Our security in Christ rests in our understanding of God’s love for us and the fullness of our our adoption in Christ. In Eph. 5:25 Paul tells us that, “Christ loved the church… gave himself for her.” Jesus gave himself completely for you, and for his beloved, eternal, glorious church through the ages. You are completely accepted, adopted, forgiven, valued and honored by God through the love of Christ. You and I must receive God’s love, love ourselves as He loves us, and then love others with his self-giving love.
The Father sees you as you really are, a new creation in Christ. The blood of Christ removes the sin and cleanses you from unrighteousness, and the Spirit transforms you. Heb. 10:17 NLT declares how God views us now through Jesus: “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” God views us as a new creation in Christ; it’s important for you and I to view ourselves, and other believers, as new creations. This is why Paul could say, “I no longer know others after the flesh.” We must learn to live secure in the Father’s love and acceptance of ourselves–this understanding of his love for us will be a building block to great faith in our lives.
Our ability to rest in the finished work of Christ, in what He has accomplished for us, and remain in the Father’s love will determine how victoriously we live our lives. 1 Cor. 13:13 NLT declares, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” Love transforms us; faith and hope sustain us.
Jesus has triumphed over every evil power and authority–his victory over evil is final and sure. However, until the second coming of Christ, we live presently as ambassadors for God bringing his love to the world and enforcing the victory of Christ. While our focus needs to remain on Christ, we always must be aware that there is a defeated enemy who continues to try to rob us of the victory that is ours in Christ.
It’s been said that “faith is the anchor to our souls.” True. The enemy knows this as well. What root areas does the enemy primarily attack? Our faith, hope, and love. If the enemy can get us to doubt our security in the love of God, or cause us to doubt God’s promises in his word, then faith weakens and hope fades. His counterfit to faith is fear. Satan only has power over us to the degree that we agree with his lies. When we agree with poverty, sickness, or defeat, we live in that realm, beneath the inheritance that is ours as children in God’s family and as his heirs. Faith doesn’t deny the circumstances, but looks at them with the eye of faith and declares, “Yes, but with God, all things are possible!”
The disciples in the storm with Jesus in Mark 4 “feared exceedingly.” Why? They feared because they didn’t fully know and trust Jesus intimately, “Who can this be?” they ask. Fear will always be the outcome apart from a revelation of who Jesus is to you. Jesus contrasts fear with faith—he equates fear with no faith, or no confidence in him. The opposite of faith is fear, “False Evidence Appearing Real.” Fear will convince you there is no hope—you are perishing—it’s over! The doctors report, the bank account, the layoff notice, your marriage, the wayward child, your past.
A glorious, advancing church takes her directives from heaven. She isn’t focused on circumstances or world events; she listens to the master’s voice. Our destiny is to progressively enter into the glory of God prepared for us before the foundation of the world. You are a vessel of mercy and power—it’s your high calling. Too many people are hindered by their past. Your past is not a prophecy of your future. God has good things for you if you dare to believe His word. The path of the righteous is like the dawn—your path is brighter each day!
Heb. 11:1 AMP says, “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” Faith perceives as fact what is not revealed to the senses. Faith takes hold of things (promises, revealed will of God) that the senses can’t perceive. It sees them as real fact. Faith acts upon God’s revealed truth. Faith makes unseen realities real. They are already real, but they exist in another realm—a heavenly realm—where you are seated with Christ! Faith enables us to know that those unseen realities are real and that they have substance now. Faith pulls those unseen realities into being.
Jesus, at rest in His union with the Father and the Spirit, can speak directly to the wind—cease—and to the sea—be still. Our union with Christ, resting in His finished work, affords us the same authority and power. Faith realizes that things are “in motion” even if we don’t see the mountain moving yet. Faith is anchored in the unseen realm of heaven.
