Welcome to Hank’s Place –
It’s New Year’s Eve! By now we all understand that life is big, and confusing; full of uncertainty, questions that have no answers. It’s why many prefer LAW with its rules to GRACE. Behavior by the rules can be spelled out and we ‘just keep them’ to be ‘right’ whereas under grace — there are no rules — “all things are lawful” 1 Cor 6:12.
Under grace we walk by faith in God, trusting Him to lead us, to guide us by His Spirit. No rules. For those unacquainted with the security found in God’s love, the absence of rules can be terrifying. No wonder so many preachers, also unacquainted with God’s love, preach messages of picking up your cross to follow Jesus, or dying to self, or denying one’s self.
Paul warns us in Colossians 2:16-23 that such messages focusing on self-denial are worthless. Verse 23 says, “These are matters which do have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”
So as this new year begins, I’m making some resolutions. What do you think?
Resolve — to walk by faith in 2024.
Resolve — to receive His divine favor, blessing, and mercies because of Who HE is and His matchless grace in 2024!
Resolve — to stay away from preaching that says, “keep these rules and you’ll be holy and pleasing to God” Let’s choose to stay in faith — and we’ll be pleasing to God. Faith pleases God. Faith declares the Blood of Jesus poured out FOR us is ENOUGH!
Resolve — to be holy in 2024. The wrong way to approach this is to think of ourselves as flawed sinners trying to become holy. That’s not who we are and that’s not how it works. Old covenant holiness was based on who we are and what we did. New covenant holiness is based on who Christ is (our holiness – 1 Corinthians 1:30) and what He has done (sanctified us – Hebrews 2:11, Romans 11:16). Since we have already been made holy through Jesus Christ, in 2024 let us learn to walk in that, our God-given new identity.
Yes, this year, let’s have an adventure in holy living, working out who we already are and what Christ has already given us. And you know what? 2024 will be the year we fantastically — COME ALIVE!
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