‘Look where you are going, or you will go where you are looking.’
The role of Best Man is one which requires some thought, preparation and planning. Last year, on the morning of my brother’s wedding, I had all of the above. I had emails listing where and when I had to do what and how. Exact speeches and announcements were drafted and I had them fixed in my memory. My own ‘Best Man’s’ speech had been rehearsed both privately and publicly (two 5 hour car journeys the week before had allowed plenty of practice runs), my jacket pockets contained handkerchiefs, spare handkerchiefs, speech notes, spare speech notes and mints. It was 8am and I was washed, fed, dressed and ready. Having stayed the night at an out-of-town hotel, I jumped into my car (with a full tank of petrol) and set up the sat-nav. I punched the road name into ‘Address’ and clicked ‘Go!’. Within seconds I was on the open road, heading towards my brother’s house ready for a pre-ceremony meeting and prayer time.
A few minutes along the road and I glanced at the sat-nav, 150 miles remaining, 3 hours driving time, it read.
‘What?’ I exclaimed. ‘Where am I going?!’
You see, I had been too hasty in punching the ‘Go!’ button. I had chosen a road with the same name as the one upon which my brother lived- only in Bradford instead of Loughborough.
It is very important- in life, as in marriage- to know where you are going.
Thankfully, I had not travelled too far and had time to rectify my mistake.
In my branch of Young Life- a Christian non-denominational youth group- we are working through a booklet called ‘Ignite’. Each week (excluding bonfire parties, Christmas parties and the like) our Friday night programme is based around a biblical topic in the book. In two week’s time our theme is entitled ‘Me? A Christian?’ and is looking at the issue of assurance- how can anyone be sure that Jesus Christ has forgiven them their sins and that they have a place in Heaven.
As a young Christian I struggled with this issue- and, I think it is fair to say, no Christian can say that they are free from occasional fears on this score.
When someone stands up in court to testify, they are giving a solemn promise that what they say is true. Of course, having watched plenty of detective films and tv shows, we all know that these testimonies can, in fact, be as much use a chocolate fire guard. When God, however, gives us a testimony, we can trust it implicitly. Truth is intrinsic to God’s very nature and therefore he cannot lie. We know this to be true, but sometimes our emotions and feelings rush away with us and we fail to see the significance. Read these verse, remembering that God cannot and will not lie:
“This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
1 John 5:11-13
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9
“…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
If we have come to realise that we are sinners- people who have rejected God’s lordship over our lives and tried to live without him as King- and have confessed this to him, and have asked his forgiveness then we have been saved. Jesus has never turned anyone away, whatever the devil tries to whisper in our ears (metaphorically speaking).
C.S. Lewis wrote an amazingly insightful book called ‘The Screwtape Letters’ in which he shares the fictitious correspondence between a Senior Undersecretary for Temptation and a Junior Tempter as the latter attempts to trick and deceive a young Christian into rejecting God. In one such letter, Uncle Screwtape is advising his nephew, Wormwood, who’s ‘patient’ is in a spiritual ‘trough’.
“Do not let him suspect the law of undulation. Let him assume that the first ardours of his conversion might have been expected to last, and ought to have lasted, forever, and that his present dryness is an equally permanent condition. Having once got this misconception well fixed in his head, you may then proceed in various ways.”
Do you see the trickery at play here? Often after we have asked Christ’s forgiveness and become Christians, or been baptised or done some other thing for Jesus, we suffer what seems to be a great spiritual drain. We feel ‘dry’. It could almost be described as anti-climatic. Seeing our lack of enthusiasm and joy, we immediately assume that we never truly became Christians, we assume that we were deceiving ourselves.
Our eternal life is not- I repeat NOT- based on our own feelings or emotions. It is based on Jesus Christ- the beloved Son of God- laying down his own life to pay the penalty we deserve for our sin.
Do you remember after Jesus first started his public ministry and was baptised, how he was led into the wilderness for 40 days? He was alone, without food and water, far from any encouragement or support. Yet when tempted by the devil he stood firm on the promises and instructions given in God’s Word.
When we find the Christian life a struggle, when we are tempted to doubt our very salvation, we must turn to the word of God and read and re-read the promises of God. He will never abandon those whom he has saved.
Perhaps you feel that God cannot accept you? Perhaps you fear that you have done too many things contrary to the Bible? Perhaps you fear that Jesus Christ would never have died for someone like you? Read the words of this old hymn and be comforted because Jesus said “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out…For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life…”
Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready waits to save you,
Full of pity, love and pow'r:
He is able, He is able,
He is willing, doubt no more.
Come, ye needy, come and welcome;
God's free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings us nigh,
Without money, without money,
Come to Jesus Christ and buy.
Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him:
This He gives you, this He gives you,
'Tis the Spirit's rising beam.
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you're better,
You will never come at all:
Not the righteous, not the righteous,
Sinners Jesus came to call.
Agonizing in the garden,
Your Redeemer prostrate lies;
On the bloody tree behold Him!
Hear Him cry, before He dies,
"It is finished!" "It is finished!"
Sinner, will not this suffice?
Lo! th' incarnate God, ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood;
Venture on Him, venture wholly;
Let no other trust intrude:
None but Jesus, none but Jesus,
Can do helpless sinners good.
Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1032#ixzz2BelQqMSS
