Does Your Confidence Lie?

‘So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' " And the scribes and the chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. When evening had come, He went out of the city.' 

(Mark 11:15-19 NKJV)

'If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Now this the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.'  (1 John 5:9-15 NKJV)

Scribes and chief priests confidently desired to destroy Him; yet John's confidence, and his requests, are in Him and His will. As the testimony of God's Son is made manifest, will you confidently destroy, or confidently continue to ask and be heard by Him?

Greater Works in Righteousness

'Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and GREATER WORKS than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.' (John 14:12-14 NKJV)

'But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you ask Me, "Where are you going?" But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of RIGHTEOUSNESS, BECAUSE I GO TO MY FATHER and you see Me no more; of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.'(John 16:4-11 NKJV)

In these verses, Jesus informs His disciples that there were 'greater works' than what they had seen Him do, that He said they also would do, because 'I go to My Father'; and that the Helper would convict 'of righteousness, because I go to My Father.' I ask you, what did Jesus have yet to do? He had evangelized, pastored, taught and prophesied. Now was the time finish His ministry on the cross, and be resurrected.

'I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister ACCORDING TO THE STEWARDSHIP FROM GOD WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME FOR YOU TO FULFILL THE WORD OF GOD, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.' (Colossians 1:24-29 NKJV)

Each of us should be willing to ask, in the name of Jesus Christ, what is lacking in our understanding as we work toward that end.