A New Way Of Living For A New Year

A NEW WAY OF LIVING FOR A NEW YEAR (1/5)

Another year is dawning,

Dear Father let it be,

In working or in waiting,

Another year with thee.

Another year of progress,

Another year of praise,

Another year of proving

Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies,

Of faithfulness and grace,

Another year of gladness,

The glory of thy face.

Another year of leaning

Upon thy loving breast,

Another year of trusting,

Of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service,

Of witness for thy love,

Another year of training

For holier work above.

Another year is dawning,

Dear Father, let it be,

On earth, or else in heaven,

Another year for thee.__ Frances R. Havergal

This message, A NEW WAY OF LIVING FOR A NEW YEAR, is designed to be a causative factor for the saved and the unsaved to reflect and anticipate. One may ask, "What is it exactly that I am to reflect and anticipate?" I am glad you asked.

This is an invitation for the unsaved to accept Jesus the Christ as their savior. This is also an invitation for the saved to make conscious efforts; as the poem above indicated, to draw even closer to their Redeemer in the coming new year.

It is the intent of this article to create a thirst for God Almighty and the things of God. (2/5)

Christ our Redeemer makes available a new way of living that results in redemption and blessedness.

1 Peter 1:18-20 states: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed [delivered: from evils of every kind, internal and external] with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain [useless] conversation [manner of life, conduct, behavior, deportment] received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,..."

Acts 3:19, Peter informs us, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"

"Repentance does not describe being sorry, but describes the act of turning around....Peter makes repent a word of hope. You have done wrong, but you can turn around to get it right with God! Conversion is a work God does in us. Being a Christian is not 'turning over a new leaf,' it is being a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17)."

"What are the 'times of refreshing' Peter spoke of? He is referring to the time when Jesus returns and rules the earth in righteousness.__David Guzik

As long as we are on this side of "Glory," the law of atrophy will affect us.

Times of renewal are necessary even for the most mature Christain.

Jesus, while on this earth and incarcerated in human flesh, often went aside to pray to His Heavenly Father (Mark 6:46).

New Way of Living.

In our living we must hold a deep reverence for God, remembering that there is no higher privilege than that of living as a Christian.

Upon considering this new way of living as a result of redemption, we will come to the conclusion that the Christ life is rewarding here and far more rewarding in the life to come.

God wants to bless us with every blessing. A new year is about to be birthed. Folk will make resolutions and some will even keep them and make progress.

First, for the unsaved, there must be repentance of sins and acceptance into the heart and life of Jesus Christ the anointed savior of souls (Luke 13:3,5; John 3:3,5).

Second, the saint must continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

Concerning renewal--"Dr. J. Elder Cumming contended that 'in almost every case the beginning of new blessing is a new revelation of the character of God--more beautiful, more wonderful, more precious.'"__ J.O. Sanders, Enjoying Intimacy with God, Moody, p. 14.

Redeemed and Blessed (Gal. 3:13-14)

J. Vernon McGee stated, "There is nothing quite so meaningless as human life apart from the redemption of Christ." Conversely, Life in Christ can be very meaningful.

Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being (3/5)

made a curse for us: for it is written [Dt. 21:23], Cursed is every one

that hangeth on a tree: Gal 3:14,That the blessing of Abraham might

come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the

promise of the Spirit through faith."

The blessing God pronounced on Abraham was that in him all the

families of the earth would be blessed ( Gen. 12:3). That way of

redemption provided by Christ is to all who will believe in Him.