Confidence
Confidence – firm belief or trust, self-reliance, boldness, assurance, state of feeling
sure.
Confidence in God, in His words, the Bible tells us many times “trust in the Lord”.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says “trust in the Lord Yahweh with all your heart, and lean not to your
own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your
paths”. Confidence is not optional (Hebrews 11:6) “but without faith it is impossible to
please Him, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a re-
warder of them that diligently seek Him”. The Bible uses “must” a strong word which
shows us the things God planned for us to do.
Jesus tells Nicodemus “you must be born again” (John 3:3-7) “Jesus answered and
said to him, verily, verily, I say to you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, how can a man be born when he is old?
can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered,
verily, verily, I say to you, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which
is born of the Spirit is spirit. marvel not that I said to you, you must be born again”.
Jesus tells us how we must worship God the Father (John 4:23-24) “the hour comes,
and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth,
for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him
must worship Him in spirit and in truth”.
After Peter and John told the lame man “in the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and
walk” and the man was healed, they were questioned by priest, rulers, elders, and
scribes, he told them “neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”; now when they
saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, they marveled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been
with Jesus” (Acts 4:12-13).
Some people take the love commandment for granted, but the Bible says “and this
commandment have we from Him. That he who loves God, must love his brother also”
(I John 4:21 NKJV). Loving is not an option, the Bible says in I John 3:14 says “we
know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that
loves not his brother abides in death”; and I John 4:7-8 “beloved, let us love one
another for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God.
He that loves not knows not God, for God is love”.
We are also told that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (II
Corinthians 5:6-10) “therefore we are always confident, knowing that, while we are at
home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. (For we walk by faith, not by sight);
We are confident, I say and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be
present with the Lord. Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may
be accepted of Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that
every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done,
whether it be good or bad”.
Joshua and Caleb had confidence that they could take the land that God had said
was theirs, even though the ten other men that spied out the land, lacked in
confidence (Numbers 14:6-9) “and Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of
Jephunheh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. And they
spoke to all the company of the children of Israel, saying, the land, which we passed
through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord Yahweh delight in us,
then He will bring us into this land, and give it us, a land which flows with milk and
honey. Only rebel not you against the Lord Yahweh, neither fear you the people of
the land, for they are bread for us, their defense is departed from them, and the Lord
Yahweh is with us, fear them not”. They were the only two men over 20 years that did
enter into the promise land, while the other perished over 40 years.
David is another good example: after his town was burned, and their families were
taken, and though the men wanted to stone him, David encouraged himself in the
Lord (I Samuel 30:8, 18-19) “and David enquired at the Lord Yahweh, saying, shall I
pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, pursue, for you
shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all”. Because David had
confidence, we see in verse 18-19 “and David recovered all that the Amalekites had
carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And there was nothing lacking to
them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything
that they had taken to them, David recovered all”.
We are instructed to have full assurance to the end. Hebrews 6:9-12 says “but,
beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation,
though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of
love, which you have showed toward His name, in that you ministered to the saints
and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to
the full assurance of hope to the end. That you be not slothful, but followers of them
who through faith and patience inherit the promises”. Hebrews 10:35-36 says “cast
not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompence of reward. For you
have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God, you might receive the
promise”. I John 3:19-22 says “and hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall
assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our
heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we
confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we
keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight”. I John 5:
14-15 says “and this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hear us whatsoever we ask,
we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him”.
As we look back at Hebrews 11:6 we see we must have confidence in Him. As we
build our confidence in Him. You build confidence by meditating on His word, we
realize that we are not alone, and as Paul writes in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things
through Christ which strengthens me”.
The devil is out to bring doubts, and fear to damage your confidence, don’t let him,
because when you have confidence, things happen. Because you make room for
God to work.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 18, 2007
Confidence – firm belief or trust, self-reliance, boldness, assurance, state of feeling
sure.
Confidence in God, in His words, the Bible tells us many times “trust in the Lord”.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says “trust in the Lord Yahweh with all your heart, and lean not to your
own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your
paths”. Confidence is not optional (Hebrews 11:6) “but without faith it is impossible to
please Him, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a re-
warder of them that diligently seek Him”. The Bible uses “must” a strong word which
shows us the things God planned for us to do.
Jesus tells Nicodemus “you must be born again” (John 3:3-7) “Jesus answered and
said to him, verily, verily, I say to you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, how can a man be born when he is old?
can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered,
verily, verily, I say to you, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which
is born of the Spirit is spirit. marvel not that I said to you, you must be born again”.
Jesus tells us how we must worship God the Father (John 4:23-24) “the hour comes,
and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth,
for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him
must worship Him in spirit and in truth”.
After Peter and John told the lame man “in the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and
walk” and the man was healed, they were questioned by priest, rulers, elders, and
scribes, he told them “neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”; now when they
saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, they marveled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been
with Jesus” (Acts 4:12-13).
Some people take the love commandment for granted, but the Bible says “and this
commandment have we from Him. That he who loves God, must love his brother also”
(I John 4:21 NKJV). Loving is not an option, the Bible says in I John 3:14 says “we
know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that
loves not his brother abides in death”; and I John 4:7-8 “beloved, let us love one
another for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God.
He that loves not knows not God, for God is love”.
We are also told that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (II
Corinthians 5:6-10) “therefore we are always confident, knowing that, while we are at
home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. (For we walk by faith, not by sight);
We are confident, I say and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be
present with the Lord. Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may
be accepted of Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that
every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done,
whether it be good or bad”.
Joshua and Caleb had confidence that they could take the land that God had said
was theirs, even though the ten other men that spied out the land, lacked in
confidence (Numbers 14:6-9) “and Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of
Jephunheh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. And they
spoke to all the company of the children of Israel, saying, the land, which we passed
through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord Yahweh delight in us,
then He will bring us into this land, and give it us, a land which flows with milk and
honey. Only rebel not you against the Lord Yahweh, neither fear you the people of
the land, for they are bread for us, their defense is departed from them, and the Lord
Yahweh is with us, fear them not”. They were the only two men over 20 years that did
enter into the promise land, while the other perished over 40 years.
David is another good example: after his town was burned, and their families were
taken, and though the men wanted to stone him, David encouraged himself in the
Lord (I Samuel 30:8, 18-19) “and David enquired at the Lord Yahweh, saying, shall I
pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, pursue, for you
shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all”. Because David had
confidence, we see in verse 18-19 “and David recovered all that the Amalekites had
carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And there was nothing lacking to
them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything
that they had taken to them, David recovered all”.
We are instructed to have full assurance to the end. Hebrews 6:9-12 says “but,
beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation,
though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of
love, which you have showed toward His name, in that you ministered to the saints
and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to
the full assurance of hope to the end. That you be not slothful, but followers of them
who through faith and patience inherit the promises”. Hebrews 10:35-36 says “cast
not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompence of reward. For you
have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God, you might receive the
promise”. I John 3:19-22 says “and hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall
assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our
heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we
confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we
keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight”. I John 5:
14-15 says “and this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hear us whatsoever we ask,
we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him”.
As we look back at Hebrews 11:6 we see we must have confidence in Him. As we
build our confidence in Him. You build confidence by meditating on His word, we
realize that we are not alone, and as Paul writes in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things
through Christ which strengthens me”.
The devil is out to bring doubts, and fear to damage your confidence, don’t let him,
because when you have confidence, things happen. Because you make room for
God to work.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 18, 2007
