https://app.sermonsend.com/sermon/minden-epc/confident-christians

Walking by Faith: How to Be a Confident Christian in Uncertain Times

In a world filled with uncertainty, it's easy to lose our confidence. With constant worries about safety, the future, and the challenges we face daily, we might wonder where we can find the strength to remain steadfast. As Thomas Paine once remarked during the American Revolution, "These are the times that try men's souls." This sentiment rings true for many of us today.

But Christians should be the most confident people in the world. What can anyone really do to us if we're in Christ? He promises to take care of us, and we should believe that promise wholeheartedly. Let's explore how we can become more confident Christians, even in shaky times.

What Does It Mean to Be a Confident Christian?

In 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, Paul twice mentions being confident. This confidence isn't based on circumstances but on eternal truths. Interestingly, people whose lives have fallen apart in the world often tell others about Jesus more readily than those who are successful. When Jesus turns your life around and gives you the joy of salvation after you've been in the depths, you recognize the precious gift you've received.

How Can We Look Forward to Heaven with Confidence?

The first key to Christian confidence is looking forward to heaven. Paul writes in verses 6 and 8: "Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord... We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."

Many of us struggle to identify where "home" truly is, especially if we've moved frequently. The Census Bureau reports that the average American moves nearly 12 times in their lifetime. Moving has benefits—seeing new places, meeting new people—but it also creates a sense of rootlessness.

This world is not our home, and we need to think of it that way. Heaven is our true home, and we're on a journey waiting to get there. Home isn't about a physical location or possessions; it's about being with those we love. Our earthly homes are temporary because we constantly say goodbye to people we love—children grow up and leave, visits become less frequent.

If you're looking for a place where you never have to say goodbye, you won't find it on earth. Only in heaven will goodbyes cease. These temporary separations should make us homesick for our eternal home.

What Does It Mean to Walk by Faith, Not by Sight?

Confident Christians walk by faith, not by sight. Walking literally means taking a series of small steps in the same direction. Walking by faith means continuing in the right direction even when you can't see your final destination.

Sometimes walking can be tedious and boring—like walking on a treadmill. But you keep going until you complete your journey. When Paul says we don't walk by sight, he means we don't have to see heaven yet to believe in its promise.

Life and death lie side by side in cemeteries, with tombstones that rarely tell the true story of a person's life. We live, we believe, and eventually, we die—often without seeing all we've believed come true. But resurrection requires death; it's simply a door to something greater.

The key word in our faith journey is "yet." We may not see all God has promised "yet," but we live and die believing it will come true. This perspective changes how we pray for the lost: "He's not saved yet" brings God into the picture and acknowledges His power to work in the future.

Why Should We Make Pleasing Christ Our Goal?

Confident Christians want to please Christ. As Paul writes in verse 9-10: "We make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

Ambition drives people to extraordinary efforts—getting up early, working multiple jobs, training for years to win Olympic gold. Godly ambition means seeking Christ's pleasure above our own, starting with a simple desire to spend time with Him.

Like dogs that eagerly follow their owners everywhere, we should naturally want to be near Jesus. The worship song that says, "I just want to be where you are, dwelling daily in your presence" captures this desire perfectly. Though we may sometimes feel "prone to wander," we should strive for that close relationship.

What Happens at the Judgment Seat of Christ?

Eventually, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. This appointment cannot be avoided and is deeply personal. We will stand individually before the Lord and receive what is due for the life we've lived.

The phrase "good or bad" in verse 10 means something like "useful or useless." When we stand before the Lord, we may be surprised to discover how much of our life had no real eternal value.

This judgment evaluates quality, not quantity. The preacher has no advantage over the shut-in. Heaven's richest people will likely be those overlooked on earth—the widow who never stopped praying, the teenager who shared Christ with friends, the single mom who raised children without complaint, the missionary who left comforts for dangers, the unseen prayer warriors.

First Corinthians 3:12-15 describes this judgment as a fire that will test the quality of each person's work. It's not the fire of hell but Christ's penetrating vision that sees through all hypocrisy to the true value of what we've done with our lives.

How Can We Face the Future with Confidence?

When we look at the world around us, many things might lead us to despair. But we can be confident in eternal reality: whether we live or die, we'll be with the Lord.

President Ronald Reagan, after nearly being assassinated in 1981, was asked by his pastor, "How is it with you and the Lord?" Reagan replied, "Everything is fine with me and the Lord." When asked how he knew, he simply said, "I have a Savior."

That's the essence of Christian confidence: I have a Savior. When life falls apart, when business collapses, when churches decline—we have a Savior. And when He saves, He saves completely.

Life Application

In these uncertain times, how can you apply these principles to your daily life?

• Shift your perspective to see this world as temporary and heaven as your true home. How might this change your priorities and reduce your anxieties?

• Practice walking by faith by taking small steps in the right direction, even when you can't see the destination. What's one area where you need to keep moving forward despite uncertainty?

• Make pleasing Christ your ambition. Ask yourself: "Is my life useful or useless to the Lord?" What changes might you need to make?

• Offer yourself unreservedly to God with a simple prayer: "Lord Jesus, here I am. Use me any way you see fit. I offer you all that I have for the service of your kingdom."

• Begin praying with confidence for specific needs in your life, family, and church. Instead of saying "I hope God might..." try praying with conviction: "Lord, bring people to our church."

Ask yourself: If I were to stand before Christ's judgment seat today, what would He say about how I've used the talents, opportunities, and resources He's given me? Then live today in light of that future meeting.

Remember, the Lord sees all your service for Him. He knows your struggles and how hard the fight sometimes is. Keep believing, keep walking by faith, and know that the best is yet to come.