Back in the ancient past when I was at university, one of my first year courses I had to follow was in statistics. The results of data fed into various statistical techniques had to then be weighed up. Part of this included working out the ‘degrees of confidence’ in order to decide the reliability of what the data seemed to show.
Someone tells you something that seems too good to be true. How confident are you in their words? What shapes your level of trust, your degrees of confidence in what they are telling you?
When more challenging times come in life (this whole pandemic period is a very present example), where do we place our confidence? And why?
Confidence…
If you look up the word ‘confidence’ in an online dictionary you will find various definitions. What about in the Bible? Again various words are used that get translated as confidence in English. One such word is found in Hebrews 10:19 which is part of a short passage I am going to focus on for three talks during September.
The verse begins with these words,“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…” Within just these few words there is allusion to the Jewish Temple as the focal point of worship. Maybe you wonder how that is relevant to life now? I won’t write more on that here though I will say something in the first talk.
Note the word ‘confidence’. The root word can also be translated as ‘boldness’.
I believe that persevering faith in Christ is possible amid the ups and downs of life. A faith that makes a difference. My aim is to explore this some more from Hebrews 10:19-25 and other Bible verses and see how this can be meaningful within and through our lives in 2020. My hope is that there will be something both for those wondering if Christianity is true and for those who see themselves as Christians already.
Can we be confident in God? If yes, why? And if yes, what then?
The talks will be part of services that will also be live-streamed via the church YouTube Channel.
Andy