Tag: trusting God

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Session 05 — Assurance of Salvation

Knowing You Belong to Christ

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Thank You that Your promises are sure and Your Word is trustworthy. As we study today, help us understand the assurance that believers can have in Christ. Strengthen our faith, remove our doubts, and help us rest confidently in the finished work of Jesus. May our confidence be rooted in Your promises and not in our own efforts.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

Primary Text

1 John 5:11-13

“And 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…”

Supporting Texts

John 10:27-29

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

Romans 8:1

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…”

Romans 8:38-39

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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Prayer for God’s Leading in a Decision

Heavenly Father,

I come before You today seeking Your wisdom, guidance, and direction. You are the God who sees the end from the beginning, and nothing is hidden from Your sight. I acknowledge that my understanding is limited, but Your knowledge is perfect. Therefore, I place this decision into Your hands.

Lord, the Scripture says:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6)

Today I choose to trust You. Quiet every voice of fear, confusion, anxiety, and doubt. Remove every distraction that would keep me from hearing Your voice clearly. Let my heart be fully surrendered to Your will, whether Your answer is yes, no, wait, or a different path than I expected.

Father, if this decision is according to Your purpose and will bring glory to Your name, open the doors that no one can shut. If it is not Your best for me, close every door that should remain closed. Protect me from moving ahead of You and from remaining where You are no longer leading.

Give me discernment to recognize Your direction, courage to obey Your voice, patience to wait upon Your timing, and faith to trust You even when I cannot see the whole path ahead. Let Your peace be the confirmation that You are guiding me.

Lord Jesus, I surrender my desires, ambitions, plans, and expectations to You. Align my heart with Your heart. Let Your Holy Spirit illuminate my mind through Your Word and lead me in the way everlasting.

I declare that You are my Shepherd, and I will not be led by fear, pressure, emotions, or human opinions. I will be led by Your truth, Your wisdom, and Your Spirit.

Thank You for promising that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Thank You that even now You are working all things together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.

I trust You with this decision. Lead me in the path You have prepared for me.

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.

Scriptures to Meditate On

  • Proverbs 3:5–6
  • Psalm 32:8
  • Isaiah 30:21
  • James 1:5
  • Psalm 25:4–5
  • Romans 8:14
  • John 10:27
  • Philippians 4:6–7

Declaration:
“Lord, I choose Your will over my own, Your timing over my impatience, and Your wisdom over my understanding. Lead me, and I will follow.”

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When Reconciliation Is Possible

Key Scripture

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

— Romans 12:18 (ESV)

Devotional Reflection

One of the most beautiful outcomes of forgiveness is reconciliation.

Broken relationships restored.

Conversations once thought impossible taking place.

Trust rebuilt.

Love renewed.

The gospel itself is a story of reconciliation.

Through Christ, God moved toward us while we were still separated from Him,

making peace through the cross and inviting us into restored relationship.

Because of that, many of us long for reconciliation in our own lives.

We hope for the friendship to be repaired.

The marriage to be healed.

The family to be reunited.

The misunderstanding to be resolved.

And sometimes, by God’s grace, those hopes become reality.

But reconciliation is both beautiful and complicated.

That is why Paul writes:

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Notice the wisdom in those words.

“If possible…”

Paul acknowledges that reconciliation is not always achievable.

Some people remain unwilling to acknowledge wrongdoing.

Some refuse repentance.

Some continue harmful patterns of behavior.

Some relationships remain unsafe.

Pages: 1 2 3 4
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What Forgiveness Is Not

Key Scripture

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”

— Romans 12:19 (ESV)

Devotional Reflection

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to forgiveness is not unwillingness.

It is misunderstanding.

Many people sincerely want to obey God, yet hesitate because they believe forgiveness requires something that Scripture never commands. They fear that if they forgive, they will invalidate their pain, excuse wrongdoing, or place themselves in harm’s way again.

Perhaps that is why it is just as important to understand what forgiveness is not as it is to understand what forgiveness is.

Forgiveness is not pretending that nothing happened.

God never asks you to deny reality.

If you were wounded, then you were wounded. If trust was broken, then trust was broken. If injustice occurred, God does not expect you to rewrite the story and call it acceptable.

Forgiveness tells the truth.

It says:

  • “What happened mattered.”
  • “The pain was real.”
  • “The offense had consequences.”
Pages: 1 2 3 4
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What Forgiveness Really Means

Key Scripture

“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” — Colossians 3:13 (ESV)

Devotional Reflection

When you hear the word forgiveness, what comes to mind?

For some, it means forgetting the offense and moving on as if nothing happened.

For others, it means pretending they are no longer hurt.

Some believe forgiveness means excusing harmful behavior or immediately restoring a broken relationship.

Others fear that forgiving someone means allowing that person to “get away with it.”

No wonder forgiveness feels impossible.

Many of us have been trying to do something God never asked us to do.

That is why understanding what forgiveness really means is so important.

In Colossians 3:13, Paul writes:
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

Notice that Paul assumes something about life:

People will hurt one another.

He speaks of complaints because relationships involve imperfect people. In a broken world, misunderstandings happen. Words wound. Trust is broken. Expectations are disappointed. The need for forgiveness is not the exception to human relationships—it is part of living among people who, like us, are flawed and fallen.

But Paul also points us to the pattern of forgiveness:

“As the Lord has forgiven you…”

Before forgiveness is something we give, it is something we receive.

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