Confidence

Ephesians 3:12In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

There are many understandings of God around the world. For some a god who is a distant unapproachable being unconcerned about our welfare and the details of our lives. Some have a plethora of gods, each one having a specific power that can be invoked when needed. Others have gods who exist in order to judge with lightning bolts or any other punishment means at his disposal. Some gods are only helpful for certain people.

The God of the Scriptures is the God for all of humanity, having the power to carry out His will and pleasure everywhere in the universe. He has made it possible for us to be in fellowship with Him. We can know Him.

In the letter to the Ephesian church, Paul addresses the central role he had in bringing non-Jews into relationship with Jesus. Through the ministry of Paul, under the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul explained that both Jews and non-Jews were included in a new family together on equal footing.

The ceremonies of the Old Testament, those given to the Jews for a season of time, were all fulfilled in Jesus. Their central message being that someone had to die for our sins and thus make a way for restoration of fellowship following the rebellion of the Fall. And that rebellion was repeated throughout Israel’s history.

But in Christ Jesus we are all brought into that one family. And as family we can enter into His presence. Our text says there are two things that characterize our approach to God. The first is freedom.

This freedom is not freedom to do our own thing, to determine right and wrong by whatever standard we choose. Instead, this freedom is the ability to do what pleases the Father. Prior to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the Spirit we received when we began our relationship with Him, we used to act as the approving agent in our upcoming actions. We were in the driver’s seat.

But now in Christ, He is the One who not only approves our upcoming plans, but also guides us into the plans in the first place. So since we are choosing to follow His lead, we are free to enter His presence. There are no barriers, no prerequisites. He says, “Come!”

And since we know we are accepted by Him, we can have confidence to enter and abide. We can spend time with Him, knowing that we are accepted as full members of His family. We aren’t the strange cousins who show up at the family gathering making a mess of everything. We are the favored one, giving a seat of honor and a double portion of the blessing.

So today as you recognize the presence of the LORD in your life, come freely and with confidence into His presence. His presence is here. Invite yourself to enjoy and be enriched by knowing that He is with you.