12For the word {message} of God is alive and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and spirit, bones and marrow, and judging the desires and thoughts of the heart {mind}. 13And there is no creature who is not visible to him, for everything is naked and laid bare to his eyes, to whom we must render an account. 14Since we have such a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold our confession tightly. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, since he has been tested in all things in the same way we have, but without sin. 16Let us approach the throne of grace boldly, so that we might receive mercy and we might find grace in time of need. — Hebrews 4:14-16
Today I heard a speaker on a television program comment that celebrities are actually less self-confident than the average population, and that they were generally under confident before they became celebrities. In fact, they really need all the positive strokes that they get from people who appreciate their work. But even all that adoration that they get from fans only makes them more dependent. It doesn’t make them more confident.
The book of Hebrews is a letter to people who lack confidence and endurance. The reason they lack endurance is that they really aren’t sure that their Christian journey is worth all that effort. What good was it all going to do? The book of Hebrews also gives us an answer. Jesus came to take care of our sin problem completely, once and for all, done and over with, period!
God could have sent Jesus to encourage us. He was, in fact, an example. He showed us what to do. He spoke words of healing and encouragement.
But if he had stopped there, we’d be in the same place we were before, or a bit worse. But instead, Jesus came and got not only under our skin, but fight down into our innermost selves, dividing even between soul and spirit. He went right at the problem.
And what was that? Our problem was, and is, sin. Basic rebellion against the king of the universe. Basic unwillingness to have it fixed.
We can be very belligerent, but that’s not bold. We can storm into situations about which we know nothing, but that’s not bold. It’s just a cover up for our weakness, a weakness we don’t want to admit.
But Jesus has the answer. He has the gift of real confidence, true boldness. And where does it come from?
It comes from letting our innermost selves, everything that we think, everything that we do, everything that we are come under the will of God. I’ve been reading a book on Paul recently, and the author points out that even where Paul seems to be talking about things that we need to do, what he’s really talking about is things that are going to happen because Jesus and his Holy Spirit are living in the church and in us.
The one source of true confidence is actually being right. Not self-righteous, not arrogant, not overbearing, not belligerent, not loud—just right. And the one and only way to be right is to let God’s two-edged sword do that surgery on you, lay it all out, and bring everything into line with God—the rightest possible position you can be in.
When Jesus Christ is living in you, you have no reason whatsoever not to be completely confident.
Why not relax into his hands today?
