–Mel Odom  (The Pecos Undertaker)

 

       “Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master?  You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.”

                    –Romans 6:16 (NLT)
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     Recently I have been reading about the “outward life” versus the “inward life.”  That is the struggle that Paul discusses in Romans 5-8.  This is the struggle of mankind–the result of Adam succumbing to the outward and eating of the forbidden fruit.  Books upon books have been written on this subject, words multiplied into the thousands have been written and spoken.  However, on this day, I want to give my feeble attempt to a portion of the struggle.
     Jesus when speaking to Nicodemus spoke regarding the inward life, that of the spirit.  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3, NKJV)  The NKJV Study Bible states, “The new birth, or regeneration, is the act by which God imparts spiritual life to one who trusts Christ.  Without this spiritual birth, a person cannot perceive spiritual things, nor can he or she enter the kingdom of God.”  That’s one reason it is appalling to hear or read someone not of the new birth and kingdom trying to explain it.
     Christianity is a matter of the heart–of the spirit.  We read in Ezekiel 36:26-27, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (NKJV)  When God restores us, He begins with the heart, but He doesn’t stop there.  Jesus speaks:

                If you love Me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever–the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  (John 14:15-17, NKJV)  

When we are born again, when we receive the “new heart” our life changes, therefore our motives and attitudes should change as well.  With the “new heart” the Holy Spirit begins to work from the heart, the inward, to change the outward–the soul (will, emotions, mind) and yes, the physical.  Call it sanctification (for that is what it is), call it growing in grace, or call it maturing in the Spirit, growth/change comes and it is a lifelong process.
     The conflict comes when Satan throws his fiery darts at the outward life.  He cannot damage the new, born-again heart, but he can cause serious turmoil and severe havoc to the soul and body.  The devil works outwardly to the inward while the Holy Spirit works from the inward to the outward.  Change may be rapid, or it may be slow, just like a child growing.  The process may be slow, but then there are those growth spurts, and we know the same is true of the mind.  However, even within Christian circles there is debate from the one extreme of legalism to the other of antinomianism (the rejection of the idea that Christians are obligated to follow moral law.)  
     We see the struggle of giving more interest to outward experiences versus the idea of extreme freedom.  (I might ask, what are you free from?  And follow it up with, if you love someone what will your actions and motives be?)  As we grow in Christ we should seek to see changes in the whole of our being, from the soul to the physical.  Someone has written that we should, “desire to have everything within you changed into the spirit of the holy Jesus.”  In this struggle one thing we can be assured of–God is at peace with us.  Paul writes, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1, NASB)  We no longer struggle with Him, but we now wrestle and struggle with the world and with the powers of darkness.
     I would encourage you to spend the first part of the new year pondering Romans 5-8.  Change will take place when the heart becomes new; change must take place.  Old things are passed away, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Therefore, as a new creation growth (change) must come just as the natural body changes and grows so must we change as the Holy Spirit works within us and as we study the Bible.  We must become more like Christ.  As Ray Stedman has said, “Pleasing God is the proper occupation of the Christian.”
     Take time to take inventory where you are spiritually.  Then begin to work on becoming more like Christ.  This cannot be done in our own strength; we must depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit.  “Would you do service for Jesus your King?  There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood; Would you live daily His praises to sing?  There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.” (L. E. Jones)  Determine, in Christ, that you will begin to grow, not legalistically but in working for Him out of love.  Let the Word of God speak to you; listen to the voice of the Spirit and work for the kingdom in 2025.

                     –John Deacon  (The Provider 2)

       “But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

                    –1 John 1:7 (NASB)
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     Resolutions!  Absolutely, they should be made, not flippantly, but seriously.  They are not to be made with the attitude, “resolutions are made to be broken.”  No, my friend, God looks at them very seriously.  However, I’m not going to start off the year writing about resolutions, that is between you and the Lord.
     I want you to focus, this first day of 2025, on the light that God sends into our lives and its purpose.  The light that shines on our path as we journey through life and enter into this new year.  That light is always there.

          “Walking in sunlight, all of my journey;
          Over the mountains, thro’ the deep vale;
          Jesus has said, ‘I’ll never for sake thee,’
          Promise divine that never can fail.”

     What great words!  This joyful hymn was written in 1899 by Henry J. Zelley.  All of our journey, no matter the terrain, whether mountains or valley, His promises will never fail–they are sure.  His presence never fades away for He is always with us, never straying away or leaving us.

          “Shadows around me, shadows above me,
          Never conceal my Savior and Guide;
          He is the light, in Him is no darkness;
          Ever I’m walking close to His side.”

     When we walk through the shadows, we may see strange, vicious things.  Some are real, but many are the figment of our imaginations.  Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, His light is ever shining on the trail–lighting the way, giving security, hope, and assurance.  The Lord may not be seen because of the shadows, but rest assured we know that He is there.  His Word declares that in Him there is no darkness and since He is in us we have light to see us on our way.

          “In the bright sunlight, ever rejoicing,
          Pressing my way to mansions above;
          Singing His praises gladly I’m walking,
          Walking in sunlight, sunlight of love.

                 Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
                 Flooding my soul with glory divine;
                 Hallelujah, I am rejoicing,
                 Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.”

     Dare to sing His praise in joyful times, but also in times of sadness and sorrow.  When the world comes at us with its terror and fury we can rejoice in the sunlight of His love.  When there are no obstacles along the way, the path is clear, the storm clouds are gone, we can and must rejoice.  
     Is His light flooding your “soul with glory divine”?  Enter and continue through this year with your heart full of the light of Jesus.  Know that He is guiding, then rejoice–“hallelujah, I am rejoicing, singing His praises.  Jesus is mine.”  What a way to start the New Year!