by David Brenneman
"If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." 2 Timothy 2:13.
There will be times when we stumble in our faith because of the great trials we face. In these times, we must not allow guilt to consume
us. We must not fall into the enemy's trap by believing that we have lost our salvation or that God
does not care for us. It is essential to remember that from the moment we believe in Jesus, His Spirit indwells us. We belong to Him and are sealed in Him for eternity. Therefore, instead of fretting, we must immediately seek His forgiveness and commit ourselves to obeying Him anew. - Dr. Charles Stanley, Life Principle Bible notes on 2 Timothy 2:13.
I have lost track of how many thousands of times attacks have come upon me with regards to attempts at getting me to believe that Jesus gave up on me. The dreaded decades of my life where I was sinking deeper into a place I didn't want to be. Deep down there all I heard incessantly was how bad I screwed up and how abandoned by Jesus I was. In spring of 1999, it came to a pinnacle. In a day where I thought I was at my end of living because of the deepness of my despair, Jesus reached down into all of it and pulled me out.
I eventually wrote a sermon about that time and had preached it from the very pulpit where years earlier I had heard a sermon where I heard Jesus calling me to Himself.
Jesus set me back on my feet and began dispelling the darkness that had so surrounded me.
This was long before I learned the value of a Believers faith history.
Your faith history isn't just words on a page. It isn't just typed words on paper. It isn't just data entered into a digital journal. It's that which is the most important information about your time here on Earth. Your path markers of knowing exactly where and when you and Jesus had a moment together.
Satan's schemes are meant by him to get you to neglect or negate your walk with Jesus. He wants to incite disbelief in the hearts of people. To get those who have come to faith in Christ Jesus for salvation to doubt the promises of God.
What lead up to my very very dark years was my own pride. Getting ahead of Jesus. Literally running ahead of Him. Reckless in my pursuit of how and what He was showing me what was in my future. Satan's minions must have saw it too n were crafting their attacks around it.
As it's been a lesson taught repeatedly to me, so I pass on to you, my Dear Reader...do not get ahead of God.
As my friend has taught at our Men's Group...so I say again to you. Keep pace with your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...do not get ahead of Him or yourself.
My friend also points out...in a race between you and Jesus, who will win? Jesus every time. He knows the route, knows the hills, the valley's. Every potential peril there is. He knows where the finish line is. We are indeed in a race, as Paul taught, and we are to race with every intention of winning...but don't get ahead of Jesus.
Dark years is actually a pretty light description of those days in my life.
Details aren't important and they won't be conveyed. Suffice to say that I tried to fulfill my own ideas as to my destiny in Christ and I wasn't even close. I was in a radical snowball of damage control that wasn't working. The more I tried to fix things the worse things got. I was even lying to myself about how bad things were.
After that moment in the Spring of 1999, Jesus put me back on track where He wanted me to be...but only after I fully surrendered to whatever He wanted of me for my life. To give up trying my way and to fully give in to His way.
Satan's schemes are exceedingly devious. He is still unrelenting to this day, but the faith history that Jesus has been building is revealing truth for me to speak to myself about the true love of God for me in Christ Jesus.
Satan's schemes with me personally have been to yet still convince me that my past is so heinous in God's eyes that my salvation isn't secure. The truth of God's word is that the salvation that I have was never a work that I did. Jesus saved me. The Spirit sealed me in Christ. I can't undo what Jesus did. Salvation isn't based on works. Good works or bad deeds. It's based on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of calvary. A person truly comes to Christ for salvation...the adoption papers are written in the blood of Jesus Christ. Attested to by the Spirit and confirmed by the Father.
It's an unbreakable covenant between Jesus and the Believer.
My Dear Reader...keep track of your faith history. Be encouraged by everything be it appearing to be good or bad. Jesus said He would never leave us or forsake us. He said He would lead us through the valley of the shadow of death...we wouldn't take up residence there. He would make us lay down in green pastures. He would restore our souls. All because He cares for you and I.
Keep pace with your Savior Jesus Christ and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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