“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov 3:5,6).
After last week’s personal testimony related to chastening of the LORD, I felt compelled to prophesy further on trusting the One we profess so casually at times as personal Lord and Savior. Multitudes have been brainwashed into believing that simply calling on the Name of the Lord is sufficient for receiving all of Calvary’s blessings and benefits. It is a distorted gospel that would have one believe because justification of sins was fully accounted for by Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, it costs nothing for one to become covered by the blood shed on an awesome Cross. No repentance needed or need to receive a gift of faith to believe, and no need to trust in the LORD with all of one’s heart. Just ‘cheap grace’ and not costly grace. Not losing one’s life to save it as Jesus demands of all who’d be disciples (Mark 8:35).
As explained in last week’s proverb, I have had several experiences related to trusting in the LORD with all of one’s heart. Rather remarkable if not spectacular outcomes resulted in terms of remissions from what otherwise were very difficult circumstances. Yet in each instance, abundant grace was received such that trusting in the LORD was anything but an exercise in futility. To the contrary, trusting in the LORD was made possible by faith, and that not of myself but as a gift of God. Is that not exactly what the word of God tells about salvation, a word also translated deliverance. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8),
The NT meaning of grace is not that of the Hebrew word chen that means unmerited favor. The Greek word charis translated grace means God’s divine influence on the heart which is reflected in life. This divine influence brings a gift of faith unto salvation and also enables a person to trust in the LORD instead of leaning on his own understanding. While the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and causes godly sorrow, it is repentance which leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10). Repentance, turning from ways of sin to the ways of God (conversion), then brings a blotting out of sins, times of refreshing joy, and the presence of Jesus Christ is sent into one’s life (/Acts 3:19). And trusting in the LORD becomes possible.
Many who profess Christ today have never experienced genuine repentance. Instead they were offered cheap grace which did not require repentance, and were simply led through a so-called sinner’s prayer and often offered the false security of eternal security at the same time. And so it is that they continue to lean on their own understanding and are not able to allow the Spirit of Christ to direct their paths through life. Instead of being able to trust the LORD with all their heart, they struggle with fear and frequently suffer with any number of stress-related and anxiety-related conditions. I have met so many such who profess Christ but appear to have counterfeit salvation experiences and never witness the peace of God which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:5,6).
