Resolutions

     There's something wonderful about starting a new year.  This is a time when we can close the books on the mistakes of the past year, lock up the good memories in our hearts and look forward to the future with new hope.
     What have you resolved to do this year?  Do your plans for the new year include God?
     One thing that we should resolve to do is read the Bible every day.  Is this too much to ask?  By dedicating the equivalent of less than one television program, you can read the entire Bible this year.  You can spend less time reading the Bible than you do looking at the newspaper or magazines, and complete the Bible this year.
     The Old Testament is extremely important, but if you would like to concentrate on the New Testament you can follow a schedule that will take you through it in two months, reading only 10-15 minutes a day.  If you would like to have a copy of this schedule, write and we will send you one.
     You have noticed that there is one question that we seem to ask more than others.  This is because it is the question that creates most of the division in the religious world.  This question is, "Does it matter?"
     Does it matter whether or not we dedicate ourselves to study of God's word?
     "These have been written," John notes in John 20:31, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."
     "For I am not ashamed of the gospel," Paul claims in Romans 1:16, "for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
     "For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness," Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:18, "but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
     "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica," Luke writes of the people in Berea in Acts 17:11, "for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so."
     "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed," Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:15, "handling accurately the word of truth."
     "All Scripture is inspired by God," Paul says in verses 16-17 of the following chapter, "and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."
     "For this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard," Hebrews 2:1-4 points out, "lest we drift away from it.  For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
     "After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."
     Answer the question for yourself.  Does it matter whether or not we devote time to reading and study of the Bible?

     Another thing that we must resolve to do is pray every day.  The first reaction of many is, "But I don't know how to pray."
     As we pointed out last time, prayer is to be offered to God through Jesus.  The New Testament does not recognize prayer to anyone other than God, nor through anyone other than Jesus.
     We also said that prayer must not contain meaningless repetition.  This leaves out prayers that are memorized and repeated without thinking.
     If you would like a list of the Scriptures that discuss these, write for a copy of last week's program.
     When we pray, we must pray with our spirit and with our mind, according to 1 Corinthians 14:15-17.
     We must pray with perseverance, as we learn in Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 11:1-13 and Luke 18:1-8.
     "But if any of you lacks wisdom," James 1:5-8 says, "let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
     "But let him ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
     So we definitely must pray in faith.
     "You lust and do not have;" James 4:2-3 points out, "so you commit murder.  And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.  You do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures."
     Obviously, we must pray for the right things if we expect God to hear us.
     Does it matter whether or not we pray?
     "With prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit," Ephesians 6:18 instructs, "and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints."
     "Rejoice always;" 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 states, "pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
     Try to walk into the White House any time you want to and talk with the president.  Try this with any world leader.  Do we really appreciate the opportunity that we have through Christ to talk with the ruler of the entire universe any time we need to or want to?
     Let's resolve to read the Bible every day this year.  Let's resolve to pray more than once a day.  But there is one more thing we must do if the other two are to do us any good.  We must resolve to obey God.
     "Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest," Hebrews 4:1-2 points out, "any one of you should seem to have come short of it.  For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard."
     "Since therefore it remains for some to enter it," verse 6 continues, "and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience."
     "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest," verse 11 adds, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience."
     Notice here that knowing what the Bible says is of no use if we do not have faith.  Remember that prayer without faith is useless.  And note here in Hebrews as well as in other passages that faith is not faith unless it results in obedience.
     Let's resolve to know the truth and obey it, so that it can make us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."