Living Life Wide Open
1 John 3:16-21
This is a mouthful, but it summarizes truth the Apostle John in his epistle of 1 John and the sermon yesterday: "Living wide open comes when we repent of our idols, focus on Jesus and the cross, open our hearts to others, and trust our Father God and His Word while relying on the Holy Spirit."
Self-discipline is great! It is a fruit of the Spirit. But fruit comes from a healthy tree. Too often, believers attempt to live the Christian life with their self-discipline as the foundation. This will ultimately result in misery. Living life wide open is about trusting God and His love for us. It's about believing that He is better and will take care of life's details if we seek His kingdom and righteousness first (Matthew 6:33). Problems don't go away. In fact, Scripture tells us spiritual maturity is tested and refined through trials.
If you're struggling today with trust in God and His love, pray, meditate, and memorize Romans 8:32:
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
So what are the “all things” Paul is referring to? They include God’s presence to us in power and provision: the power to live the Christian life through the indwelling Spirit and the provision of everything necessary to fulfill His will in and through our lives. This means walking out all the good works He has prepared beforehand for us. (Ephesians 2:10).
Learning to trust God is a journey, and maturity in our faith is a journey. The Apostle John emphasizes the importance of the church community as we go through the highs and lows of life (1 John 1:3-4). Reach out to your Kgroup leader or a trusted Christ-follower if you need encouragement. Satan, the accuser of our brethren, is working to discourage and defeat you. But God has given you everything you need to live life wide open!
I posted a link in the sermon app yesterday to a great article that helps us distinguish between conviction and accusation. HERE is the link again, in case you missed it.
