David Yarbrough
Numbers 23:19 (CSB)
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?
When you have positioned your life in Christ, these three aspects are completely engaged in keeping you safe when you face your toughest moments and most challenging temptations.
The faithfulness of the Father
The grace of the Son
The power of the Holy Spirit
So let's break this down:
1. The Father’s faithfulness:
God's faithfulness goes hand in hand with His promises. This is your pathway to walking in freedom as you’re positioned in Christ Jesus. Just as in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (CSB), “No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.” You will face some tough temptations in this life, but when you're positioned in Christ Jesus, the Father has promised He will not allow them to overpower you. And in every tempting situation you find yourself in, the Father will provide an open door for you to have a way of escape. God's faithfulness is part of His very nature, as we see in Hebrews 10:23 (CSB) when it says, “since he who promised is faithful.” And the Father’s faithfulness is not contingent on our faithfulness, as mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:13 (CSB), “if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.”
2. The grace of the Son:
Think of every promise from the Father to you like a gift box, and the packing paper in each box is the grace of Jesus. Grace is the love and kindness Jesus shows you when you don't deserve it; it is at the very heart of the gospel, and it is at the very heart of the promises God makes to you. It's like the Father is saying, “I’ll watch over you,” and when you ask, “How?” He answers, “Through the grace of my Son, whom you’re positioned in.” When you’re positioned “in Christ,” you’re positioned in grace. There are times when life gets overwhelming—relational conflicts, financial burdens, health struggles, and the everyday strain of living in this sin-filled, broken world. During stress-filled seasons you have access to the grace of the Son.
The apostle Paul had an overwhelming season in his life that he described as a thorn in his flesh. This pain and suffering brought him to his knees in prayer, pleading for relief from God. As he reached out to Jesus for help, the response he received is something we can all take comfort in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (CSB), “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.”
Paul's maturity shines through here because he didn't sulk when he was weak. But instead, he rejoiced, given that, in his weakness, Paul experienced the grace of Jesus in a more personal way. It's as if Paul was saying, “If my suffering helps demonstrate the amazing grace of Jesus, then I’ll take it. I'll be weak if it means I get to experience the strength of Jesus here and now.” It's important for you to keep in mind that every one of the Father's promises comes packed with the grace of Jesus. And it is this grace that will strengthen you in your moments of weakness, allowing you to experience the very power of Jesus in your life. Speaking of power, let's move on to the Third Point.
3. The power of the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is the personal delivery system. In other words, the Holy Spirit is the One who makes sure God's promises become real and personal.
This is like when you order something online. You receive the confirmation email, which is a promise saying, “Your package is due for delivery.” However, the promise doesn't mean much until the delivery person shows up at your door with the package. This is illustrative of how the Holy Spirit delivers the packages of God's promises in a personal and powerful way. When you stop and think about it, it's amazing how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all working together to fulfill the promises of God in your life.
These promises come with an amazing amount of support. You have the faithfulness of the Father, the Promise Maker, and the Promise Keeper; the grace of the Son, who is the actual promise; and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, who brings the promise to completion in your life. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are working together like the ultimate team, all focused on helping you, protecting you, and leading you into living your Kingdom purpose in your generation.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (CSB):
Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us — to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.