My greatest desire is to help people grow spiritually– to find the same freedoms I have found in Christ. But the hardest thing I’ve ever learned in ministry is, I can’t make people believe.
And I get it. I had a hard time believing too. I couldn’t understand how God could forgive me or love me– especially realizing He knew everything I’d ever done or thought. How could a holy God love me (a sinner) like that? The problem with my thinking is I was trying to envision God as a human, with human emotions and restrictions.
God is holy and just and good. And our sins can’t limit that.
Paul said, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight–” (Colossians 1:21-22). Notice we weren’t enemies in His mind. It’s only in our own mind that we struggle and wrestle with these truths.
Jesus willingly laid His life down in exchange for ours (2 Corinthians 5:21). And through that exchange, He took our sins and gave us His righteousness. This is why the Bible says He was able to “present us holy, blameless, and above reproach.” This word present means to cause to stand. I love that. Righteousness is right-standing with God. Our faith in Jesus, and invitation for Him to make our heart His home, immediately exchanges our sin for His righteousness presenting us before God “whole and holy in His presence” (MSG).
But notice it says Jesus presented us holy, blameless, and above reproach “in His sight.” So not only do we wrestle with wicked works in our mind but we have a hard time seeing ourselves the way God sees us.
This is where you have to choose to believe.
I remember wrestling with this– I could choose to believe my feelings and my thoughts, or I could choose to believe what I was reading and hearing from God’s Word.
It wasn’t an easy flip of a switch. I had to unlearn a lot. And I couldn’t just hear it once. I had to hear it over and over again. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). I also had to say what God said about me, about love, life, and everything in between. The enemy is a thief and Jesus warned us that God’s Word, like a seed, could be stolen. “Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12).
This word saved has a dual meaning. The first is obviously eternal salvation. But the second meaning is that which follows and flows from a saved heart (a born-again believer). In other words, because our minds aren’t born-again at salvation, there’s a process of time where we are progressively growing in knowledge and truth– thus saving us from the lies of the enemy that would try to thwart God’s plan in our life.
A person can be born-again in their heart and completely lost in their mind.
This is why Paul emphasized to the Colossians that any alienation we feel from God is in our mind, not His. Any struggle with our mirror is in our sight, not His.
BUT we play a big part in faith. Paul said we don’t have to live that way “if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard…” (Colossians 1:23).
This is why I’ve been disappointed and saddened at times in ministry– I can’t make others continue in the faith. I can’t make them believe these truths. The reality is, people can be saved and yet remain alienated in their minds. God sees them as holy, flawless, and restored, but if they don’t see themselves that way, they will struggle in this life.
And that’s why the phrase “defeated Christian” is the greatest oxymoron ever. It’s a reality (I’ve been one) but it’s not the truth. IN CHRIST, we are righteous, loved, held, strong, victorious, at peace, overcomers, joyful, and steadfast (to name a few). But we “must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it” (NLT).
So if this describes you, don’t believe your feelings or circumstances. Keep God’s Word before you (in your mouth and in your heart). It will grow and strengthen you. If this describes someone you know, keep praying and sharing your faith. You can’t choose for them but you can guide them.
