My faith

Excerpt from:  More Than Conquerors – In Christ

My faith is in Jehovah God, Yahweh, the great “I AM,” the God of forgiveness and strength, not a weak, petty Spirit Being who condemns me when I fail (like most all the gods of other religions and like most people).

God will never again condemn me.  He has forgiven me.

I have been born again!  And because of that – God has already declared in His Courts, “Entrance Granted into the Eternal“.

Romans 8:1
Therefore there is now
no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus

My Father God is that Father of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), always with outstretched arms ready.  He is not there to beat me when I limp back to Him.  He is ready for when I repent – to forgive, to love, and to bless me.

My Shepherd holds a staff, not to beat me when I fall, but to guide me safely back to green pastures (Psalm 23).  He picks me up, off crumbling cliff side, and puts me on a solid rock.  He refreshes and restores and leads me.

Psalm 23:3
He refreshes and restores
my soul (life);
He leads me
in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.

My Divine Friend is the God of the Universe!  Because I have chosen to commit myself to God and His Gospel, He calls me friend.  I will not be afraid.  My Friend is bigger than anyone on the block!  Because God is in me – what should I fear?!

James 2:23
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says,
“Abraham believed God,
and this [faith] was credited to him [by God]
as righteousness and
as conformity to His will,”
and he was called
the friend of God.

So I reach out to Him throughout my day, whether in confession and repentance from sin, or in victory and strength in His conquering empowerment.  I am His friend.  He cares about me, and listens to me.

Romans 8:14-17
¹⁴ For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear [of God’s judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [the Spirit producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry, “^[b]Abba! Father!”

¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God. ¹⁷ And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.

1 John 3:1
See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

---

My habit of confession and submission.  I think that maybe the key for all of us who name the Name of Jesus – – is to continue as a habit – what we originally did when we first came to Him for forgiveness:

confession of sin
and
submission to His will.

We need to habitually come to Him in confession of sin and submit to Him anew.

Romans 8:13-17
…if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die.

But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.

¹⁴ For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear [of God’s judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [the Spirit producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry, “^[b]Abba! Father!”

¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God. ¹⁷ And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.

Excerpt from:  More Than Conquerors – In Christ