In order to be sure of our salvation, we have to keep our attitude right. This devotional reading looks at rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks continually.
Nuggets
- Constant rejoicing in all circumstances is essential for ensuring our salvation.
- Constant communication with God through prayer is essential for ensuring our salvation.
- Constant thanksgiving in all circumstances is essential for ensuring our salvation.
We’ve talked about habits that we have to cultivate in order to be sure of our salvation. We have to seek God and follow Jesus. We have to do what God requires. We have to be in Christ.
In this devotion, we are going to discuss getting our attitude right. If that isn’t hard enough sometimes, we have to have the right attitude continually.
Let’s check it out.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in the Habitual Holiness of Heart and Life theme, click the button below.
Here is a running list of nuggets for the theme.
Devotions in the The Surity of Our Salvation study
Here is a running list of nuggets for the study.
The foundation of this study is Beveridge’s sermon The Believer’s Safety
Resource
Assurance in Rejoicing
“Rejoice always” (I Thess. 5: 16 ESV)
Constant rejoicing in all circumstances is essential for ensuring our salvation.
God has graciously and mercifully offered us salvation. It is cause for us to rejoice always.
As much of a privilege to be able to rejoice, it is also a commandment. We are told to not be sticks in the mud.
This tells me that it is our choice to rejoice. Even in the deepest of trials, we have reason to rejoice. We are not alone. God never leaves us.
To me, cheerful is the outward expression of being happy. That is dependent on circumstances.
Rejoicing ties in to being thankful. We can rejoice regardless of circumstances.
I think we have trouble in rejoicing in the trials because we, too, see rejoicing tied with our happiness. It has no ties with the worldview ways of showing our happiness.
It isn’t. We should rejoice because Sovereign God Who is all-knowing, all-seeing, and ever present is in control of what is happening to us. Our rejoicing has to come from God.
As our understanding of God increases as we are sanctified, our rejoicing increases. We have to focus on God’s truth.
Rejoicing always helps increase our faith and hope. If wills us with patience.
We should rejoice in every aspect of the gospel. All the doctrines and promises lead us to God, the most important thing in our lives.
Fewer doubts will creep in if we are rejoicing being God’s child, even in the worst of trials. Keeping our focus on Him calms us and strengthens our resolve to find contentment and rejoice in all circumstances.
If we focus on the rejoicing side of things, we focus on what we gain after conversion. That is so much more than what we have chosen to give up.
Rejoicing helps us when we to the point where we feel like we have lost the connection with God. We are assured that He hasn’t left us.
We have to make a conscious decision to draw near to God. Yes, God calls us to salvation, but we cannot be careless or indifferent in approaching Him.
Rejoicing always helps us have the right motives in service God. We use better judgment and are more obedient.
When we have an attitude of rejoicing, we are more likely to cast our cares on God (I Pet. 5: 7-10). When we allow the anxiety to come in, we split our faith.
Because we lack faith, we tend to see trouble where there is none or blow what there is out of proportion. That cuts down our rejoicing.
We can only resist Satan when we are steadfast in our faith. Rejoicing leads to steadfast faith.
The cost of discipleship is high. We have to be willing to pay it. We won’t be if our attitude is any less than rejoicing always.
The first greatest commandment helps us get our attitude right. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk. 12: 30 ESV).
We have to love God with all of our being.
Assurance in Praying
“pray without ceasing” (I Thess. 5: 17 ESV)
Constant communication with God through prayer is essential for ensuring our salvation.
It is very important that disciples have a consistent prayer life. More importantly, though, these prayers must be sincere in rejoicing in and worshiping God.
We initiate the prayers, but it isn’t just that we pray. We have to mean the prayers and be submissive to God when we pray.
The best time to communicate with God is when we are rejoicing. That contact brings the joy.
That is talking about how we are to make praying a habit. Praying with0ut ceasing means it is habitual prayer.
We get hung up, however, on the pray without ceasing part. This is a broad term that makes it seem an unfulfillable commandment. We are practical people, so we ask how we can pray while we sleep.
We shouldn’t be praying to God because it is our duty – especially in the dry times. We always need to talk to Him because we are His servants and friends and siblings of Jesus.
The inconsistency of our prayers breaks our prayer habit. We have to keep the habit of praying regardless of the situation we are in.
We are always thinking and feeling. They should be a result of our prayers.
What it does tell me is the attitude of prayer is just as important as saying the words out loud. Prayer is an act of worship. We can worship anytime.
Prayer keeps our focus on God. It builds the habit, instead of waiting until we are in the midst of a trial.
The thing is, we face trials, get discouraged, and cease praying. God doesn’t want us to cease praying when our faith is weak. Even when we have faith of a mustard seed, we need to keep putting everything under His control.
Again, that is where the doubts start to flood in.
But then again, we cease praying when things are going well. We don’t think we need Him when we can handle everything.
That can not only call into question the surety of our salvation, but it also undermines our view of the necessity of our salvation.
The surety of our salvation also takes a hit when we feel that God no longer hears us when we pray.
God is going to hear our consistent prayers. He will hear the prayers of those who have ABCDed. He will always hear the prayers when people ABCD.
That leaves the question of whether He hears the prayers of those who haven’t/who aren’t ABCDing.
If we stop praying, we’ve left Him, so He leaves us.
We have to develop our prayer life. We do that as we navigate the Sanctification Road.
We have to remain sincere in our prayer lives, or it become outward worship. That is just lip service.
Assurance in Giving Thanks
“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thess. 5: 18 ESV)
Constant thanksgiving in all circumstances is essential for ensuring our salvation.
It is really hard to give thanks to God when we are knee-deep in doubt of our salvation. It is hard to take our eyes off the world wind of emotion caused by the uncertainty. Then to be thankful for it!
Even in our confusion, God shows us mercy. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 3: 22-23 ESV).
Notice, it doesn’t say God’s love and mercies ebb and flow with our emotions. His love remains steadfast.
God asks no less from us. He wants us to remain steadfast. He wants us to endure.
What God is calling for here is our worship. Thankfulness is a product of our faith. It leads to praise.
How are we supposed to give thanks to God? “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5: 20 NLT). It should be through the name of Jesus – the One through Whom our salvation is possible.
Yes, a lot of our praise comes out in the form of prayer. “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4: 2 ESV).
Yep, there is that steadfastness again.
Making the Connections
What do we do when we rejoice, pray, and are thankful? We sing. We stay in closer communion with God. We serve Him more.
Rejoicing, prayer, and thankfulness really are connected. They produce peace and contentment. “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” (Col. 3: 15 ESV).
Peace really does comes from Jesus. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (Jn. 14: 27 ESV).
That is how I memorized the verse. Look at this translation. “I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (Jn. 14: 27 NLT).
Look at that verse in Colossians again. “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” (Col. 3: 15 ESV).
When we have peace, we will be sure of our salvation. But it is all about being a heart issue. We have to get it down to the heart level.
We must fight evil in our hearts. Therefore, our heart is what allows our peace to be stolen. If we aren’t alert, we let all these doubts and fears creep into our hearts and minds and steal our peace and the surety of our salvation.
It is our choice whether we are going to remain peaceful. In order to keep that peace, we have to watch.
We have to keep gratitude as a priority. We have to be ready to be thankful in every circumstance.
We do that when God rules our hearts. When we give Him control of it lives, we know He is going to work things out (Rom. 8: 28) — even if it has to get bad for a while.
Only God can create this peace. And He gives it to us freely when we admit our sins, believe on Jesus as Redeemer, confess God as Sovereign Lord, and demonstrate that commitment by following our job description.
How Do We Apply This?
- Rejoice in every situation and stage of life.
- Pray regularly to form the habit of praying.
- Persist in prayer, even when we feeling our prayers are not being answered.
- Remain sincere and fervent – and reverent – in our prayers.
- Focus on God, being thankful to Him in everything.
Resource
Father God. We want to be totally focused on You. We want our attitude to be of continual rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving. We are grateful that You are our Father and have given us salvation. Amen.
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