Complimentary Story
Peter was a courageous man. Peter was the only one, when Jesus was walking on the storm, that got out of the boat and walked on the water. Peter had faith in Christ’s ability to do the impossible. Jesus Christ has given us the gospels and His teachings, and the Holy Spirit of God to do everything we need to do as Jesus has commanded us to do. When we remember Peter’s walk on the water, we need to know that Peter did not walk on the water in his own strength. And when Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wind and waves he started to sink. Faith in Christ gave Peter the ability to walk on water. Faith in God and Jesus Christ can make you a courageous Christian. Courage is the ability to do what Jesus wants you to do, in the way Jesus wants you to do it, with the strength Jesus gives, giving all the glory to God, being careful of your own pride to take credit for something you could never do without Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit; and that means everything, even the small successes. Remember to give glory to God through Jesus Christ, because you have been crucified with Christ, you no longer live, but Christ Jesus lives in you.
Think about what Galatians 5:20 says. “I have been crucified with Christ.” What does crucifixion do for you? The Holy Spirit kills your old sin nature, so you no longer live for yourself, but for Christ. Part of your old sin nature is your pride in what you can accomplish in your own power. (1 John 2:15-17). Peter had to learn many times that his own ideas and power would not work. Peter boasted many times of his ability to not forsake Jesus, but he did. The great thing was that Jesus never gave up on Peter. John 17: 9-12), “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they are Yours. All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine. And glory has come to Me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name, the name You gave me, so that they may be one as We are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave Me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.” I find this very encouraging. Jesus is praying for His disciples and says “Father protect them by the Name you gave Me.” The disciples could not fail, because Jesus Christ’s Name, which is the highest most beautiful name ever, protected them.
God will always give courage and strength to those that are crucified with Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. How could Jesus deny His Own Spirit working through an individual that wants to live for God? In Joshua 1, God calls Joshua to be strong and courageous, but God also tells Joshua to obey all the laws given, and to not turn to the right or the left. We must learn to walk according to the Spirit each day, because our strength and courage does not come all at one time. God gives us strength and courage each day as we face whatever giant you face today. It could be submitting to your boss at work, who isn’t very nice to you. It could be forgiving someone that has slighted you and maybe has hurt you and you have been holding a grudge for years. We think of great battles we want to win for God, but Jesus is thinking of that person you dislike in your heart. Read through Ephesians 4, 5, and 6 and see if you are living and walking with Jesus each day. Ask yourself when you go through these chapters, am I grieving the Holy Spirit?
We also need to walk according to the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-26). Patience, love, gentleness, self-control, goodness, kindness, and peace. We need to study how these fruits of the Spirit are manifested in our daily lives. This is the “now Christ lives in me!” And as I said before, be careful to give God all the glory. If Christ lives in me and is producing His own character in me, how can I boast about this? I am thankful, that my old nature which is just trash in the sight of God is gone, and Jesus wonderfully gives me strength to live a new life in His victory. All our strength and courage come through the cross and resurrection of Jesus by faith in Him being able to walk on water.
Faith is the secret to being strong and courageous. Faith is believing in God’s promises and commands, standing on God’s promises and commands, doing what God has promised us He wants us to do, and doing this with the Spirit’s help, and giving all the glory to God. Faith is knowing who Jesus is, knowing what pleases Jesus, and loving and living according to the Holy Spirit, which Jesus has given us.
Romans 8: 26-30, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”
More Than Conquerors
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all — how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who, then, is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39).
