Humble Confidence
At the top of John chapter 5, John explains that anyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ—the prophesied Messiah—has become a child of God.
When we become children of our Heavenly Father, we not only inherit a forever kingdom and an incorruptible legacy, but we’re also granted the privilege of approaching the King of all kings.
John said it this way:
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
1 John 5:14 NIV
As the text continues, John reiterates the fact that God loves to give us what we ask for—when it’s asked with the right motive.
Think about it this way: is a child concerned about approaching his loving parent for a snack, for a hug, for advice, or for help?
When we come to God with a similar childlike confidence—in sincerity, humility, trust, and even desperation—we can be certain that He hears us. When we submit a request, we might get a yes, we might get a no, or we might get a not yet. But regardless…
We can know that God hears us as we trust Him with our prayers.
The author of the book of Hebrews put it eloquently: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)
Whether you need wisdom, direction, or practical help, you can come boldly to our gracious God. You can come to God with your praises and doubts, opinions and concerns, thankfulness and questions.
And when you ask for something that aligns with His will, you’re never a bother or annoyance or nuisance, for it gives God great pleasure to give you all that you need (Luke 12:31-32).
Justified by Faith
Paul, the writer of the letter to the church in Rome, covers the details of what is known as “the Gospel message”—a message that was handed down to them. It's packed with deep theological truths that are meant to shape the way Christians live.
One of the central components to the Gospel is that salvation comes through faith alone. That means we are saved by the power of God through believing and trusting in Jesus. Every Christian comes to God through faith—not through good deeds or by trying to earn salvation.
Paul says that we have peace with God by our faith in Jesus. Prior to that, we were considered ungodly and unrighteous—because we would live our lives in our own power, doing our own things. This led to separation from God.
However, by faith in Jesus, we are justified before Him. This means that through Jesus’ own right-living, we are made right before Him. Even though we still make mistakes, we can stand innocent before God because of Jesus.
It’s ...