For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Corin­thians 2:2 NIV
By now many of our resolu­tions have probably gone out of the window. We think that they are really not that important any way, or we just made them just to fulfill an assignment from our teacher to write our New Year’s Resolution. Our failure is because we try to keep them by our own strength. We think that we are strong enough, but actually we are weak; weak to the point that if on our own we could not over­come even a very weak tempta­tion. We do not want to give up our darling sins. Sometimes we could not overcome the tempta­tion to overeat, overwork, and over indulge on some habits that if not put under control will be strong like cables. To be able to keep our resolutions, we must remember what St Paul wrote to the Philippians (and also to Filipi­nos). He said, “I can do all things through Christ[b] who strength­ens me.” Philippians 4:13. Early on, St. Paul made a resolution that throughout his life, he en­deavored to keep. He wrote to the Corinthians a letter saying, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” So through­out his life, he preached and wrote Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was on his lips while in prison, while on house arrest, while be­ing shipwrecked and finally while being executed.

I would like to share with you this thought with you from the book My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers, a Scottish Baptist minister of the gospel of Christ. The thoughts expressed can help us with our resolutions every day. Here is the message word for word so that it won’t be misunderstood.

“Let Us Keep To The Point”
My eager desire and hope be­ing that I may never feel ashamed, but that now as ever I may do honour to Christ in my own per­son by fearless courage. Philippi­ans 1:20 (Moffat)
My Utmost for His Highest. “My eager desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed.” We shall all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus on the point He has asked us to yield to Him. Paul says---“My determina­tion is to be my utmost for His Highest.” To get there is a ques­tion of will, not of debate or rea­soning, but a surrender of will, an absolute and irrevocable surren­der on that point. An over-wean­ing consideration for ourselves is the thing that keeps us from that decision, though we put it that we are considering others. When we consider what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He does not know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point, He does know. “ S h u t out every other consideration and keep yourself before God for this one thing only---My Utmost for His Highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone.

“My Undeterredness for His Ho­liness.” Whether that means life or death, no matter.” (Philippians 1: 20) Paul is determined that nothing shall deter him from doing exactly what God wants. God’s order has to work up to a crisis in our lives because we do not heed the gen­tler way. He brings us to the place where H asks us to be our utmost for Him, and we begin to debate; then He produces a providential crisis where we have to decide--- for or against, and from that point the “Great Divide” begins.

“If the crisis has come to you on any line, surrender your will to Him absolutely and irrevocably.”
The author is saying in other words that we should do our very best for God. Every professing Christian is a light to the world and he or she must keep that light burning brightly so that others who are seeking God will find Him. Just as Paul said, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1: 20, 21 Every resolution that we make therefore should take into con­sideration the will of God in our lives. When we seek the king­dom of God and His righteous­ness first whatever we need will be provided us. Satan will try to make us feel discontented be­cause we do not have the goods that Juan de la Cruz has. But Je­sus says that life does not con­sist of the many possessions we have. So let us resolve to let God control our lives because His way is the way of life and His way leads to heaven. Our way home goes by the way of the Cross, and there is no other way but this. Like Paul let us, by God’s grace, resolve to honor Christ in our lives every day. Have a very Prosperous New Year in Christ, friends.

< Prev		Next >