“Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 1:7-9
As citizens of heaven, we know we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, our sins are forgiven, and we have been adopted into the family of God as co-heirs with Christ. Sometimes, even more often than I like to admit, my feelings about my life don't match this knowledge. I can feel like a failure, never fully walking in the Holy Spirit's power and victory. Hopelessness can grip me as I come face to face with consequences of decisions or mistakes. Apathy can set in as I am just wearied from the grind without seeing results.
In talking with other believers, similar difficulties are widespread among God’s children. What do we do when our emotions don’t match up with what we know about our true identity in the Lord? We must come to a decision point of walking in faith upon what the Bible says regardless of what we feel.
The Bible says Jesus will keep me strong to the end. This may be a surprising truth, but we are resilient in the Lord presently. Our circumstances bring us down, and the accuser lies to us, but the truth is we are secure in the Lord. Even more, Jesus will continue to walk with us and keep us until the end.
Since He keeps us, we will also be free of all blame when Jesus returns. What an emotional release this to me! Free of all blame, guilt, or accusation because we have been redeemed. The mistakes, the hopelessness, and apathy; it is all covered by Christ's blood upon the life of a believer.
May the truth of the Bible permeate our thinking and our identity. We are sons and daughters of God, first and foremost. Our sins did not prevent Jesus from dying for us, and our difficulties in this life will not prevent Him from keeping us till the end. He is faithful, and He has given us every spiritual gift we need.
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