In the realm of spiritual warfare, one of Satan’s most effective weapons is doubt. If you’ve been a Christian for long, you’ve probably been through a season of doubt. You know how difficult and demoralizing it can be to deal with troubling questions about your spiritual condition.
Am I really saved? What if my faith isn’t genuine and I’m self-deceived? I believe the gospel, but do I believe enough? Am I headed for a shock when I stand before the Lord? Believers struggle with those questions more often than most are willing to admit.
On one hand, evaluating the reality of your relationship with God plays an important role in your spiritual growth. Scripture commands us to examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5). But in my fifty-five years as a pastor, I’ve seen the havoc that unhealthy introspection and unnecessary doubt can wreak in the lives of God’s children. Believers who doubt their salvation forfeit the joy that should be theirs as partakers of God’s grace. Unnecessary guilt, fear, and shame cast a pall over their entire Christian walk.
On the other hand, there’s no thought more glorious, more compelling, more comforting, more strengthening, more encouraging than the notion that God loves us—that we are, indeed, partakers in a loving, intimate, unbreakable, eternal relationship with Him. When we struggle with spiritual doubt and start scrutinizing our love for the Lord, we’re always going to find we fall short. The more we focus on ourselves, the more we see failures and weakness, and spiral downward. But when we turn our gaze to Him, His unchanging nature, and His unfailing love, the clouds dissipate.
I think we sometimes forget that the gospel is not merely a message about being saved from God’s wrath and freed from sin’s bondage. It is also good news about God’s disposition of patience, mercy, and expansive, infinite love toward undeserving sinners. It’s so easy to gloss over the astounding truth that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) without contemplating its implications. Set yourself to work at grasping and exulting in God’s love—doubt and insecurity will flee.
The nature of divine love is crucial—and has been on my mind, personally. In fact, earlier this year I delivered a sermon on the topic to nearly 5,000 pastors and church leaders. It was my concluding message for our annual Shepherds Conference at Grace Community Church. Beyond that, I decided not long ago to develop a more extensive treatment of the subject, in the form of a book. The result is a new resource called The Triumph of Love. As an encouragement to you and your family, Grace to You wants to provide you with a free copy. It dives into what I call the Christian’s “hymn of security” found in Romans 8, equipping you with truth to fight doubt, fuel your worship, and strengthen your faith. If you haven’t already requested a free copy of The Triumph of Love from us, you can sign up to receive one here. We look forward to ministering to you through this helpful book.
Our ministry in mind, we continue to be amazed by the Lord’s work in the lives of people far and wide through Grace to You. A couple of weeks ago, a young woman named Sandra stopped by our offices for a tour. Born in Nigeria and educated in Italy, Sandra told the story of how she came to faith in Christ—after browsing videos online in France. Having been steeped in charismatic doctrine, she found my sermons—and that’s when she believes she was converted. Since then she has joined a solid church, been baptized, and continues tapping into our resources, long distance.
Why support Grace to You? In a word, Sandra. We exist to bring the teaching of God’s Word to people like her in your community and all around the world through mass media. Our farthest-reaching resources are available at no charge to the end users—that includes radio and TV programs, thousands of hours of sermons posted online, and the huge number of books and booklets we distribute free by mail. Sandra’s story illustrates the effect you have when you give. Your generosity helps us reach people with sound, biblical teaching.
I know you don’t give to merely sustain an organization, but to make eternal investments by bringing divine truth to folks who are spiritually hungry. From Patricia and me, our staff and volunteers, and the families you are helping us serve, thank you for standing with us in this high and holy calling. May the Lord bless you for your generosity, both in this life and the life to come.
Love in the Truth,
