Beyond Sunday: Faith-Filled In Confession

“We look into the future with great expectation. We honor the past, but are most loyal to our future. Our language is full of faith knowing that the best is yet to come!”

How many times have we read this core value and not fully understood what it means to live this way? What does it mean to speak “full of faith?” What is “faith” anyway? Well, let’s break it down:

Faith (n); complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

I think the key word in this definition is complete. We might say we have faith, but do we believe that? Do we completely trust God and His Word? When our language is “full of faith,” that does not mean we are merely speaking in a positive manner. Because how many of us know that you can say something positive but not truly mean it or believe it? And it’s not even about knowing something is true, but do you believe it? Do you believe God can do it for you?

Someone whose language is full of faith is one who believes in the promises of God.

Someone who knows that He is for her, not against her. Someone who believes that God is a miracle-worker, promise-keeper, and a good father. Someone who confesses with his mouth, out loud, the will of God over his life because he knows the tongue has the power of life and death. We can live our lives full of faith because we serve a God who has already won! He is victorious now and forevermore.

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-58

Another key phrase in this statement is that we honor the past.

We don’t want to forget what God has done because then we can grow ungrateful, calloused, and self-righteous. We need to always remember where God brought us from so we can make sure He continues to always get the honor and glory for every victory in our lives. Every good thing in our lives comes from Him and Him alone. Honoring our past keeps us humble and grateful. Honoring our past keeps us passionate for the lost and for the mission God has called us to because we were just like them! Let us not forget how good, gracious, and faithful our God is!

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

Although honoring our past is important, we need to always be loyal to our future because if we always live in the past, we cannot move forward in all God has for us.

It is easy to dwell on the past – past mistakes, past trauma, past relationships, past hurts – but in order to live in the fullness of the Lord, we need to break off our loyalty to the past and cling to the hope we have in Jesus. We think more about our past than Jesus does! Have you ever thought about that? The God of the universe does not dwell on your past mistakes. He knows everything about you, yet He chooses to see you like His son Jesus – whole and made right with Him. All we need to do is confess with our mouths that He is Lord and ask Him to forgive our sins. We can live in freedom because Jesus already paid the price! Don’t let your past define you or determine your future. That’s not even biblical – so many heroes of the faith had rough beginnings! Yet they did not allow their former way of life keep them from entering into a new life with Jesus. You can look into the future with great expectation because if God is with you, you cannot fail (Psalm 46:5)! You can take risks because you know that God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Proclaim God’s promises over your life.

Believe them. Receive them. Pray in faith knowing that God is able and He is willing (Mark 1:40-42)! Then you can truly say with confidence: The best is yet to come!

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