7/08/25 Trusting the Person, Not Just the Principles

Takeaway: Christian faith isn’t about clinging to rules, it’s about trusting Jesus in relationship.

Opening Prayer (Tuesday)

Lord, I come before You seeking wisdom and clarity. Help me to discern Your will and make choices that honor You. Open my heart to Your truth as I spend time with You today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection

Christian faith is not merely a set of beliefs or adherence to a list of moral principles; it is trust in a Person. In his final letter, written from a prison cell, Paul does not rest in theological formulas or doctrinal structures. His confidence comes from knowing Jesus in whom he has believed. That little word makes all the difference. Paul’s trust is personal, not abstract. He isn’t clinging to rules to be right; he’s clinging to Christ who is faithful. This is authentic Christianity: not just knowing what we believe, but knowing whom we believe. It’s trusting Jesus enough to entrust everything to Him.

There’s a subtle danger in reducing Christianity to moralism. The danger is that It’s easier to manage external behaviors than to walk in the vulnerability of a relationship. We can admire the ethics of Jesus, recite the creeds, and still miss the living Christ. But Paul’s example calls us deeper. He had suffered beatings, rejection, and imprisonment, and he came to understand a little bit if the mystery of suffering, but he embraced them because of the relationship he had with Jesus. When the world fell apart around him, Paul wasn’t holding onto moral dos and don’ts; he was holding onto a Person who had never let go of him.

This kind of faith transforms the way we live. It shifts our focus from performance to presence, from trying to earn God’s approval to trusting that we already have it in Christ. Moralism says, “Do enough, and you’ll be secure.” The gospel says, “You are secure. Now live life in response.” That difference changes everything. It frees us from shame, because our worth isn’t tied to our track record. It gives us courage to suffer well, because we’re not alone in the fire. And it teaches us to trust, even when the road is dark, because we’re walking with someone who holds the future.

So today, let’s remember that our faith rests not just in truths about Christ, but in Christ Himself. He is able. He is faithful. And He is worthy. Let us have communion with that God.

Questions

When you think about your own faith, do you lean more on theological ideas or on a living relationship with Jesus?

Think of a recent moment when you felt shame or anxiety over falling short. How could remembering Jesus’ faithful presence have shifted your response?

Application

Schedule a brief midday check-in to step away from your daily tasks and simply acknowledge Christ’s presence. Don’t make the time an opportunity to share your requests, just make space to aware of God’s presence and experience gratitude.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, help me to trust not just in what You teach, but in who You are. Guard me from reducing my faith to rules or routines, and instead draw me into deeper relationship with You. Let my following flow from love, not obligation. And when life gets hard, help me to say with confidence: “I know whom I have believed.” InJesus’ Name, Amen.

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