I was raised in a church that sadly, did not give me any confidence in the saving grace of Jesus and the keeping power of the Holy Spirit—claiming to be “saved” was a little too presumptuous because there was no knowing if perhaps I might get “unsaved” down the line.  The problem with that type of belief system is that it isn’t particularly Christian and it is definitely not biblical because the focus is wrong—it is Jesus who does the saving and the keeping, not me! 

[God] “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has not been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel….for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day!” (2 Timothy 2:9, 10, 12)

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

My background also put much more emphasis on the, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understand; there is none who seeks after God.  They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one (Romans 3:10-12), without hearing the rest of the story.  “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.

It is crucial that we understand the immense love in God’s eyes when He looks at Christians because He sees, not our weakness and failures—instead, He sees the righteousness of His Son, our Savior—Jesus.  “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).  …and the promises found in God’s Word, the Bible are available to us now!  “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us!” (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Today, as my son deploys to a hostile land, I believe that “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23).

Today, I believe my son’s orders are, “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

For the months ahead, “surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.  He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.  You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor the arrow that flies by day….A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you….Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you To keep you in all your ways.  Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation” (Psalm 91:3-5, 7, 9-11, 14-16).

Today, every one of us has received the same orders from God, to not fear nor be dismayed.  As hostility increases towards Christians, we are commanded to “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13), to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, and to be well armed so that we can stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10, 11).

Today, I choose to stand strong–believing the One, who both calls and commissions believers to duty.