Hereby We Know
Submitted by Pastor Kevin Stevicks
Fellowship Baptist Church – Bearden, AR
May 23, 2024
1Jo 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
In the classic children's story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, though he was actually a small and mild-mannered person, he presented a very different face to the world. As the ruler of the Emerald City, the “Great and Terrible Oz” uses technology to impress his visitors, appearing as a huge beast with a deep voice.
When Dorothy and her friends enter his presence, they are terrified by what they see and hear, so much so that they can barely speak. When Dorothy's dog Toto knocks over the screen that conceals him, they are shocked to see that he is not at all what they expected.
God is not a pretend character puffing Himself up to look more impressive than He actually is. He actually is Mighty and Powerful, the Creator of the universe, and He is the ultimate Judge of all mankind. He is high and lifted up and perfectly holy. His glory is beyond human comprehension.
Yet because we have been born into His family, we do not have to come before Him with fear and trembling. In fact, He invites and instructs us to come into His presence with joy and confidence, not because we are great, but because He is both great and good.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
There is great power in having confidence and assurance in our relationship with God. We do not have to be bound by fear and dread over whether we have done enough to merit His approval.
We haven't. We can't. We don't have to.
We stand before God in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and that is the source of our courage. We have assurance not because of anything we do or avoid, but because His grace placed us in His family.
Thought: The highly exalted God of the universe invites us to call Him Father and come boldly into His presence.
Smiley: Chapter in Useful Golf Tips: How to relax when you are hitting 5 off the tee.
