Scripture: 1 John 3:21-22
“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.”
I wish for your life to be filled with God’s love and blessing, and I want to share the grace with you through the message titled with “Be strong and take courage.”
When they are stubborn, good at quarreling, and fulfilling the duties without surrendering, the worldly people think they are strong and courageous. But it is different to those who are strong and take courage in the sight of God.
If you are gentle and meek but if you confidently struggle against the enemy devil without fear and defeat it at the spiritual warfare, and if you boldly ask God and receive it, you can be deemed strong and courageous in the sight of God.
What then are you to do to become strong and take courage before God? Fiurst of all, you have to circumcise the heart.
The circumcision was commanded Abraham by God for the first time, and the people of Israel were circumcised 8 days after their birth. The circumcision must be applied to you today, but you have to receive the circumcision not on your body but on the heart because it is the era of the Holy Spirit.
The circumcision of heart refers to cutting off the skin of the heart and when you kept the word of God, throw off sins and live by the truth, you can circumcise your heart.
In other words, the circumcision of your heart is done when you cast off all kinds of untruths, evils, unrighteousness, lawlessness, and darkness that are against His word and become sanctified.
Do you sometimes feel empty and burdened in your heart even though you have fulfilled your duties, served the church and attended the worship services and meetings on a regular basis? If then, it proves that you ceased circumcising the heart and have stayed at the same in spiritual growth.
For example, you may not seem to be arrogant in words and deeds, but have a desire to be served inside. Suppose you do businesses and do not either break the law or swindle anyone, but you may have a covetous desire to gain benefits in an improper way.
If you have not committed evident deeds of those sinful natures, you may not have endeavored to uproot those sinful natures thoroughly with fervent prayers and fasting. You may repent of them temporarily but tend to cover the fundamentals of those sins. Thus, you cannot have confidence before God, so you seem lacking in courage.
You can become filled with the Holy Spirit and be strong and take courage when you keep on circumcising your heart, and must accomplish sanctified heart of spirit through the circumcision of heart.
Just as said in 1 John 3:21-22, “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight,” may each of you be strong and take courage before God and receive whatever you have asked and glorify God in the name of our Lord Jesus C1hrist I pray!
