“Confident without being overconfident”

Sunday, May 20, 2018

I remember reading a comment made by a person who left the Lord’s church years ago stating, “The problem with members of the church of Christ is they don’t have confidence they are going to heaven.” This person may well have encountered Christians who felt that way, but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s take a closer look.

The problem faithful people have with stating, “They are going to heaven” has to do with not wanting to take over the Lord’s role as being judge and be presumptuous (II Cor. 5:10). As students of the word,, saints also know that Christ spoke about those who thought for sure they were going to heaven but were mistaken (Matt. 7:21-23).  So how should a child of God deal with this?

It’s important that we see the distinction between trusting in the Lord and trusting in ourselves. All who will be saved are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). Therefore, we know God’s grace is reliable, and we also know Christians can and do walk by faith (II Cor. 5:7). Even though people think grace means God overlooks sin, and people think one can walk by faith without scriptural authority, and creating a false hope, Christians know better.

Just because so many people in their foolish thinking have convinced themselves they are ready, it should not remove the confidence the faithful should have. Having said that, let’s look at the dangers that the Lord’s people face in being over confident.

The apostle Paul told the church at Corinth that they need to “take heed lest you fall” (I Cor. 10:12). There was a negative (warning) but balanced with the positive. We all need to see that there is not a Christian that could ever take heed lest they fall, if they couldn’t know what is right. The fact is, one can know if they are doing wrong, because they know what it means to be doing right and are capable of doing it!

In line with all of this, the same church was told to regularly examine themselves to make sure they are in the faith (II Cor. 13:5). The great thing is, in knowing the standard, they can always get back on track if they find that they have sinned (I Jn. 1:8-10). Our God is faithful and just to forgive us. Salvation is not earned, but it is that which we have to work out with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).

For the most part, answering out loud that we are okay spiritually might cause others to think we are bragging and being arrogant. Even with the cautions put in place over being over-confident, it doesn’t mean Christians can’t be confident. After all, the confidence is in the word of God and His grace. The last thing children of God need to be doing is questioning the inspired word and having doubt. After all, we are clearly told we can know the truth (Jn. 8:32).

Consider this: a man is asked, “Does you’re your wife love you?” If you answer yes, does it mean you’re puffed up as if you are the best husband in the world? It could, but not necessarily. Could it not simply be that you’re confident in your wife’s words and actions that she truly loves you? With such, would it be wrong to have a confidence and feel good inside?  Obviously not. How much more so with our heavenly Father. He knows us and we know Him. We can have faith and with such, we can be pleasing to Him (Rom. 10:17; Heb. 11:6).

We ought to speak like Paul and say, “nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” (II Tim. 1:12).

Chuck

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