Trusting the Lord in Christ Jesus!

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” – Isaiah 26:4 NIV

Trusting the Lord is the main point of Christianity. This is because without trust, we cannot follow Jesus Christ until the end of the age, due to the fact that living our lives as Christian are going to be hard (Matthew 16:24-27), and we have to walk in the narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14). Because of this, the word of God states, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) In fact, the word of God repeatedly says that the Lord will never leave nor forsake us throughout the testaments. The main reason for this is that He has loved us so much that He sent His beloved Son to crucify Himself for our sins (1 John 4:9-10). For this reason, we are able to receive eternal life through Him (John 3:16-17). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Furthermore, the Lord proclaims that He is the Rock that is going to last forever (Isaiah 26:4) This is because the word of God points out that He is never going to change (Hebrews 13:8). In addition to this, 1 Peter 1:23-25 declares, ‘For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”…’ This is part of the reason why Jesus states that if we abide in His word and live it out by putting it into practice, then we are going to stand forever, but if we are not living it out, then we are going to fall (Matthew 7:24-27). ‘For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”’ (Romans 1:17) “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. (Philippians 1:27-29)

Not only God has created His word for us through the apostles and prophets (2 Peter 1:20-21), but He also has poured His Spirit into us after Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection (John 16:7-15). The main reason why the Spirit of God has been within us is that God still wants to speak with us, even though we have sinned against Him (Romans 5:12-14) and have been separated from Him and His kingdom (Genesis 3; Revelation 12:7-9). This is because all of us are part of His creation; God formed us in His image (Genesis 1:27). Furthermore, Jesus Christ invites us to come into Him, rest in Him and take His yoke rather than the world’s (Matthew 11:28-30). To be more specific, He actually has been knocking on the door of our hearts to come into us (Revelation 3:20), in order to make us the righteousness of God through Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24-25). In other words, without the Spirit of God fully manifested within us, we are never be able to become the righteousness of God by ourselves because of the world (2 Corinthians 4:4), as living for the eternal kingdom of God and living for the world is totally opposite to each other if we want to live righteously. We know this because the word of God states, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:1-17)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)