Be Persuaded!

In the early church, the apostles went about persuading others about Jesus, the gospel, and other important concepts. Let’s first read some of these.

• Spreading the gospel—And he (Paul) reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks (Acts 18:4).
• Putting one’s confidence in God for salvation—For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed (fully convinced about) God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness (Romans 4:3).
• Sharing the one true God—Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands (Acts 19:26)
• Being convinced of God’s power—And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform (Romans 4:21).
• That nothing can separate us from the love of God—For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
• God will safeguard the true believer—For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (2 Timothy 1:12).
• Faith in God’s promises—These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth (Hebrews 11:13).

Jesus, too, preached those same ideas:

• The gospel—And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15).
• That God can do anything—Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23).
• That God answers prayer—For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them (Mark 11:23-24).

The Bible indicates that God wants us to be fully persuaded:

1. About Him
2. That Jesus came to pay the price for our sins on the cross
3. That we can be saved through personal faith in Jesus
4. That God keeps His promises
5. That we can trust the Bible
6. That God has power
7. That God answers prayer
8. That God can do anything that He wants to
9. That nothing can separate believers from the love of God

This should make us joyful in our souls! We have a God on whom we can fully rely. We know what He’s like. We know He sacrificed His own Son for us. We can rest in the promise of heaven, if we’re born-again. We know He listens to our prayers and can do anything He wants to.

This is the God I love.

These are the reasons I’m persuaded.