Hello friends, welcome to In Bolden. I'm Chris Shatter, an ordinary Christian living with and learning about an extraordinary God. We're doing 30 days of giving glory to God, and today is day nine on the In Bolden Podcast. We're inspired today by Hebrews 3, 6.
But Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house, and we are His house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. Our prayer today is, Jesus, you know every single thing about me. I cringe at times that you know the parts I try to keep hidden. When I realize you still love me and want the best for me, it brings me great joy.
I know your thoughts are higher than mine and your ways can be mysterious, but I want to know you as best I can to bring up my end of this relationship. Help me to get as close to you as I possibly can so that when I am faced with standing for your name, I can fully glorify you, amen. I ask them what they would do if an acquaintance or stranger told them something horrible about another member of our little Bible study group. That's a sweet kind woman we know from meeting with her each week had been terribly unkind to a child.
And without hesitation, they were willing to stop this gossiper in their tracks and say, well that doesn't sound like her, that's not the friend I know. Are you sure you have the right person they all responded? I asked how they knew their friend would never be so unkind to a child, and they all said because they know her character from spending time with her. Then I said to them, okay, now a family member or friend comes up to you and says, you know, Jesus would be okay with an abortion.
What would you say? Some hemmed and hawed a bit, another said firmly, no he wouldn't. And for the former I asked them why they wouldn't be so sure. Well, they said they didn't really want conflict.
They were a bit unsure if scripture maybe was thrown at them what to do or say. And for the latter I asked her how she could be so sure, and her response was perfect because I know Jesus. Matthew 721 to 23 says, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, we did not prophesy in your name and in your name, drive out demons.
And I'm sorry, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name, drive out demons and in your name, perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you away from me, you evil doers. Jesus recognized that there would be plenty of people who call themselves followers who attend church and appear to be in a relationship with him. But he knows who is making a real effort to know him as much as he knows us.
For my friends who struggled a bit with my question, they do work hard at knowing who God is and his character. They know the answer to probably every fault statement said about Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. But sometimes it just takes practice, being able to stand up for what we know to be true and good. And that's exactly why we meet weekly to talk about God, of who he is and what he has done and will do and how much he loves his creation.
Friends, the next time you're at church, take a moment to look around. Is your church one that encourages everyone to bring their Bibles and open them up and take notes? One that makes Bibles study a priority. A church whose focus is squarely on getting to know God, not being your personal counselor.
Because I don't know about you, but when I was in college and even high school, that's how I learned my subjects well. I studied village only. And when we are given the gift of having someone either ask us a question about God or the chance to correct us all to let about Jesus, we need to be prepared so that we can speak of the glory of God, of how he knows us and loves us. Have a great day.