There is a confidence to faith! God wants us to be confident in our faith because he will keep his promises! So we firmly believe that our sins are forgiven; that all works for our good; and that we will live in heaven. In James 1:6 we read, But when he [the believer] asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Martin Luther made an interesting comment on our confidence. Here is what he said in a sermon in 1532:
He who would deal with God and ask something of Him must not doubt or waver and say: Who knows whether God wants to give me this or whether I am worthy of it? No, by no means; but you should say: I know that God will do what I ask of Him; and although He does not do it now and in this way, He will do it at another time and in another way. For a wavering heart that does not firmly believe and hold that it will receive something will certainly get nothing, because God cannot give it anything, much as He would like to. Such a heart is a like a vessel which a man holds in his hands but, instead of holding it, constantly moves it to and fro. It will be impossible to pour anything into it, and though you would want to do so, you would miss the vessel and waste whatever you are pouring. So it is with a wavering, unbelieving heart. God would like to give what we need. But there we stand, like a foolish beggar, holding out our hat for gifts and yet not holding it still.
What Luther Says, p. 429

Pray with confidence to the God who has set you free from sin and death and who has planned your eternal place in heaven.

 

Pastor Aufdemberge

Pastor Kneser

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling