“I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” [1]
Years ago, I read Herbert Lockyer’s delightful tome, “All the Promises of the Bible.” [2] In that book, Dr. Lockyer discussed what a promise is, cautioning that the reader is responsible to ascertain such information as who gives the promise, to whom the promise is given, and what conditions may be attached to the promise. He then lists well over three thousand promises that are recorded in the Word of God.
The Bible reader may recall how the Apostle Paul has written of God’s promises, “The Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” [2 CORINTHIANS 1:19-20]. When the Bible records a promise given by the Lord, we can be assured that God will honour the promise. However, we who follow the Christ as Lord of Light are responsible to know whether a given promise is meant for us or meant for another.
It shouldn’t be surprising, therefore, that there are many verses to be found in Scripture that comfort the people of God. It is a tragic truth that too often people claiming a verse as a promise are unaware of the context in which the verse was given. This condition is not universally negative, as sometimes the verse does present a principle that is applicable to us living in this day. Nevertheless, we must avoid drifting aimlessly through the Scriptures laying claim to verses in a willy-nilly manner; rather, we must consider the context in which a verse has been given to determine whether we have a right to lay claim to the promise provided.
I’m not suggesting that we who follow the Christ should avoid seizing the promises of God as our own; I’m only suggesting that we exercise discretion as we see the promises recorded in the written Word. I do recommend boldly appropriating those promises that are clearly intended for us, recognising that not every promise God has given is intended for us. Our Lord is gracious, He is generous toward us who have been born again into His Family. There are promises that are unquestionably ours to seize and to hold. There are yet other promises to which we have no claim.
Again, I emphasise that God is gracious and He delights to give good gifts to His children. I do not want to discourage anyone from seeking the Father’s blessing. However, I want us to be wise in laying claim to the promises found in the Word. Jesus has said, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” [JOHN 14:13-14]. However, it is one thing to ask the Father to give us His gifts, it is quite another thing to demand that the Father keep a promise that was never ours to claim.
GOD DOES GUIDE THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST — “I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” [JEREMIAH 29:11]. As we approach this promise, it seems essential to recognise that God does direct the path of His people. He watches over His own people, guiding them as they pass through this life. The guidance God provides comes in multiple ways. Let’s look at the ways God provides guidance for His people.
God can guide as He speaks through dreams and visions. This method of guiding His people is not the normal experience. In fact, it would be fair to say that few can claim to have received such divine guidance, though it has been recorded in biblical accounts as it has on rare occasions in contemporary literature.
We have looked at instances in previous messages of God speaking to His servants through dreams and through visions. You may recall one account as those on the second missionary journey recorded in Acts were attempting to fulfil what they believed to be their responsibility. [3]
Paul and Silas had launched out on this second mission of carrying the message of Christ into regions that were without the message of life. They began the journey by visiting churches that were already in existence in Syria and Cilicia [see ACTS 15:40-41]. Passing through Derbe and Lystra, they strengthened churches, adding a young man who was highly commended by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium [see ACTS 16:1-3]. Thus, the missionary band now consisted of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. This band continued through Phrygia and Galatia, strengthening the churches.
The missionaries intended to go into the Roman Province of Asia, but they were debarred from doing so by the Spirit of God. We are not told how the Holy Spirit stopped them from going that direction; we are only given this account of what was taking place. “They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them” [ACTS 16:6-7].
It seems fair to conclude that these godly men were sensitive to the leading of the Spirit of Christ, and thus His direction was evident to them. It may have been a sense of being ill at ease, or a growing sense that they were to go another direction without knowing precisely where they were to go next; however the will of God’s Spirit was communicated, they missionaries appear to have agreed that God had spoken.
Then, one night it happened. Here is the account we are given in the Book of Acts. “So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” [ACTS 16:8-10].
Though the Lord did direct His servants in the Old Testament, this account we just read is not the first time God used a vision to guide His people in the account provided in the pages of the New Testament. The last step in the conversion of Saul was accomplished through a vision both to God’s servant, Ananias, and to Saul of Tarsus.
Here is what Doctor Luke has recorded, “There was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened” [ACTS 9:10-19a].
I have read multiple accounts of people reporting that they saw in a vision a man carrying a black book from which the man with the book would tell how to please God. And I am aware of other reports describing how people violently opposed to the Faith of Christ the Lord were turned to righteousness through a vision or a dream in which they saw a man robed in brilliant light that confronted them about the persecutions they were imposing on followers of the Christ. These experiences were not unlike the account provided in the Bible when the Risen Saviour confronted the enraged rabbi named Saul of Tarsus [see ACTS 9:1-7]. I am aware of other instances when mobs intended to kill Christians, only to be deterred from their murderous intent by a vision of guards surrounding the compound in which the Christians lay sleeping. While such interventions are not common, they occur often enough to lead us to understand that God is well able to intervene in this manner when He chooses to do so.
Rebuking Aaron and Miriam for their insolence and the unjust complaints against Moses, the LORD revealed a startling truth that seems applicable to this day late in the Age of Grace. God said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream” [NUMBERS 12:6]. Thus, it should not be surprising that the Living God has in the past, and to this day, communicated His will through dreams and visions.
May I speak of an event from my own life? I have known of my call to divine service for well over fifty years. I was a godless young man intent on pursuing my studies in medical biochemistry when I came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It was as Doctor James Higgs delivered the evening message in the Trinity Temple Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas that God directly invaded my life to appoint me to His service. As Doctor Higgs spoke that evening, I clearly saw in a vision the fate of lost people. The building in which I was seated with my wife and daughter disappeared. In the place of the building I had entered only a brief time before, I was suspended over a bottomless abyss. Somewhere from deep within the pit, flames were licking upward.
And though I saw no people plunging into the yawning shaft, I was conscious of the danger presented by that great abyss. Suspended over that massive hole I heard a voice demanding that I act to stop anyone falling into the pit. At that time, I was assured that God had placed His hand on me. I would serve God from that point, and I have.
Again, we know that God can provide guidance through training provided through other saints. The most prominent way in which this provision of guidance is witnessed is through Bible teaching or proclamation of the Word of God. This is undoubtedly a primary means by which God speaks to people. It is through the Word God has given, especially as it is faithfully taught by those whom the Lord has appointed as teachers and pastors. What must be faithfully taught is what is written in the Word of God.
Among the essential qualifications of those who are appointed to eldership is faithful adherence to the Word of God. Paul writes, “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” [TITUS 1:9].
In another of the Pastoral Letters, the Apostle has written, “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” [2 TIMOTHY 1:13-14].
To this same younger preacher, Paul commanded, “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” [2 TIMOTHY 2:2].
There is a formidable responsibility resting on the shoulders of the one whom God appoints as a teacher or as a preacher. The eternal welfare of souls becomes the responsibility of that one who claims to provide divine instruction. What is said can set the direction of the soul, either to be sensitive to the Spirit’s pleas to receive the grace of God or to obey the leading of the Lord. The teacher who is false must bear the weight of the error that is disseminated for all eternity. How frightful is the prospect of facing the wrath of God because the teacher or the preacher spokes lies! The one who is unaware of this weight is a fool! That person deceives himself before he ever deceives others.
Paul cites the Prophet Joel in presenting God’s promise of salvation to all who believe, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [ROMANS 10:13]. After penning the glorious promise of salvation and the forgiveness of sin, Paul writes, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news’” [ROMANS 10:14-15]!
The Spirit of God always oversees the means of guidance that have been listed. And in that context, God does guide the one who follows Christ through the Spirit speaking into the life of the individual who follows the Risen Lord. We witness an example of such guidance on one occasion when the Lord directed Philip to speak to a stranger. Let’s read the full account as provided by Doctor Luke.
“An angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot.’ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.’
“And the eunuch said to Philip, ‘About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing” [ACTS 8:26-39].
In this passage we see several means by which the Lord provides guidance. An angel directed the godly deacon where he was to go, though nothing was said concerning who he might encounter or what he was to do. The Lord knew what was going to happen as Philip was obedient. God was working to ensure that this official from the court of the Ethiopian Queen would hear an accurate presentation of the message of life. Philip’s responsibility was to obey the guidance God provided. Then, we see the Spirit actively guiding Philip after he had arrived on the road situated in the desert, telling the godly deacon to go over and join the man in the chariot. At last, we see the Ethiopian official receiving guidance from one who was sent to instruct him in the Word. From beginning to end, the Spirit of God was guiding the process leading to life. And of course, that is precisely the way in which God works. There are no accidental encounters in the life of the one who follows the Christ; the Lord is guiding always. God does not have to resort to “Plan B” in the life of His child, because the Spirit of God is always guiding His child. If you have been born from above through faith in the Son of God, the Spirit of Christ is directing your path for your good and for His glory.
Another instance of direct guidance provided by the Spirit of God is demonstrated in another passage in the Book of Acts. A centurion named Cornelius was directed in a vision to send men to Joppa to find a man named Peter. The centurion was told that the men would find this man “lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea” [ACTS 10:6].
Let’s pick up the story as related by Doctor Luke at this point. “The next day, as [the men Cornelius had sent] were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.’ And the voice came to him again a second time, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
“Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.’ And Peter went down to the men and said, ‘I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming” [ACTS 10:9-21]?
God was guiding His servant to breech the divide between Jew and Gentile, telling Gentiles the message of Christ the Lord. Later, relating what had taken place to the brothers in Jerusalem, Peter would say that he was acting at the direction of the Spirit of God. His defence was, “The Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house” [ACTS 11:12].
Isaiah provides insight into God’s guidance when he writes, “A people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left” [ISAIAH 30:19-21].
Throughout the Word we see multiple promises that God’s Spirit does lead His people. For instance, you may recall the half-brother of our Lord when he instructs us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” [JAMES 1:5-8]. God gives wisdom when we seek that precious and necessary commodity. His Spirit guides us as we seek Him.
Of course, you will have known that we don’t possess perfect knowledge, though we have immediate access to the God of all wisdom. Indeed, as we learn from Paul, “We are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight” [2 CORINTHIANS 5:6-7]. And because we walk by faith, we must trust in the direction given by the Spirit of Christ. The principle is set when the Apostle writes, “Whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” [ROMANS 14:23]. Focus on that concept: whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
The final means by which God guides His child is undoubtedly the most common means of His guidance — God guides His people through what is written in His Word. It is important that we acknowledge that whether God directs our path through dreams and visions, or whether He instructs us through the teaching we have received, or whether God speaks through His Holy Spirit, the Lord will not instruct us contrary to what He has given in His Word. The Word of God is a perfect revelation of the will of God.
The Word is powerful, possessing the capacity of transforming life. We are taught, “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” [HEBREWS 4:12-13].
DISCERNING GOD’S WILL — “I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD” [JEREMIAH 29:11a]. I know that I’ve invested a considerable amount of time discussing how God guides the life of His people. It is important for the redeemed saint to recognise these means of providing divine guidance so that we don’t miss the guidance God gives or worse still, embrace strange and ungodly events that are mischaracterised as divine guidance. But we still need to have some understanding of how we are to discern the Lord’s specific will for our lives. We tend to demand specific definitions of the will of God, failing to understand that God provides parameters for His guidance.
There is not a verse in the Bible that says, “Buy a pickup rather than a sedan.” God doesn’t give a verse that says, “Eat a healthy diet filled with broccoli, kale, and beets.” You see, some things are what the theologian speaks of as adiaphora. The term refers to doctrines or practices in morals that are matters of indifference. These issues are matters of indifference because they are neither commanded nor forbidden in the received Word of God.
To illustrate the point, recall that two major controversies in the New Testament revolved around food and whether males should be circumcised. Some people had conscience about foods sold in the agora because that food may have been offered to an idol. Paul met this issue head on when he instructed the Christians in Rome, “Let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
“Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” [ROMANS 14:13-23].
The Apostle set the stage for specific guidance concerning food when he instructed the Christian in Corinth, “As to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ‘an idol has no real existence,’ and that ‘there is no God but one.’ For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” [1 CORINTHIANS 8:4-6].
Seize the point that what is in view is not the source of the food—where it may have been procured, or how it may have been prepared—what is in view is the conscience of the individual. We are followers of Christ the Lord. There is only One God, and we seek to honour Him. Therefore, our concern is to honour the Lord.
Because our concern is to honour the Lord, we must always be concerned with how our actions will affect our fellow Christians. Therefore, we are to be considerate of the impact of our actions on our fellow saints. We do not want to crush a fellow Christian just to prove our point. The Apostle continues providing instruction for us. Paul now writes, “However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble” [1 CORINTHIANS 8:7-13].
What the Apostle wrote in these passages was iterated as Paul peered into the future. He provided specific guidance when he revealed, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer” [1 TIMOTHY 4:1-5].
So, vegetarians are welcome among the faithful, as are “meatetarians.” Broadly speaking, dietary preferences are adiaphora, neither commanded nor forbidden.
I don’t want to belabour the point, but another major controversy among these early congregations was the issue of circumcision. I won’t invest a lot of time on this particular subject, except to direct you to what Paul wrote to the Churches of Galatia. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
“Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love” [GALATIANS 5:1-6]. We are accepted complete in Christ without performing some specific rite or marking ourselves in some particular manner.
Let’s bring the issue down to this day. You may have heard someone at some point say, “God has a plan for your life.” While this is a true statement, it doesn’t mean that you are an automaton without the dignity of making your own decisions. The Lord does guide us, directing us according to His divine will. However, we have responsibility to choose whether to obey Him or to rebel against His will.
It is not unusual for a pastor to have young people come to him with their concerns about whom they should marry. Admittedly, marriage is a major step for any follower of the Saviour, and the one to whom an individual commits her or his life is a major decision.
God provides broad parameters for choosing a spouse. This permits great latitude for everyone. Whether one should marry or remain single is a matter of adiaphora as Paul makes clear when he writes, “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion” [1 CORINTHIANS 7:8-9].
When Christians do marry, they must realise this is a commitment before the Lord. Christians are obligated to avoid divorce, as is evident when the Apostle writes, “To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife” [1 CORINTHIANS 7:10-11].
But who should the Christian marry? Again, in the broadest terms, we are taught, “A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord” [1 CORINTHIANS 7:39]. Scope in on the restriction— only in the Lord. Where we live, what occupation we pursue, who we marry, what level of education we seek—all are adiaphora. God has given us freedom!
What we are witnessing is that God is treating us as sentient, responsible beings. We are not automatons without freedom. We are children of the Living God responsible to answer Him for our choices. He does provide guidance always and in multiple ways, but we are responsible to do what we know He is directing us to do. We are to be conversant with the Word He has given. We are to seek godly counsel when facing a difficult decision that has the potential to dishonour the Father or to harm us. We are to be sensitive to the Spirit of Christ living in us.
“I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU!” God spoke to Israel through His prophet, Jeremiah, saying, “‘I know what I have planned for you,’ says the LORD. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope. When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,’ says the LORD. ‘Then I will reverse your plight and will regather you from all the nations and all the places where I have exiled you,’ says the LORD. ‘I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you’” [JEREMIAH 29:11-14 NET BIBLE 2nd].
I do not deny that God has plans for your life if you are a follower of the Saviour. I can say with certainty that God seeks your eternal welfare. You must not assume that just because you are His that you will not experience opposition or that you will be spared trials. Didn’t the missionaries tell the newly minted saints gathered during that first missionary journey to anticipate hardships because of their commitment to Christ? The Acts of the Apostles informs us, “When [the missionaries] had preached the gospel to [Derbe] and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” [ACTS 14:21-22].
Despite the potential for trials in this life, you may be assured that God has plans to do you good eternally. “God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted” [2 THESSALONIANS 1:6]. Those who assail God’s people will pay a horrific price for their temerity, their audacious rashness.
If that were the only thing God promised for those whom He loves, it would be a wonderful thing. However, while the wicked will indeed suffer for the evil they now embrace, our Saviour has promised that at His coming He will “be glorified in his saints, and [He will] be marveled at among all who have believed” [2 THESSALONIANS 1:10].
I am comforted in the knowledge that I shall reign with Christ, sharing in His glory, just as He has promised. Paul has written, “The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself” [2 TIMOTHY 2:11-13]. And this promise is given for each one who is born from above. I am assured that we who are twice born will be seated on thrones, reigning with Jesus our King. And we will reign with Him not because we deserve to be seated with Him; we will reign with Him because He is gracious and chooses to share His glory with us who have believed.
What of you who hear the message and the promise of reigning with Christ seems far beyond the realm of reality. You know that the Son of God died because of you; He gave His life as a sacrifice, taking all your sin upon Himself. Jesus accepted the punishment you deserve so that you need never face the wrath of Holy God. The Good News is that Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave. He tasted death in your place so that you need never experience the judgement of God. Believe on Christ the Risen Lord of Glory and be saved. God promises, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [ROMANS 10:13]. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Herbert Lockyer, All the Promises of the Bible (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI 1962)
[3] See Michael Stark, “Stay!” (sermon, 4 May 2025) https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/stay-michael-stark-sermon-on-discouragement-290326
