Worry part 1

To worry, about anything, is to give evidence to the condition of your heart.  We must stop using our great care for this world as justification for our lack of faith in an all-sufficient God.

The way John 13 ends and the way chapter 14 begins seems odd to me. To end John 13 at verse 38 is like ending the life of a caterpillar before seeing what it can do with wings. At the end of chapter 13, Jesus was prophesying the great denying by Peter in the hours to come.  Why the translators of the Bible chose to break the chapters at this point is a mystery.  Had there been no separation between the two chapters, we might have a totally different perspective of chapter 14.

As we enter chapter 14, and the caterpillar grows its wings and becomes a butterfly, we see that all is not lost when we find ourselves in our lowest state.  In one breath, Jesus both foretells His soon betrayal by Peter and then tells him that his betrayal will not be the end.  How comforting this is to disciples like myself who find ourselves repenting regularly of our lack of faith in God, only to struggle soon thereafter.  All is not lost!

Verse 1 of chapter 14 reads like this: “Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me.”  How beautiful this one verse is! Again, in one verse Jesus is foretelling possibly the greatest sin known to any Christian, the denying of our Lord; and in the next verse He is telling them that this denying is made possible by the condition of their heart.

We must understand that worry (a troubled heart) is a form of Christ denial.  In other words, worry is a sin because it shows evidence that we have denied the Lord in our heart.  Actually, the sin of worry is to be considered a great sin because, by default, worry is the absence of faith in God and His all-sufficient grace.  This should be alarming to Christians!

It needs to be understood that worry doesn’t remove faith, but rather worry is the evidence of faith already removed.  In other words, worry isn’t the bartering of faith for something else, but rather, worry is present because of the lack of faith.  Without exception, when the heart is absent of faith, worry will soon fill its void.

So do you see how that our worrying is an insult to an all-sufficient Savior?  If not, allow me to make a proposition to you quickly: If someone were to offer you abundant life on earth, with the promise of continual care till death, help in times of persecution, support in times of struggle, a comfort in times of need and a home in heaven when you die… would that be something you might be interested in?  If you are a Christian, that is exactly what you received when you came to know Christ as Savior.  Trust Him completely. Anything less is an insult to the cross of Calvary!

So why should a Christian never worry?

1. Our Residence in Glory Is Constructed
2. Our Redeemer and God is Coming
3. Our Reservation by Grace is Confirmed
4. Our Reunion is Guaranteed with Christ