TRUSTING JESUS

Lord, I know You are not hiding from me, but am I hiding from You?  I desire to trust You with all of my heart, but today my heart is unsure of trust.  Please help me! 

1 John 2:1-6 

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.   We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.  Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 

Last week we talked about three specific sins.  They all have to do with hiding.  Remember the Garden of Eden?  When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid hoping that God wouldn’t notice.  Jesus comes with the Light and the Truth and His Word and reveals my sin.  It hurts when my sin is revealed.  It causes me to feel ashamed, because it reveals that I’m not avoiding sin like Jesus wants me to. 

I really don’t want to sin.  Jesus knows that I sin, and He does something remarkable.  He advocates with His Father on my behalf.  He is the only One who can advocate for me—He is the only One who has been in human form that has never sinned.  As such, He is the payment for my sins—the atoning sacrifice for me. 

As I learned last week, if I claim to have a relationship with Jesus but I don’t obey His words, then I lie to myself.   This is like a chemical reaction.  If I fail to mix the right ingredients, I’m going to end up with a disaster.  The relationship starts with knowing Jesus.  I learn to know Jesus through talking to Him and reading His Word.  Once I have known someone for awhile, I begin to trust them.  Trusting Jesus is no different and is the next step in a fruitful relationship with Him.  As I learn to trust Jesus, I obey His instructions that I read in the Bible.

As I obey His Word, God fills my heart with His love, and my love for God is truly made complete in me.  This completeness comes in the form of the Holy Spirit, who God sends into my heart when I pledge my trust in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. 

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS

If I don't trust Jesus, but say I do, I'm a hypocrite. What are some things that Jesus wants me to trust Him with? All my relationships. Most of these need Jesus' help, and I could certainly use His help in them.

Lord, if I can't trust You, who can I trust? Help me draw closer in relationship with You and learnt to trust You more.