Quotes and Thoughts Source: Oswald Chambers Devotional Faith or Experience Nov. 13
Central Scripture: Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
What can we base our understanding and daily devotion to Christ on? Chambers rightly reminds us that our experience(s) and understanding isn’t a firm foundation. We must focus ourselves on Christ’s example and power!
He encourages us to “battle through our moods, feelings, and emotions into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus. We must break out of our own little world of experience into abandoned devotion to Him.” Our experiences are insufficient because God is so vastly great and powerful! If we base our focus on what we have experienced, then we are only perceiving a small portion of our Great God. We need to consider what faith in Christ means:
“Think what faith in Jesus Christ claims and provides— He can present us faultless before the throne of God, inexpressibly pure, absolutely righteous, and profoundly justified.”
Chambers reminds us to:
“continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a “prayer meeting” Jesus Christ, or a “book” Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet. Our faith must be in the One from whom our salvation springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute, unrestrained devotion to Himself. We can never experience Jesus Christ, or selfishly bind Him in the confines of our own hearts.”
Ultimately, “Our faith must be built on strong determined confidence in Him.” God’s Word gives us confidence that Jesus saves us completely and perfectly in His Abounding Grace. Since Jesus gave up His life for us, we can walk (which means to live) by faith and not by sight alone [2 Corinthians 5:6-7].
Oswald reminds us that “All of our fears are sinful, and we create our own fears by refusing to nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief.”
We can have triumphant faith by turning our eyes and hearts toward the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)! When the journey seems impossible and our hearts become weary, we need to consider Christ (Hebrews 12:3).
Because Christ lives and intercedes for us at God’s Right Hand, we can endure and persevere in living triumphantly! Let us set ourselves on the firm foundation of God’s Revealed Truth in His Living Word. May God remind you of His Great Mercies and Perfect Goodness as you walk on your pilgrimage of faith!
L. Stanfill
Words of Grace, Truth, and Hope 