WE HAVE THIS CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE!
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from the Afrikaans Version: Ons het hierdie sekere wete!
Translator: Lynda Botha
Someone wrote to me about how we sometimes as Christians are tempted and get plunged into grief and suffering.
This is how I view these type of matters as they come on my path.
First, I am a child of God and not just any child:
ROM 8:17: “And since we are His children, we are His Heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering.”
We are not only God's children and co-heir with Jesus, no, we are His brothers/sisters as well:
MAT 12:50: “Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother!”
Our Lord thinks so much of you and me, His child, His brother/sister, that He not only made us co-heirs with Jesus, but that Jesus was prepared to die for His friends, you and me, and He tells us what He has done for us:
JHN 15:13: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Jesus says to you and me, God's children:
You, Jesus' brother/sister, co-heir and friend must know that satan will try to overpower us with all his might, but we can be certain:
1 COR 10:13 “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
Also:
JAMES 1:2-4
2 “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”
3 “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”
4 “So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
Therefore, we can stand up in the spirit, pull back our shoulders and give this testimony to the world:
2 COR 4:8 “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.
We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.”
2 COR 4:9 “We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.
We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.”
You see, our God, who calls us His children – He who made us co-heirs of Jesus, who called us His brother/sister, our friend, who was willing to die for us – said:
LUK 12:4 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that.”
LUK 12:5 “But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, He’s the one to fear.”
You see, we, His children, His brothers/sisters, His co-heirs and friend, knows, we have this certain knowledge:
ROM 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”
So, you can – with a wonderful feeling of excitement in your heart today – sing this simple but very, very true chorus:
“I'm on my way to heaven, I'm on my way to heaven.
Singing, singing, always singing, I'm on my way to heaven.”
Greetings,
Sakkie