Oswald Chambers once made this statement: “The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things.” At the moment one is regenerated and believes in the atoning work of Christ, he or she immediately possesses 40 blessing they did not have before coming to Christ. It's beyond the scope of these daily Truth Matters to list them all, let alone explain them, but here are some of them: imputed righteousness; removal of condemnation; indwelling of the Holy Spirit; come under God's care; removal of the domination of the old sin nature; access to God... the list goes on with 33 more. The point is, when we truly believe what God says we have on account of the atonement, do we live like it? Christians who seem filled with depression, anxiety, fear, insecurity, yielding to sin, hopelessness are Christians who have lost their sense of the awesomeness of what Jesus Christ has accomplished and given them personally in His atonement. Chambers was correct: “The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things.” This is the point of today's My Utmost for His Highest:

“I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot make atonement for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I cannot right what is wrong, purify what is impure, or make holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God. Do I have faith in what Jesus Christ has done? He has made the perfect atonement for sin. Am I in the habit of constantly realizing it? The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things. The redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I have to build my faith on it. If I construct my faith on my own experience, I produce the most unscriptural kind of life— an isolated life, with my eyes focused solely on my own holiness. Beware of that human holiness that is not based on the atonement of the Lord. It has no value for anything except a life of isolation— it is useless to God and a nuisance to man.

The atonement of Jesus must be exhibited in practical, unassuming ways in my life. Every time I obey, the absolute deity of God is on my side, so that the grace of God and my natural obedience are in perfect agreement. Obedience means that I have completely placed my trust in the atonement, and my obedience is immediately met by the delight of the supernatural grace of God.”

When we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17 -- “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” -- we often fail to realize how extensive and intrusive the atonement of Jesus Christ is to us. Now we are to live based upon the truths we know are ours. It is what keeps us confident, clear-headed, and God glorifying. Hebrews 10:35 reminds us: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” My prayer for you and me this day is this: Lord, You have given us 40 blessed promises when we trusted in You. May we constantly remember who we are in You and trust in the promises. We will be strong and confident. Amen.

Reminds me of the hymn:
Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List'ning ev'ry moment to the Spirit's call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.