESUS SAYS, “ANYONE WHO LISTENS TO MY TEACHING AND FOLLOWS IT IS WISE.” JESUS DID HIS PART AND WE ARE CALLED TO DO OUR PART AND BUILD UPON WHAT HE STARTED. THIS REQUIRES ACTION, NOT COMPLACENCY FROM US.
2 Peter 3:17-18, 17 “You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.”
Peter warns believers that we must be careful and on guard to not be carried away by the “errors of the wicked.” To not be led astray we must know the truth, and we will only know the truth through the study of Scripture and pursuit of an intimate relationship with Christ through prayer.
PUTTING THIS INTO PRACTICE
Jesus is our rock, our firm foundation, but to be anchored and rooted in Him, we must be able to discern His truth from the lies of the world. I must be confident that my foundation is built upon Christ.
Read Ezekiel 13:1-16.
What is God warning his people of through the words of Ezekiel? Can you think of how this passage can apply in our society today?
Can you think of another passage in Scripture where God warns His people to be wary of false prophets? Commit today to one thing that you can do to grow in your discernment of God’s truth. Share this with your small group.
Paul was abundantly confident of God’s redeeming grace and had unlocked that divine assurance. He sought to share that confidence with all believers through his letters to the churches in the New Testament.
Read Colossians 1:15-23. Re-read verse 23.
What does Paul exhort believers to do in this passage? What is this passage speaking to you today? Share your thoughts with your small group.
How can you practice this confidence in God’s redeeming grace and reach a place of divine assurance of God’s abundant love for you? Take some time to write a prayer to God about any fears or obstacles that you are aware of that are blocking you from living a life of divine assurance in an unshakable God.
God is always present with us, protecting, guiding, providing and strengthening us through His Spirit.
David also carried that divine assurance that God was the solid foundation upon which he could stand to face anything that life threw his way. Read Psalm 18:30-36.
What are some examples that David shares that put his confidence in that divine assurance on display? Share them with your small group. Now, find another Psalm that has more examples that you can use to remind yourself of these truths.
Take time today to journal your own Psalm to God, either in your own words, or borrowing from Scripture, and write it out to post where you can see it this week. If you borrow from Scripture, try to select verses that you can apply to circumstances that you have experienced where God was the firm foundation upon which you stood during uncertain times and note that next to the passage. Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past is one of the best ways to hold onto that divine assurance in the present.
