The Power of Our Confession

Welcome to the In Touch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Wednesday, December 8th. Words are not magical formulas, but they do reflect inner attitudes that can affect you more than you realize. Here's biblical insight on the power of your confession. I want us to think about this whole issue of the power of our words, the power of our confession, how it affects us, how we can apply to our life, how it does apply, how devastating it can be, and how absolutely fantastic it can be. So I want you to turn, if you will, to Philippians chapter 4. And remember that Paul wrote this epistle. There's not a single negative word in it, nothing negative about what he wrote to them, and yet he's writing it from a prison. He could have had all kinds of negative things to say about how he'd been treated and how bad things were and how cold it was and the food was poor and his friends weren't there and they were outside talking about it, and he could say all kinds of things.

But you know what? He says, don't be anxious about anything but in everything but prayer and supplication and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Then he is saying to these Philippians how grateful he is for the times that he's been in need and he needed and they sent it. And so he begins with verse 10 by saying, But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last you have received or revived your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. That is, that there were times when they had sent him whatever they felt he needed, and so he was grateful for that. And then there came a time when they could not send it.

Maybe they didn't have it or they didn't have the right messenger or whatever it might be. So he says, not that I speak from want, for I've learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means. I also know how to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Here is a confession. Listen to this. He says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. A lot of people who've said that who didn't understand what they were saying, know the basis upon which they could say it. So it didn't work.

And so they said, Well, you know, I've said that I believe that it didn't work. Maybe it's because you don't understand what Paul said. Maybe it's because you don't understand what he meant and how he could say it and why he said it. So I want us to look at this passage from that perspective. And I want to simply say right up front in the very beginning, simply this, and that is oftentimes our confessions about ourselves are self-defeating. We defeat ourselves with our own mouth. We say things that are negative.

We say things that are not building but destroying things that are not strengthening but weakening. And we oftentimes wonder why our circumstances aren't any better. Why don't we get a break? Why don't things change for us? Why do we keep seeming to be in a rut? And why do we seem to be locked in? We are mired up. We are stagnant.

We are static and things aren't moving. Why doesn't something happen in our life when here's a man who says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me? Well, what we forget is the awesome power our own words have upon ourselves. Listen to this passage of Scripture, the eighteenth chapter of the Proverbs. And look, if you will, in verse twenty-one, for he says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Look at that. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. What we say makes such an impact upon ourselves, about ourselves.

We need to be careful what we say. So let's look at this confession for a moment. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Remembering that the apostle Paul, how did he learn this? He didn't learn this reading a book. He learned this through difficulty, hardship, trials, suffering, threat of death continuously in his life, times of need.

And what did he say? He said, most amazing thing. I have learned to be content in every circumstance I'm in, writing from a Roman prison.

Food wasn't good, cold, hot, you name it. With all the difficulties and hardships he was going through, not complaining. He says, I've learned to be content because here's what I've learned.

I've learned that I can do anything and everything through Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Lord, who strengthens me. Can you say that? Do we have the right to say it?

What did he mean and how can we say it? Well, let's look at this for a moment because I think it's very exciting, not exciting. It's going to be life changing if you're willing to believe exactly what he says. So let's look at the characteristics of this particular confession. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And I want you to notice something about it first of all. First of all, it is a very bold confession.

Listen to that. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The only thing that the apostle Paul ever boasted of, he says in Galatians six. He says in Galatians six, that fourteenth verse, he says, I will boast in nothing other than the cross of Jesus Christ. Though this is not a boast, this is a humble but confident, courageous, bold statement of a conviction the apostle Paul has.

Listen, based on several things we'll come to in a few moments. But certainly one thing is because of his relationship to our Lord. And secondly, because he lived through enough in his life to know that God had proven that to be true. And there is something about time. There's something about age. There's something about difficulty, hardship and pain. And you've heard me say over and over again, when do we learn the most? Difficulty, hardship, pain, trials, persecution, suffering. That's when we learn the greatest lessons in the Christian life.

And that's what Paul is saying. He says there was a time when you sent me things that I needed. There was a time when you didn't. Let me tell you what I've learned.

When you didn't, I learned to be content without those things that I felt like I needed that I wanted in my life. So this is certainly not a confession that is born out of egotism. But it is a bold statement of confidence, assurance, boldness, certainty, commitment. I know, he says, that I can do anything and everything through Christ who strengthens me.

Now I want you to notice something about this because this is a very important part of understanding this particular confession. Because this is where people get off. They will take a verse of Scripture and take it out of context and say, the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Here's what I'm going to do. And then they just fall flat on their face. Well, why is that true? Well, it's true because, first of all, they don't understand what this is going to mean. What did Paul mean when he said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So I want you to see, first of all, while it's a very bold statement, it is a very balanced statement.

Now watch this. He says, I can. The balance of that is through Christ. So it isn't just I can, it's I can through Christ.

So it's very balanced. And what he's saying is, I am enabled because of my relationship to Jesus Christ, because of his supply of whatever I need, whatever is necessary for me to do his will, because he will supply it, I can. So he's not saying this is what I can do, but he's simply saying there's a relationship here. And my relationship with him makes it possible for me to say that whatever is required of me, whatever God wants me to do, whatever I am challenged to do, I will do it.

I will succeed at it because I have God's enabling power to help me. Now, what do we mean by all things? Certainly Paul was dependent upon the Lord for everything. The Apostle Paul would never even begin to think or to hint about the fact that you and I have the right to ask anything and everything and ask God to give us or bless us or enable us to achieve anything and everything we want.

It all has to be balanced out into what? What's the will of the Father? What is the will of God? The only thing I have the right to ask my Heavenly Father to enable me to accomplish or to achieve or to have in life are those things or those challenges or those accomplishments that fit his will and purpose and plan for our life. That's the only thing we have the right. So we can say, well, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, all things that fall into the category of the will and purpose and plan of God for our life.

Yes, those things that do not, no, we do not. And so, therefore, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Listen, that is indeed a confession every single child of God can make. But you have to understand that the I and the Christ and our inadequacy and His strength and the fact that it is God working His will and purpose and planning our life and not just anything and everything we want to do in life. And so the reason people get confused and just toss the Bible, you know I've tried that, it didn't work in my life. I don't believe that because here's what I did and they'll come tell us something, some idea that they had and it didn't work and so, therefore, they don't believe the Scripture anymore. If you understand what He says, He means exactly what He says.

Now here's something else, the third part of this whole idea being balanced here, third idea is simply this. The apostle Paul realized that he had a responsibility and God had a responsibility. This verse doesn't mean that God does it all and we do nothing. It doesn't mean that we do it all and God does nothing. And you'll hear people say, well, for example, not I, the Bible says not I but Christ, right? Well, it's not what I do but what He does, well, that's true. Well, they'll say I had nothing to do with it, it was all of God.

Now I understand what somebody I hope means when they say that, but the truth is it's not true. Listen, when you were saved, you became a regenerated personality. You became a child of the living God.

You became a brand new person in Christ, a brand new spirit, a brand new light. That did not relieve you and me of responsibility. We have responsibility. God has responsibility. And so while He places within us the will to do something, listen, He empowers it. So when we talk about willpower, our will and His power, but the truth is even our will is His will. He that calleth you, He says, will also do it. That is if God called you to do something, God will enable you.

That's what He's saying in this passage. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Is Christ going to strengthen me to do something that's not His will? No. Is it all my doings and none of His?

No. When it says none of me and all of Him, that's not true. It's your eyes, your hands, your feet, your legs, your body, your voice, your compassion, your love, your desires, your drive, your motivation.

But what happens? God empowers that. He directs that and empowers that to accomplish His purpose and plan for your life. And so you can't say it's all of God and none of me. It's all of me and none of God. There's a relationship I can do through Christ.

Not I, but Christ yet. Not our adequacy, but our adequacy in Him. Very, very balanced is what Paul has placed here. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Why? Because our God would never call you to do anything He will fail to enable you to do. And this is what Paul is saying, a very bold, balanced confession. But also I want you to notice there's something else about it and that's this. That it's based on His faith in a three-fold foundation. Now watch this.

How can a man like the apostle Paul say I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me? How can he say that? Here's how he can say it.

Now watch this carefully. He could say it based, number one, on his position in Christ. What was his position? He's not only saved. He's not only sanctified. He's not reconciled to God. God is not only working in his life, but he has a whole new position.

What is his position? He is now a child of God. He is taken upon himself. That is, God is, the Bible uses the term adoption. That he's been adopted into the kingdom of God. That now he's become a child of God.

Here's what that means. You have the same Jesus and the same Holy Spirit and the same position of sonship, daughtership. Right? Amen? Absolutely.

That's what you have. Now Paul said the basis upon which I can say I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me is on the basis of my position. And what I want you to see is you have the same position as a born-again child of God as the apostle Paul had. If he had the privilege, you have the privilege.

The second thing I want you to notice here. What was his basis? Not only his position in Christ, but it was also based on something else very important. And that is his right perception of who Christ is. If I just see Jesus as my Savior and don't understand and recognize and magnify the fact that he is my Creator, he is my Savior, he's my sustainer. Listen, he is ever-present with me moment by moment, day by day, no matter what I'm going through in life. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Listen.

Why? Because of my position, I'm in the family. I have all the privileges of the family. But secondly, because of who it is that is enabling me. This is the infinite, eternal, unchangeable, unconditional, loving Son of God who is enabling and empowering you to become and to do what God wants you to do.

And so, first of all, I look at that passage and Paul says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. On what basis? On the basis of his relationship. On the basis of who he understood the Lord Jesus Christ to be. And thirdly, on the basis of the promises that God had made. Now, there are lots and lots of promises, but let me just mention three or four here that certainly the apostle Paul knew so very well. Think about this. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

How? Only if I know He knows me, understands me, and He is with me. What did he say? I'll never leave you nor forsake you. He said to his disciples, I'll go with you all the way to the end of this age. It is the fact that you and I, listen, you and I live in the presence of Almighty God. We live in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. We live in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

He's living on the inside of us. So we can say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me because inside the heart, the spirit of every single living human being who is a child of God, the awesome, infinite power of the Holy Spirit is dwelling there, listen, ready to release at any moment whatever you and I need to be able to fulfill God's perfect plan and will for our life at that moment, whatever it might be. So, therefore, I've got to be sure I know something about His presence, but also His power. He says, ye shall receive power, that is divine supernatural energy, strength, when the Spirit of God comes upon you. When you trusted Christ as you saved, the Holy Spirit came into your life to enable you to empower you.

You know what happens? Every single day we have living on the inside of us this eternal dynamo, the Spirit of the living God enabling at every single moment in situations, in circumstances, we get in situations, we need an answer. He's there.

We need to know what to do. He will show us which way to go, what kind of decision to make. That is, He's always enabling us, giving us, listen, physical energy, mental energy, strength, understanding, wisdom.

That's who we have living on the inside of us. Likewise, we have the promise of His protection. He says, for example, in just one example, He says when facing temptation and trials, He says, God has set a limitation on the temptation and trials that you and I can face that we'll be able to bear it. We have the promise, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me because in times of great trial and temptation, I have His promise. He sets a limit on what I will face and He will enable me to face it victoriously and triumphantly no matter what. When there comes times in my life when I need things or whatever it might be, my provisions, what does He say in Matthew chapter six? He says, having talked about the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and so forth, then He says, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things, all of your human needs will be added to you.

Why? Because He's a loving Father and our position is we're sons and daughters of the living God. We're in the family of God. We can say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me based on what?

Based on our relationship with Him, based on the fact of who He is and based on the fact of what He's promised us. So you think about your life for a moment. You don't like where you are in life? You don't like the way things are?

You want to see them change? Ask yourself the question, what have you been telling yourself? Things are bad.

I don't like it. I'm going to get better. I'm going to fail.

It'll never change. Or can you say, Father, I'm going to trust You. You said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I'm trusting You to show me Your will. I'm going to trust You to energize me and enable me to do what You want me to do.

You know what? He will change your self-image. He will change your relationships.

He will change whatever needs to be changed in your life. You need to start affirming the truth of the gospel. This is why I've said to you over and over again, don't say, well, I'm just a sinner saved by grace. You know what?

What's the emphasis of that? I'm just a sinner saved by grace. Sinner, sinner, sinner.

Why not say what God says? I'm a saint saved by the grace of the living God. Listen, there's a lot of difference in a saint and a sinner. And what's the difference? Does that mean saints don't sin?

No, here's the difference. The difference is an eternal difference. That is, saints are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, sealed by Almighty God through His redemptive work at Calvary unto the day of redemption, eternally secure in Him. And a sinner who may commit the same sins is lost as they can be on their way to an absolute lost eternity without help and without hope in this world apart from Jesus Christ. A lot of difference in getting up in the morning and saying, I'm just a sinner saved by grace.

If that's your concept of yourself, you need to get in the Word of God. And listen, all you have to do is read the first couple of verses of Paul's epistles because in almost every one of them, he said to the saints at Philippi, saints at Ephesus, saints at Rome, saints at Corinth. What is a saint? Is a saint a person who doesn't sin? No, a saint is a person who's been saved by the grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary and who has been set apart by God for God to live for God. That's what a saint is. Sinless? No, that's who we are. And once we begin to understand that we are the privileged children of God, have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ who is the supreme ruler of the universe and who has committed himself to meeting our needs and guiding our life and making us a person he wants us to be and enabling us through his awesome power of the Holy Spirit. Listen, your life ought to suddenly become excited, adventurous, because God is in control of your life if you let him be. Thank you for listening to The Power of Our Confession. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or InTouch Ministries, stop by InTouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of InTouch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.