Resolutions
The Rev. Lou Tiscione, Pastor, Weatherford Presbyterian Church (PCA)
I pray that you all have enjoyed both a blessed time of celebrating the Incarnation, God in the flesh, and a safe and enjoyable celebration of the new year. The knowledge that I take at the beginning of every new year is Isaiah’s declaration of Immanuel. The literal meaning of Immanuel is God with us. This one reality is always preeminent in beginning anything. The thought of beginning a new calendar year is no exception. If God is not with us, all that we do is vain!
I like to make lists of all those blessings that the Lord has poured out on me, my family, and our church. In doing so, it becomes obvious that I’ve forgotten more than I can remember. God’s grace is extended in every aspect of life especially evident as we enjoy time with our families, both natural and church families.
In addition to my list of blessings, I have another list. This one contains resolutions for the new year. Somehow though, I always seem to forget the resolutions I sought to accomplish in the past year! Rather than look at my failures, I prefer to look forward. I want to have the certainty that this year I will keep my resolutions. There is one resolution that I know will be met!
This one resolution is not unique to me. It is certain for everyone who is in Christ. It is to be holy. I know that this one will be kept not because of my effort but because of the Holy Spirit’s progressive work of sanctification. This certainty hinges upon being in Christ. Those in Christ have been brought there by God, and holiness is God’s work of free grace that progressively makes the one in Christ more and more like Him.
The Bible declares that those who are in Christ are chosen by God. “He [God the Father] chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4). Notice that God the Father acted by choosing men and women before He laid the foundation of the world. He chose them to be in Christ. This is all by the sovereign will and action of God. This truth revealed by God is called Unconditional Election.
So then, those who are in Christ are there solely by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). God makes Christians! It is necessary to be clear on what it means to be a Christian. A Christian is a sinner chosen by God to be holy in Christ. God does this through the gospel. The gospel is God’s power to save (Romans 1:16). God raises a spiritually dead sinner to life and through God’s gift of faith that the sinner places in Jesus as He is offered in the gospel.
Salvation doesn’t end there. The resolution that will be kept is that Christians will be made holy. The Bible makes this statement, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Further, God has said, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
In addition, God’s will for those who are in Christ is holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3). God will complete what He starts, but those who are in Christ are not robots. Christians are exhorted to work out their salvation because God is at work in them (Philippians 2:12-13). I have been made a Christian by God’s grace alone and He causes me to pursue holiness. I have the assurance that I am in Christ by my desire to obey Him. God has said that He confirms that I belong to Him by His Spirit speaking to my Spirit (Romans 8:14).
It is joy to know that you belong to God. He accepts us as we are and loves us so much that He will not let us stay that way. He convicts His children to both make the resolution to pursue holiness and keep it. The Bible teaches that we will not be perfect this side of heaven. But, when we leave this life and enter the next, we will be pure, perfect and our holiness will be brought to completion in glory. May you commit to pursue holiness this year making use of God’s normal means of grace (prayer, the word, and the sacraments) through your local church.
