justification

God Is Always on Our Side

/ Clay D. / Leave a comment

As believers in Christ, we never have to doubt that God is with us and working in our lives.

He is always at our side, no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in. Even when we feel our loneliest, we can rest assured that God is walking beside us.

After all, we’re told in Romans 8:28a: 

We know that for those who love God all things work together for good. 

This verse should be enough to reassure us of His love for us and that He is actively working in our lives.

Of course, there are a myriad of verses that tell us that God is always there for us, always on our side. In Isaiah 41:10 we read:

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

We need not be afraid of anything in this life, as God is always available to strengthen and help us. All we have to do is trust in Him and place our hand in His.

A few verses later, in verse 13, we read:

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Again, God tells us not to be afraid because He is the one who will help us.

In Joshua 1:9, we’re told:

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

There are also abundant references to God’s presence in the New Testament. Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 28:20b:

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Jesus says this immediately after commanding them to make disciples in all the nations and then baptize the converts. He doesn’t give them a huge, important task like this and then leave them to their own devices. He knows they will need His help.

In Acts 2:27-28, Peter quotes King David in Psalms 16:

For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.

We can go through the Bible and find many more examples of God telling us He will always be by our side. But the simple truth is that we can’t go anywhere where God isn’t.

Whether we’re high above the earth flying in a jetliner or deep below the ocean depths, He is there, always pulling for us.

He will go to work in your life to help you become the person He has desired for you to be all along.

The redeeming work of Christ on the cross, as He died for your sins then arose from the dead, makes you justified in God’s eyes. 

And for that reason, He will never leave you nor forsake you. That fact should be comforting for us all.

All we have to do to tap into this power is accept His son Jesus as our savior, then latch onto God.

We don’t have to be perfect before we come to Him. Just show up where you are, as you are, and He will do the rest. 

Choose the One True Pathway to God

/ Clay D. / 1 Comment

You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Gal. 5:4

Many of us who call ourselves Christians are simply not living like it. That’s the only way to put it. We’re doing our best to live a so-called Christian life by saying the right things, doing the right things, going to church, and even serving others. 

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with any of these things. We’re called to live a life as holy as possible once we have invited Christ into our lives.

However, these things don’t make us Christians. We are completely unable to save ourselves through our actions. 

It is only through the blood of Jesus that we can claim salvation and freedom. When He died on the cross and then rose from the dead three days later, he laid the groundwork for our salvation. 

We must remember this when we’re going about our daily activities. We’re going to sin—that much is for sure. 

But we must also be certain that no amount of good deeds can ever help us get to Heaven. We’re not going to be closer to God the better we behave. 

In fact, if we’ve accepted Christ as our Savior, we’re as close to the Father as we can get. We’re brothers and sisters of Jesus and children of God.

Just because I donate money to a Christian organization or volunteer my time at a non-profit doesn’t mean that I’m earning brownie points with God.

Everything was already settled when I asked Jesus into my life. I can live confidently in that fact for the rest of my life. 

So, the next time I’m feeling good about something I’ve done—and maybe a little prideful about it—I need to stop and thank God for my salvation in Christ. 

I know it is only through His grace that I am saved and it isn’t as a result of any actions I’ve taken.

Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

Gal. 6:15

All the glory goes to Him and I am thankful that He loves me enough that He sent His son to die for my salvation.

This salvation is for you as well. If you have not accepted Christ as your Savior and received forgiveness for your sins, there’s no better time to do it than now.

Invite Him into your heart and become justified in the Father’s eyes through Christ. It will be the best decision you’ve ever made.