Confidence Newsletter 347 Sept. 2007Shepherds Chapel

     In many places in the New Testament, the word "confidence" is translated from theGreek word "parrhesia" (par-rhay-see'-ah). This word means assurance, andbesides being translated "confidence", it has also been translated "boldness". Ifyou lose your confidence, you have lost everything, including yourself. Evenworse, you may start doubting your Father. That is really where you get intotrouble. Confidence is very important. What builds confidence? Knowing whatyou believe is right and that it can be backed up in God's Word buildsconfidence. Let's begin our study in I John.1 John 3:7   Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness isrighteous, even as he is righteous. (Righteousness means doing what is right. God's Wordtells us what is right and wrong. If you stick with the Word, no one can deceive you.) 

1 John 3:8   He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of thedevil. (Satan sinned even in the first world age. God sent His Son Jesus Christ so that wecould have salvation. Jesus gave us power over the devil and his works. I hope you areconfident enough to utilize that power.) 

1 John 3:9   Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (We are talking about habitual sin here.God's children have the desire not to sin. When they do, they repent. We try to do right,because we have confidence in God.)

1 John 3:10   In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.(There are two categories of people. Those who want to do right and those who simplydon't care about anything. It is really quite easy to tell which category they are in.) 

1 John 3:11   For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should loveone another.1 John 3:12   Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. Andwherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.(Cain was the offspring of the serpent which was in the garden of Eden. Cain's progeny arecalled the Kenites in God's Word. The only two churches Christ found no fault with inRevelation Chpt. 2 and 3 taught who the Kenites are. If your church doesn't teach this,Christ would find fault with your church as well.)

1 John 3:13   Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.1 John 3:14   We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love thebrethren. He that loveth not [his] brother abideth in death. (If you try to always do what isright, the world is going to hate you. So what? God blesses those who love Him. That, my

friend, is far more valuable than anything the world has to offer. Loving the brethren isrighteous.)

1 John 3:15   Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murdererhath eternal life abiding in him. (God is the judge. He demands capital punishment forpremeditated murder so the murderer can face the victim and the Judge. A murderer mayfind salvation at that point, but not while in the flesh. No one gets away with murder.) 

1 John 3:16   Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: andwe ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren.1 John 3:17   But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, andshutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?(The brethren in most need of our help are those who don't have the truth. A seed of God'struth is the most valuable thing in the universe. "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teacha man to fish, and he eats for life". Teach your brethren God's truth. It has value for life.)

1 John 3:18   My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed andin truth. 1 John 3:19   And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure ourhearts before him. (You can be assured you are doing the right thing by following God'sWord. Father teaches us righteousness.) 

1 John 3:20   For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth allthings.1 John 3:21   Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [then] have we confidence toward God.(You know whether you are guilty of habitual sin or not. If you simply don't care eitherway, you have no confidence in God and His salvation.)  

1 John 3:22   And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep hiscommandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. (Do you trust God? Ifyou do your best to please Him, blessings will most assuredly follow.)

1 John 3:23   And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his SonJesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. (Do you believe on thename of Jesus Christ? Do you have confidence that belief on His Son brings salvation?)

1 John 3:24   And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. Andhereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (The Spirit isthe Holy Spirit, of course. The Holy Spirit watches out for your best interest. If you are oneof God's elect, He helps you, even when you don't know what to pray for (Romans 8:26).That should build your confidence. Turn with me to the Book of Hebrews.) Hebrews 3:1   Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider theApostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;Hebrews 3:2   Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses [was faithful] inall his house.(Jesus died on the cross for us. He didn't hold back. He didn't try to postponeHis crucifixion. He was faithful.) 

Hebrews 3:3   For this [man] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch ashe who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. (Jesus, as a builder of themany membered body, is to be honored more than any member of the body.)

Hebrews 3:4   For every house is builded by some [man]; but he that built all things [is]God. (No man could build a house, or anything for that matter, without the materials Godcreated.) 

Hebrews 3:5   And Moses verily [was] faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimonyof those things which were to be spoken after; (Moses was faithful to God in speaking thatwhich God gave Him, the law. Moses spoke of the things to come.)

Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fastthe confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Don't overlook the "if" inthis verse. Being a member of His house is conditional. Do you have confidence in Him, anddo you rejoice in the hope His salvation offers?)

Hebrews 3:7   Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,Hebrews 3:8   Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in thewilderness:Hebrews 3:9   When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.(Tempting God is dangerous. The children of Israel tempted God ten times (Num. 14:22) asthey came out of Egypt. When Moses was receiving the law on Sainai, they were fashioninga golden calf. They complained about the manna twice. They complained about the watertwice. God judged the whole generation to die in the wilderness.) 

Hebrews 3:10   Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always errin [their] heart; and they have not known my ways.Hebrews 3:11   So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) (Of all the adultIsraelites, only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter the Promised Land. What can welearn from their mistakes? Have confidence in our Father!)

Hebrews 3:12   Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, indeparting from the living God.Hebrews 3:13   But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you behardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Don't ever depart from God. There is a promiseland in the future. Some will be allowed to enter; some won't.)

Hebrews 3:14   For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of ourconfidence steadfast unto the end; (It is important to keep your confidence strong. You maybe self-assured that what is waiting for you is well worth the time and effort, in addition toblessings today.)

Hebrews 3:15   While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, asin the provocation.Hebrews 3:16   For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out

of Egypt by Moses. (All of Israel provoked God except Joshua and Caleb.) 

Hebrews 3:17   But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that hadsinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?Hebrews 3:18   And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to themthat believed not?Hebrews 3:19   So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (Today hear Hisvoice! He wrote you a letter. Study His Word so that you don't get caught with weakconfidence and unbelief in your heart. You might not enter the promise land of the future,if you don't study. In conclusion, turn with me to Hebrew Chapter 10.) Hebrews 10:30   For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I willrecompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.Hebrews 10:31   [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.Hebrews 10:32   But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye wereilluminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions ;( I hope you have your gospel armor on.I hope you have confidence in God. There is a spiritual war going on. If you are on the sideof God, victory is assured.) 

Hebrews 10:33   Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches andafflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.Hebrews 10:34   For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoilingof your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduringsubstance. (If you stand for God, expect trouble from the world and Satan. What is waitingfor you in the eternity is well worth the fight. The elect inherit God Himself (Ezek. 44:28)

Hebrews 10:35   Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense ofreward. (Hang on to your beliefs. Don't ever lose your confidence in yourself or God. WithGod on our side, we are assured of the victory. The rewards of victory are beyond ourcomprehension.                     In His Service,                            Arnold Murray