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Friday, September 30, 2022
Go Again
Thursday, September 29, 2022
Beyond Blind Faith
Beyond Blind Faith
Is Jesus God? See how Jesus proved his deity, and how you can receive the abundant life he offers you…
By Paul E. Little
It is impossible for us to know conclusively whether God exists and what he is like unless he takes the initiative and reveals himself.
We must scan the horizon of history to see if there is any clue to God's revelation. There is one clear clue. In an obscure village in Palestine, 2,000 years ago, a Child was born in a stable. Today the entire world is still celebrating the birth of Jesus, and for good reason. His life changed the course of history.
How People Viewed Jesus
We're told that "the common people heard him gladly." And, "He taught as One who had authority, and not as their teachers of the Law."1
It soon became apparent, however, that he was making shocking and startling statements about himself. He began to identify himself as far more than a remarkable teacher or prophet. He began to say clearly that he was Deity. He made his identity the focal point of his teaching.
The all-important question he put to those who followed him was, "Who do you say I am?" When Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,"2 Jesus was not shocked, nor did he rebuke Peter. On the contrary, he commended him!
Jesus frequently referred to "My Father," and his hearers got the full impact of his words. We are told, "The Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."3 On another occasion he said, "I and My Father are One." Immediately the religious authorities wanted to stone him. Jesus asked them which of his miracles caused them to want to kill him. They replied, "We are not stoning you for any of these but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."4
What Jesus said about himself
Jesus clearly claimed powers which only God has. One time Jesus said to a man who was paralyzed, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." The religious leaders immediately reacted. "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" So Jesus said to them, “Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘Get up and walk’?”
Jesus continued, “But that you might know that I have authority on earth to forgive sins, he said to the man, “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And the man was instantly healed to all of their amazement.
Jesus also made statements like this one: “I came that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.”5 And “I am the light of the world.”6 And he said numerous times that if anyone would believe in him, Jesus would give them eternal life. “He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”7 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.”8
At the critical moment when Jesus’ life was at stake for making claims such as these, the high priest put the question to him directly: "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
The high priest rendered the verdict. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. "You have heard his blasphemy."9
So close was Jesus' connection with God that he equated a person's attitude to himself with the person's attitude toward God. Thus, to know him was to know God.10 To see him was to see God.11 To believe in him was to believe in God.12 To receive him was to receive God.13 To hate him was to hate God.14 And to honor him was to honor God.15
Possible explanations
The question is, was he telling the truth?
Maybe Jesus lied when he said he was God. Perhaps he knew he was not God, but deliberately deceived his hearers to give authority to his teaching. But there is a problem with this reasoning. Even those who deny his deity will say that they think Jesus was a great moral teacher. They fail to realize that Jesus could hardly be a great moral teacher if, on the most crucial point of his teaching -- his identity -- he was a deliberate liar.
Another possibility is that Jesus was sincere but self-deceived. We have a name for a person today who thinks he is God. Mentally disabled. But as we look at the life of Christ, we see no evidence of the abnormality and imbalance we find in a mentally ill person. Rather, we find the greatest composure under pressure.
A third alternative is that in the third and fourth centuries hisenthusiastic followers put words into his mouth he would have been shocked to hear. Were he to return, he would immediately repudiate them.
However, this does not hold up. Modern archeology verifies that four biographies of Christ were written within the lifetime of people who saw, heard and followed Jesus. These gospel accounts contained specific facts and descriptions confirmed by those who were eyewitnesses of Jesus.
The late William F. Albright, a world-famous archaeologist with Johns Hopkins University, said there is no reason to believe that any of the Gospels were written later than A.D. 70. The early writing of the Gospels by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, is why they gained such circulation and impact.
Jesus was not a liar, or mentally disabled, or manufactured apart from historical reality. The only other alternative is that Jesus was being consciously truthful when he said he was God.
What is the proof for Jesus being God?
Anyone can make claims. There have been others who have claimed to be God. I could claim to be God, and you could claim to be God, but the question all of us must answer is, "What credentials do we bring to prove our claim?" In my case, it wouldn't take you five minutes to debunk my claim. It probably wouldn't take too much more to dispose of yours.
But when it comes to Jesus of Nazareth, it's not so simple. He had the credentials to back up his claim. He said, "Even though you do not believe me, believe the evidence of the miracles, that you may learn and understand that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father."16
The quality of the life of Jesus
His moral character aligned with his claims. The quality of his life was such that he was able to challenge his enemies with the question, "Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?"17 He was met by silence, even though he addressed those who would have liked to point out a flaw in his character.
We read of Jesus being tempted by Satan, but we never hear of a confession of sin on his part. He never asked for forgiveness, though he told his followers to do so.
This lack of any sense of moral failure on Jesus' part is astonishing since it is completely contrary to the experience of the saints and mystics throughout the ages. The closer men and women draw to God, the more overwhelmed they are with their own failure, corruption, and shortcomings. The closer one is to a shining light, the more he realizes his need for a bath.
It is also striking that John, Paul, and Peter, all of whom were trained from earliest childhood to believe in the universality of sin, all spoke of the sinlessness of Christ: "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."18
Even Pilate, who sentenced Jesus to death, asked, "What evil has he done?" After listening to the crowd, Pilate concluded, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." The crowd relentlessly demanded Jesus be crucified (for blasphemy, claiming to be God). The Roman centurion who assisted in the crucifixion of Christ said, "Surely he was the Son of God."19
Jesus' miracles - he cured the sick
Jesus constantly demonstrated both his power and compassion. He made the lame to walk, the blind to see, and healed those with diseases.
For example, a man who had been blind from birth was known by everyone as the familiar beggar who sat outside the temple. After Jesus healed him, the religious authorities interrogated the beggar about Jesus. The man replied, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" He couldn’t understand how these religious authorities didn't recognize this Healer as the Son of God. "Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind," he said.20 To him the evidence was obvious.
He could control nature
Jesus also demonstrated a supernatural power over nature itself. He commanded a raging storm of high wind and waves on the Sea of Galilee to be calm. Those in the boat were awestruck, asking, "Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him!"21 He turned water into wine, at a wedding. He fed a massive crowd of 5,000 people, starting with five loaves of bread and two fish. He gave a grieving widow back her only son by raising him from the dead.
Lazarus, a friend of Jesus' died and had been buried in a tomb for four days already. Yet Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth!" and dramatically raised him from the dead, witnessed by many. It is most significant that his enemies did not deny this miracle. Rather, they decided to kill Jesus. "If we let him go on like this," they said, "everyone will believe in him."22
Is Jesus God, as he claimed?
Jesus' supreme evidence of deity was his own resurrection from the dead. Five times in the course of his life, Jesus clearly predicted he would die, and in what specific way he would be killed, and that three days later, after being buried, he would rise from the dead.
Surely this was the great test. It was a claim that was easy to verify. It would either happen or not. It would either confirm his stated identity or destroy it. And significant for you and me, Jesus' rising from the dead would verify or make laughable statements such as these:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me."23 "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not live in darkness, but will have the light of life."24 For those who believe in him, "I give them eternal life..."25
So by his own words, he offers this proof, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise."26
Who is Jesus Christ?
If Christ rose, then all that he offers us, he can fulfill. It means he really can forgive sin, give us eternal life, and guide us now in this life. As God, we now know what God is like and can respond to his invitation to know him and his love for us in a personal way.
On the other hand, if Christ did not rise from the dead, Christianity has no objective validity or reality. It is all false. Jesus was merely a man who is dead. The martyrs who went singing to the lions, and contemporary missionaries who have given their lives while taking this message to others, have been poor deluded fools.
Did Jesus prove he is God?
Let's look at the evidence for Jesus' resurrection.
Given all the miracles he had performed, Jesus easily could have avoided the cross, but he chose not to.
Before his arrest, Jesus said, "I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord...and I have authority to take it up again."27
During his arrest, Jesus' friend Peter tried to defend him. But Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its place...Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?"28 He had that kind of power in heaven and on earth. Jesus went willingly to his death.
Jesus' crucifixion and burial.
Jesus' death was by public execution on a cross, a common form of torture and death, used by the Roman government for many centuries. The accusation against Jesus was for blasphemy (for claiming to be God). Jesus said it was to pay for our sin.
Jesus was lashed with a multi-cord whip having metal or bone fragmented ends. A mock crown of long thorns was beaten into his skull. They forced him to walk to an execution hill outside of Jerusalem. They put him on a wooden cross, nailing his wrists and feet to it. He hung there, eventually dying. A sword was thrust into his side to confirm his death.
The body of Jesus was taken from the cross, wrapped in mummy-like linens covered with gummy-wet spices. His body was placed in a solid rock tomb, where a very large boulder was rolled down to it, to secure the entrance.
Everyone knew that Jesus said he would rise from the dead in three days. So they stationed a guard of trained Roman soldiers at the tomb. They also affixed an official Roman seal to the outside of the tomb declaring it government property.
Three days later, the tomb was empty.
Despite all this, three days later the boulder formerly sealing the tomb was found up a slope, some distance away from the tomb. The body was gone. Only the grave linens were found in the tomb, empty of the body.
It is important to note that both critics and followers of Jesus agree that the tomb was empty and the body missing.
The earliest explanation circulated was that the disciples stole the body while the guards were sleeping. This makes little sense. This was an entire guard of highly trained Roman soldiers and falling asleep on duty was punishable by death.
Further, each of the disciples was tortured and put to death (individually and in different geographic locations) for proclaiming that Jesus was alive, risen from the dead. Men and women will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be false. They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie. If ever a man tells the truth, it is on his deathbed.
Maybe the authorities moved the body? This also is a weak possibility. They crucified Jesus to stop people from believing in him. If they had Christ's body, they could have paraded it through the streets of Jerusalem. In one fell swoop, they would have successfully smothered Christianity in its cradle. That they did not do this bears eloquent testimony to the fact that they did not have the body.
Another theory is that the women (the first to see Jesus’ empty tomb) were distraught and overcome by grief, missed their way in the dimness of the morning and went to the wrong tomb. In their distress, they imagined Christ had risen because the tomb was empty. But again, if the women went to the wrong tomb, why did the high priests and other enemies of the faith not go to the right tomb and produce the body?
One other possibility is what some call "the swoon theory." In this view, Christ did not actually die. He was mistakenly reported to be dead, but had swooned from exhaustion, pain, and loss of blood, and in the coolness of the tomb, he revived. (One would have to overlook the fact that they put a spear in his side to medically confirm his death.)
But let us assume for a moment that Christ was buried alive and swooned. Is it possible to believe that he would have survived three days in a damp tomb without food or water or attention of any kind? Would he have had the strength to extricate himself from the grave clothes, push the heavy stone away from the mouth of the grave, overcome the Roman guards, and walk miles on feet that had been pierced with spikes? It too makes little sense.
However, it wasn't the empty tomb that convinced Jesus' followers of his deity.
Not just the empty tomb.
That alone did not convince them that Jesus actually rose from the dead, was alive, and was God. What convinced them were the number of times that Jesus showed up, in person, in the flesh, and ate with them, and talked with them. Different locations, different times, to a variety of different people. Luke, one of the gospel writers, says of Jesus, "he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."29
To write these off as hallucinations doesn’t fit. One reason is the variety of locations, times, people. But also, for hallucinations to occur, one must so intensely want to believe that a person projects something that really isn’t there.
For instance, a mother who lost her son remembers he used to come home from school at 3:30 every day. Every afternoon she sits waiting at the door, until finally sees him and has a conversation with him. She has lost contact with reality.
One might think that this is what happened to the disciples regarding Jesus’ resurrection. However, the opposite took place. They were persuaded against their will that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Is Jesus God?
All four of the gospel writers give accounts of Jesus physically being alive again. On one occasion when Jesus joined the disciples, Thomas was not there. When they told Thomas about it, he simply wouldn't believe it. He flatly stated, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
One week later, Jesus came to them again with Thomas now present. Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas replied, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus told him "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."30
What Jesus Christ offers you
Christ gives purpose and direction to life. “I am the light of the world,” he says. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”31
Many are in the dark about the purpose of life in general and about their own lives in particular. They are groping around the room of life looking for the light switch. Anyone who has ever been in a dark, unfamiliar room knows this feeling of insecurity. When the light goes on, however, a feeling of security results. And so it is when one steps from darkness to the light of life in Christ.
The late Carl Gustav Jung said, “The central neurosis of our time is emptiness.” We think that experiences, relationships, money, success, fame will finally provide the happiness we seek. But there is always a gap left. They don’t fully satisfy. We have been made for God and find fulfillment only in him.
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”32
You can begin an intimate relationship with him right now. You can begin to personally know God in this life on earth, and after death into eternity. Here is God's promise to us:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."33
Jesus took our sin on himself, on the cross. He chose to receive punishment for our sin, so that our sin would no longer be a barrier between us and him. Because he fully paid for your sin, he offers you complete forgiveness and a relationship with him.
Here is how you can begin that relationship.
Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him."34
Right now you can invite Jesus Christ into your life. The words are not important. What matters is that you respond to him, in light of what he has done for you, and is now offering you. You could say to him something like, "Jesus, I believe in you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I ask you to forgive me and to come into my life right now. I want to know you and follow you. Thank you for coming into my life and giving me a relationship with you, right now. Thank you."
If you asked Jesus into your life, we would like to help you grow to know him better. In whatever way we can help you, please feel free to click on one of the links below.
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Adapted from Know Why You Believe by Paul E. Little, published by Victor Books, copyright (c) 1988, SP Publications, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60187. Used by permission.
Footnotes: (1) Matthew 7:29 (2) Matthew 16:15-16 (3) John 5:18 (4) John 10:33 (5) John 10:10 (6) John 8:12 (7) John 5:24 (8) John 10:28 (9) Mark 14:61-64 (10) John 8:19; 14:7 (11) 12:45; 14:9 (12) 12:44; 14:1 (13) Mark 9:37 (14) John 15:23 (15) John 5:23 (16) John 10:38 (17) John 8:46 (18) 1 Peter 2:22 (19) Matthew 27:54 (20) John 9:25, 32 (21) Mark 4:41 (22) John 11:48 (23) John 14:6 (24) John 8:12 (25) John 10:28 (26) Mark 9:31 (27) John 10:18 (28) Matthew 26:52,53 (29) Acts 1:3 (30) John 20:24-29 (31) John 8:12 (32) John 6:35 (33) John 3:16 (34) Revelation 3:20
Persistent Knocking
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Wednesday, September 28, 2022
I’m Shy So How Can I Witness for Christ?
How can a person that is painfully shy witness for Christ as bold as a lion?
Gospel Power
The gospel comes with its own power. In other words, there is power in the Gospel, because there is power in the Word. The Apostle Paul, in referring to the gospel, wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). Note that Paul said he is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ because it has the power of God in the message. How many of us look at ourselves as inadequate to share Christ and yet don’t realize that the gospel comes with its own power? Paul also told the Corinthian Church that “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18), so the gospel has the power to save. We only have to release it by sharing it. If we tell others about Christ, we can trust God with the results. We cannot save anyone, but God will use us as a means to save others when we share the gospel and let the power of God take over.
Ashamed of Christ?
Earlier we read that Paul was “not ashamed of the gospel,” but how many of us are? At one time, I was, but Jesus Christ tells us plainly that “whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). If you never share Christ and deny Him by denying speaking about Him, then you are ashamed of Christ, and that does not end well for those who do this. Why? It’s because “the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God” (Luke 12:9). This would be like bringing a date to a party and then denying he or she is your date, and then, even denying that you knew them. Wouldn’t that humiliate and anger your date? Of course it would, and it might be the last date you had with that person, so imagine how Jesus feels when we deny Him by our silence and we are ashamed to speak about Him.
Fear of Man
Three of the most frightening things we do as humans is: pubic speaking, having a fear of heights, and having a fear of insects (spiders in particular), but for believers, I would put the number one fear as sharing Christ. Fearing people’s rejection of Christ is the reason most people don’t witness, but the fact is, “The fear of man lays a snare” (Prov 29:25a), but our fear’s in the wrong place. Jesus again tells us to “not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do” (Luke 12:4). They can persecute you, call you names, and in some places around the world, even kill you, but Jesus reassures us that, “after that have nothing more that they can do,” so the One to fear is God and Him alone. We can actually deny Christ by not speaking about Christ. By our silence, we deny Jesus because we fail to speak up for Him, and that’s another serious issue as Jesus says that “whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 10:33). If we are ashamed of Christ in this lifetime and deny Him before others in our lives, then He will be ashamed of us and deny us before the Father, meaning we will not enter into the kingdom. Why do we fear man over an omnipotent God? Maybe it’s because we don’t like to look bad in front of others or be embarrassed when people reject us and the message of the gospel, but by doing so, we show we fear man more than we fear God.
Eternal Regrets
How do you conquer fear? You go out and get scared a lot of times. What I mean is, if you are fearful of witnessing for Christ (most of us are), then practice with someone in your family or another Christian. And don’t think that their being saved depends on you because it doesn’t…God alone saves, although we have the great privilege to participate in the Great Commission. Witnessing gets easier over time, but never really being “easy.” It’s better if you have someone with you who can pray while you share Christ. Maybe that’s why Jesus sent them out two by two, but one way you can destroy the shyness you have (or really, it’s fear!) in sharing Christ is to think about the fact that God saves them by His Word and by His Spirit. Think of the person’s eternal state if you don’t witness to them. I don’t think we’ll be in heaven thinking, “I wished I hadn’t embarrassed myself by witnessing to my aunt Kathy” but more likely, “Why didn’t I share Christ with my aunt, uncle, nephew, and neighbor!?” There is no evangelism in heaven, because by then, it’s too late, but as long as you’re drawing a breath, God can use you. You must pray to get over your fear of witnessing and think about these people being separated from God for all eternity. That should motivate us to be more consistent and effective witnesses for Christ.
Conclusion
If you have never, ever shared Christ with anyone, then you must be ashamed of Him or you are fearful of man. You must fear the rejection of man more than the fear of God. God commands us all to go into all the world to make disciples of all nations, teaching them the same things that Jesus taught the disciples (Matt 28:18-20), but if you fear speaking to people about Jesus, then you won’t go into all the world. In fact, you might not even go next door. Sharing Christ is not easy, but it is commanded of all believers. And if we don’t share Christ, who will? Remember, someone shared Christ with you, so how can you and I possibly be too shy, fearful, or ashamed to share the good news of Jesus Christ?
Here is some related reading for you: How to Share the Gospel with Family
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/im-shy-so-how-can-i-witness-for-christ/#ixzz7g7DEo498
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Reflections on Evening
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Monday, September 26, 2022
The Source Of Wisdom
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Sunday, September 25, 2022
A Word for the Anxious
History, philosophy, and theology all testify that fear and anxiety have always been a significant part of the human experience. Nevertheless, the word anxiety has a contemporary ring to it. We live in an age of anxiety; it is a part of the fabric of modern life. And it is part of the experience of many believers.
Anxiety is a chronic and pervasive feeling. While fear describes a response to specific and immediate threats, anxiety is a response to something more distant and nebulous. Kierkegaard referred to it as a sense of dread. When we are anxious, we often don’t even know what it is we are dreading, but a malaise can begin to settle over us, making it difficult to cope with life.
The Bible acknowledges that the natural propensity of the human heart is to be anxious and fearful. In fact, the very first thing Adam and Eve did after eating the fruit was to cover their bodies and hide from God’s presence (Gen. 3:7–8). So while we may live in an “age of anxiety,” anxiety itself has been a defining feature of the human experience for nearly as long as humans have been around—which means none of us is uniquely sinful because we feel anxious.
Nevertheless, we all ought to be aware that anxiety is not God’s desire for us. So the Bible also presents a solution. God’s word to us is never that we should ignore anxiety or push it away by sheer force of will. The answer is not detachment, and it is not bravado. It is not a magical, one-time cure. It is trust. The Scriptures recognize the reality of anxiety and teach us to displace it with a growing confidence in God.
Peter’s Word to the Anxious
The apostle Peter wrote to the scattered believers of his day with advice on how to handle their anxieties. These Christians were normal people who worried about everyday things, but they were also believers in a hostile environment, regarded as a nuisance by many of their neighbors. They lived with both the prospect and the reality of rejection and suffering—and therefore, they had plenty to be anxious about.
The Bible acknowledges that the natural propensity of the human heart is to be anxious and fearful
Amid this experience, Peter urged his readers, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6–7). These words provide both a framework to understand what we should do with our own anxiety and an assurance that can help us proceed when we feel overwhelmed by life’s troubles.
An Attitude to Adopt
At its heart, anxiety comes from our trying to assume responsibility for the things only God can do. It has to do with the urge for control. It takes root when we think something is ultimately up to us—that with a little bit more effort and organization, we can finally handle it (what “it” is) by ourselves. This perspective can take the shape of open defiance of God, but it is often a hidden attitude of the heart. With our mouths we say, “I trust You, God,” but within, we cling to the sense that we must do something ourselves.
Many of us who fly frequently know the experience: You’re flying over an ocean in the darkness of a night, and paralyzing, bizarre thoughts creep in. That turbulence sure was unsettling. And I haven’t heard from the pilots in a long time. I hope they’re okay! What would happen if something went wrong now? Those fears can be sudden, unexplained, and overwhelming—but they’re not useful. Tempted as we may be to pester the attendants with our questions, it will do no good, because we are not the pilots. We actually have no power over the situation, and it is firmly in the capable hands of those who do.
At its heart, anxiety comes from our trying to assume responsibility for the things only God can do.
The key to dealing with our anxiety is to “humble [our]selves … under the mighty hand of God.” Before we can take any action, we have to learn the inner virtue of knowing our powerlessness and God’s power. He knows our beginning from our end, and nothing happens to us apart from His knowledge and will. His purpose is to work all things together for good—even the suffering and death of His saints (Rom. 8:28, 38–39). We can thus bow down under the loving sovereignty of God and turn to Him when circumstances are out of our power.
An Action to Take
Our response to anxiety should be resolute and purposeful. As Peter writes, we are to be “casting” our anxieties onto God. The verb “casting” indicates decisiveness. It is similar to a schoolboy coming home on a Friday afternoon and tossing his bag in the corner. He has no thoughts of looking in that bag for the rest of the weekend. He is casting it aside for the time being.
Instead of going through our days pressed down by the burden of anxiety, we are to cast all our anxieties on God. We should do this with fervor, with no intention of recovering what we’ve given to the only one who is perfectly capable. We can say, “God, I have to put this in Your hands. It will do me no good to think of this any longer, so I entrust it to You.”
Many of us find, when we try to cast our anxiety away, that the feeling sticks to our hands and stays with us. A prayer asking God to take on our burdens is always a good first step—though it won’t always relieve the inner burden that we feel. But we can still take decisive steps forward in trust. When we know our concerns are in God’s hands, we can choose to focus on those things that He has given us power to do. It is important to acknowledge the difference between our feelings and the reality that God is faithfully working behind the scenes. Then we can act on what’s real, not on how we feel.
An Encouragement to Receive
Peter finally encourages his readers with four words: “He cares for you.” Jesus already knows all our troubles, and His care extends even to the smallest details of our lives, for “There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus—no, not one!”1 He is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Heb. 4:15, KJV). And if we ever are in doubt of His care, then we must turn again to the cross, where the ultimate expression of God’s care is seen.
Ultimately, though, it isn’t “self-care” but “God-care” that is the key to combating our anxieties. The true antidote to anxiety is theological. Because of who God is, anxiety no longer needs to control us. We may not be able to deal with the cause of our anxiety—whether it’s unemployment, singleness, recurring illness, etc.—but by the help of God’s Spirit, we can refuse to be burdened by the care that weighs us down.
God works all things together for good for His people is “because he cares for you.” Our ultimate comfort is to be found in the fact that nothing can separate us from Christ’s love (Rom. 8:38–39). We may face all kinds of trouble, and this world may offer us every reason for fear and anxiety, but we can rest assured that we are secure in Christ and in His care for us. Just as He had victory over His sufferings when God raised Him from the dead, we will have victory when He raises us up with Him—and then “He will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).
The true antidote to anxiety is theological. Because of who God is, anxiety no longer needs to control us.
Assurance amid Anxiety
Many of us are fighting a battle in this realm of anxiety. We wonder if it will always be this way, if we’ll ever get over it, and why things can’t be different. Many of our friends and family don’t seem to understand. But God knows about our worry, and He is our confidence going forward. As we learn to trust in Him, we will find it easier to cast our cares on Him and move forward in doing what He has called us to. As J. B. Phillips paraphrases Peter’s words: “You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern.”
This article was adapted from the sermon “Anxiety” by Alistair Begg. Subscribe to get weekly blog updates.