Dodger: Hello there. I'm glad you could make it.
Lilly: Me too. I had a great week. It was wonderful, especially Wednesday.
Dodger: Really? Do tell.
Lilly: I went to a sports competition and won the three events I participated in.
Dodger: What were they?
Lilly: Basketball, Track, and Volleyball.
Dodger: I see...but how...never mind. Was your competition tough?
Lilly: Absolutely. But that didn't frighten or intimidate me.
Dodger: Why's that?
Lilly: Because I knew that I had been given the training, the abilities, and the gifts to compete with the best of them. I didn't feel insufficient for the task.
Dodger: That's pretty great. You know, that gives me an idea.
Lilly: What kind of idea?
Dodger: An idea of how to live our lives.
Lilly: Come again?
Dodger: I mean that Christians can be as confident as you were. You see, the training, abilities, and gifts you were given didn't come from you but from God. You were confident you could use them well. In the same way, Christians can live confidently, knowing that their confidence is from God, along with their abilities.
Lilly: Can you give me an example?
Dodger: I can give you five. First, we have confidence we will be saved.
Lilly: Is there a scripture for that?
Dodger: Yes indeed. You see, the Bible speaks to Christians and non-believers both. It says: "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:8-11 NKJV, boldface added) The simple fact is that those who confess and believe Jesus, in other words, everyone who becomes a Christian, will be saved, and never be put to shame. By the way, by "confess" the Bible does not mean to tell on yourself. It means to openly declare Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Lilly: I see. So Christians can live confident that they will be saved. That's great. What's another example?
Dodger: Christians can have confidence in their Savior. Jesus is our High Priest, who atones for our sin. Not only is He the sacrifice for our sins, He is also the High Priest who administers it. In ancient Israel, it was the priest's job to sacrifice animals on an altar and by doing so cover sins. But Jesus took away the sins of the world, He didn't cover them. Not only that, but He never committed a single sin, although He was tempted to, just like we are every day. Hebrews 4:14-16 says "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (NIV 1984) We can approach God's throne and ask for forgiveness, confident in our Savior.
Lilly: That's awesome! So what's your third example?
Dodger: We can be confident in our Manual.
Lilly: What manual? I don't have any particularly important manuals just lying around.
Dodger: Yes, actually you do. In fact, you bring it every time we talk to each other.
Lilly: Oh, you mean the Bible?
Dodger: Yes I do. The Bible is the Manual by which we can live our lives. God used a lot of people to write it, and since He never makes mistakes, neither will His Word. As Hebrews 4:12 says: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (NIV 1984) And 2 Timothy adds: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV) Of course, this applies to girls too. The Bible gives us all the instructions we need to live our lives. Stick with it, and you can't go wrong.
Lilly: I'm sure glad God gave us His Word.
Dodger: So am I. We wouldn't have a lot to talk about otherwise, would we?
Lilly: So what's number 4?
Dodger: We have confidence in His power. Acts 1:8 gives us Jesus' promise: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (NKJV) Philippians 4:13 gives us another verse: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (NKJV) As Christians, the Holy Spirit who dwells within us gives us power over the devil, and the ability to do even what seems impossible.
Lilly: So we don't need to be timid, because God gives us power over the enemy, and over everything that would try to harm us.
Dodger: Right. Prayer is a powerful thing. There's nothing God can't do.
Lilly: What's your last example?
Dodger: We can have confidence in our freedom. We can be confident to live in the freedom He gives us from everything we used to be enslaved to, especially sin. Jesus told us "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36 NKJV)
Lilly: That's pretty cool, Dodger. So what you're saying is that we don't need to live fearfully or timidly, because our confidence is from Jesus Christ.
Dodger: Yes. I can't think of anyone I'd rather rely on more.
Lilly: Me neither.
Dodger: Wow. It looks like we've gotta go. Thanks for coming by today! Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!
Lilly: Farvel!
(NKJV means New King James Version
NIV 1984 Means New International Version 1984)
Lilly: Me too. I had a great week. It was wonderful, especially Wednesday.
Dodger: Really? Do tell.
Lilly: I went to a sports competition and won the three events I participated in.
Dodger: What were they?
Lilly: Basketball, Track, and Volleyball.
Dodger: I see...but how...never mind. Was your competition tough?
Lilly: Absolutely. But that didn't frighten or intimidate me.
Dodger: Why's that?
Lilly: Because I knew that I had been given the training, the abilities, and the gifts to compete with the best of them. I didn't feel insufficient for the task.
Dodger: That's pretty great. You know, that gives me an idea.
Lilly: What kind of idea?
Dodger: An idea of how to live our lives.
Lilly: Come again?
Dodger: I mean that Christians can be as confident as you were. You see, the training, abilities, and gifts you were given didn't come from you but from God. You were confident you could use them well. In the same way, Christians can live confidently, knowing that their confidence is from God, along with their abilities.
Lilly: Can you give me an example?
Dodger: I can give you five. First, we have confidence we will be saved.
Lilly: Is there a scripture for that?
Dodger: Yes indeed. You see, the Bible speaks to Christians and non-believers both. It says: "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:8-11 NKJV, boldface added) The simple fact is that those who confess and believe Jesus, in other words, everyone who becomes a Christian, will be saved, and never be put to shame. By the way, by "confess" the Bible does not mean to tell on yourself. It means to openly declare Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Lilly: I see. So Christians can live confident that they will be saved. That's great. What's another example?
Dodger: Christians can have confidence in their Savior. Jesus is our High Priest, who atones for our sin. Not only is He the sacrifice for our sins, He is also the High Priest who administers it. In ancient Israel, it was the priest's job to sacrifice animals on an altar and by doing so cover sins. But Jesus took away the sins of the world, He didn't cover them. Not only that, but He never committed a single sin, although He was tempted to, just like we are every day. Hebrews 4:14-16 says "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (NIV 1984) We can approach God's throne and ask for forgiveness, confident in our Savior.
Lilly: That's awesome! So what's your third example?
Dodger: We can be confident in our Manual.
Lilly: What manual? I don't have any particularly important manuals just lying around.
Dodger: Yes, actually you do. In fact, you bring it every time we talk to each other.
Lilly: Oh, you mean the Bible?
Dodger: Yes I do. The Bible is the Manual by which we can live our lives. God used a lot of people to write it, and since He never makes mistakes, neither will His Word. As Hebrews 4:12 says: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (NIV 1984) And 2 Timothy adds: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV) Of course, this applies to girls too. The Bible gives us all the instructions we need to live our lives. Stick with it, and you can't go wrong.
Lilly: I'm sure glad God gave us His Word.
Dodger: So am I. We wouldn't have a lot to talk about otherwise, would we?
Lilly: So what's number 4?
Dodger: We have confidence in His power. Acts 1:8 gives us Jesus' promise: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (NKJV) Philippians 4:13 gives us another verse: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (NKJV) As Christians, the Holy Spirit who dwells within us gives us power over the devil, and the ability to do even what seems impossible.
Lilly: So we don't need to be timid, because God gives us power over the enemy, and over everything that would try to harm us.
Dodger: Right. Prayer is a powerful thing. There's nothing God can't do.
Lilly: What's your last example?
Dodger: We can have confidence in our freedom. We can be confident to live in the freedom He gives us from everything we used to be enslaved to, especially sin. Jesus told us "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36 NKJV)
Lilly: That's pretty cool, Dodger. So what you're saying is that we don't need to live fearfully or timidly, because our confidence is from Jesus Christ.
Dodger: Yes. I can't think of anyone I'd rather rely on more.
Lilly: Me neither.
Dodger: Wow. It looks like we've gotta go. Thanks for coming by today! Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!
Lilly: Farvel!
(NKJV means New King James Version
NIV 1984 Means New International Version 1984)
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