#1854 0721 13A

            We must be informed about and actively apply three essential truths on trust in order to be victorious in every aspect of our spiritual life—as well as being protected from every evil thing in our physical life.  To consecrate our life to God is to ask Him to be our private Tutor.

            He is, of course, the best Teacher of spiritual Truth and really the only One qualified to teach us what we need to know.  It is a great privilege to have Him do this spiritual work in our heart—One who loves us; who is patient with us; and who is 2 Peter 3:9 “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

            With any temptation from Satan, we are to apply these three necessary principles of trust.  Doing this not only brings victory over the devil, but also increases our knowledge of what God is willing to do for us.  Satan cannot disturb our peace; he cannot rob us spiritually, and he cannot keep us from enjoying any Atonement right—physically, financially, or in any other way—when we understand and apply these three necessary truths on trust.

            First thing is to know what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us.  This first truth on trust is worthy of careful study and thoughtful meditation.  A full understanding of what Jesus did on the cross will enable us to be delivered from anything Satan brings on us.  The Atonement sacrifice of Jesus removed everything God could have had against us.  When our faith and trust are on the shed Blood His Son, we are eligible for God’s blessings.

            That Blood sacrifice makes us worthy to receive all that God has for us.  Jesus bore all the guilt and punishment that would have been ours—Isaiah 53:6 “the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.”  The apostle says Romans 5:8 “God doth commend His own love to us, that, in our being still sinners, Christ did die for us.”

            That great Atonement work of forgiveness and reconciliation was accomplished by Jesus so that we could have every blessing God wants to give His children.  Satan has no right to keep any gift from us.  Romans 8:31-33 “If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

            The devil might accuse us; and he might suggest many things, as to why we will not enjoy those blessings of God; but Romans 8:33-34 ”Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies.  Who is he who condemns?  It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us”—and presenting our requests before the Father as our Mediator.

            Cain and Abel both made offerings to God—one was worthy of acceptance by God, and the other was not—one included blood and the other did not.  Hebrews 11:4 ”Through faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain did, and through this faith he obtained testimony that he was righteous, God giving the testimony by accepting his gifts; and through it, though he is dead, he still speaks.”  There is no worthiness in us at all, but it is all in the Blood of Jesus.  Anything we do that is not inspired by the Spirit of God, results in no spiritual benefit or blessing.

            Second thing we need to know is the importance of trusting God alone for anything we need accomplished or provided.  We begin life having many sources of human help, but all of them need to be eliminated, so that our dependence for everything—spiritually, physically, financially, peace in our home, workplace, change of attitudes, and every other life issue—is transferred to God alone.

            This is not just something God would like to see us do, but it is something that we must do.  The greatest Commandment is to have no other gods in place of the one true God.  Exodus 20:4-5 “Do not make idols of any kind [form, shape, or image]”—because “You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god!”

            If we are trusting in some other power, plan, pill, prescription, procedure, or medication, Satan is able to hinder our victory from God.  Every difficulty or problem that has ever been experienced by human beings, has come about because of their dependence on something, or someone, other than God—whether consciously or unconsciously depending on them.  When our trust and dependence is only on God—Satan is done for.  The devil can fight human power, but he cannot fight divine power.

            God wants to help us learn these spiritual Truths of trust on Him.  When a spiritual battle is encountered, we often try to stand against the devil by our own power.  We soon realize that this is futile, and that we are helpless in our own strength.

            The more we try to resist in human ability, the more Satan intensifies the temptation or battle.  If we defend in our strength, the devil can defeat us, but he cannot overpower God.  1 John 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

            To trust God for peace in our home means to maintain a right attitude ourselves toward those in the home, first—regardless of what they may have said, or how Satan may be using them to disturb the peace.  If we try to change the attitudes of those in the home by force, or by plans of the world, we might as well send the devil an invitation to come in or stay in our home.

            If we hold any resentment in our heart—even though it may not show on the outside, but we still have some wrong attitudes on the inside—of how wrong the other person is, or how we would like to see justice done—that can allow the devil to remain and to disturb the peace of our home.

            We cannot even think wrong thoughts about people—in our home or anywhere else—nor can we worry over wrongs that have been done to us, because resentment is a foundation-pillar of the sin-nature.  When anyone does a mean or spiteful thing to us, our response is to keep the same attitude toward them as before the incident—holding no resentment or any hard feelings.

            Jesus responded to wrongs in the right way and told us to pray for those who hurt us, so we can be children of the Father Matthew 5:45.  He said even pagans are kind to those who like them.  1 Peter 2:19-23 ”For it is an acceptable thing with God, if, from a sense of duty to Him, a man patiently submits to wrong, when treated unjustly.  If you do wrong and receive a blow for it, what credit is there in your bearing it patiently?  But if when you do right and suffer for it you bear it patiently, this is an acceptable thing with God. 

            “And it is to this you were called; because Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving you an example so that you should follow in His steps.  He never sinned, and no deceitful language was ever heard from His mouth.  When He was reviled, He did not answer with reviling; when He suffered He uttered no threats, but left His wrongs in the hands of the righteous Judge.”

            Leaving our wrongs in the righteous Father’s hands, means not being upset over them; not complaining about the treatment to anyone; and definitely not bringing the matter up again and again.  We are to love Christ so much, that we pray for those who mistreat us.  We are not permitted to hold the slightest resentment—secretly or openly toward anyone, for any reason.  That is a necessary thing to know; and the pathway to Heaven.

            Third thing to know is the importance of taking God at His Word.  When we begin to trust God, everything is sight, feeling, or what we think—which is really what Satan suggests.  The devil constantly fills our mind with doubt, fear, and unbelief.  All of that is from the deceiver.  Instead of accepting his lies, we are to accept God’s Word—as the foundation of our faith and trust.

            Two disciples were accepting the lies of the same devil in the 1st century—and the same devil still lies to us in the 21st century.  These disciples were discouraged because they were believing the depressing thoughts of Satan.  They had no excuse for being dejected, however, because Jesus told His followers Luke 24:7 that “The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

            They replied to Jesus Luke 24:21, ”We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.”  Instead of seeing things as God had told them, they were accepting the lies the devil was saying to them.  Jesus said Luke 24:25-26, "[O fools], and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"  He then explained about His Atonement for sin.

            Now they could give a different testimony, because they began to see things as God’s Word said.  Luke 24:32 "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"  We will also have the same positive results, when we are willing to see things as His Word says they are, because His Son already paid for our victory on the cross.  The application of these three essential Truths will bring us to victory every time. 

            First—When we are willing to believe and accept what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross—how He took on Himself all the sins, sorrows, pain, trouble, and discouragement we have had—we will be in a position to receive our Atonement rights—of blessings, victories, deliverances, healings, protection, and every other gift, because Isaiah 53:6 “the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.”

            Second—We are to place all our trust on the living God alone, by a deliberate choice, and to make a commitment that even if it means losing our life, we are going to trust God in faith, and we will not accept any other plan, power, or substitute of the devil.

            Third—We are to accept what God’s Word says—that we are delivered, healed, protected, and supplied—because God promised.  If we will use that combination, God will bring about spiritual growth; we will learn how to trust Him for all things, and He will have us ready for His kingdom.