2010: The Year To End … and Begin!

by John R. Gentry

One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Phil. 3.13, 14, ESV

Possessing a productive, profitable life often entails putting a stop to things that are harmful and beginning to do those things that are beneficial.  For example, regarding my “health” (a euphemistic way of saying I’m fat) a good friend of mine has told me several times that I need to “eat less, move more.”  This means I need to put an end to overeating and make a beginning of being more mobile.  This is biblically sound advice.  An inspired wise man said, “Put a knife to your throat / if you are given to appetite” (Prov. 23.2).  And by inspiration Paul quoted a first century proverb, “Bodily exercise is profitable …” (1 Tim. 4.8).  However, the proverb quoted by Paul goes on to say that physical exercise is only profitable for a little in comparison to exercising ourselves unto godliness which is profitable for all things, for physical life and eternal life in heaven!  What about you?  Are you exercising yourself unto godliness?  Let’s talk about some things in your life that need to end in 2010 and things you need to begin in 2010.

End Your Relationship With The Devil

Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters …” (Matt. 6.24).  In 1 John 3 John makes it clear that one who is not a child of God is a child of the devil (cf. 1 John 3.10).  To make this point perfectly clear, let’s repeat: if you are not a faithful child of God, you are a child of the devil!  In Romans 6.12–23 Paul describes being a child of the devil as being a slave to sin.  In 2010, why not end your relationship with sin and Satan?!  Paul says you can be set free from this bondage if you will

Begin Your Relationship With The Christ

“Thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6.17, 18).  How does Paul say we end our relationship with the Devil and begin our relationship with the Christ?  By being “obedient from the heart to the standard (plan or pattern, jrg) of teaching.”  In the context, this obedience is a reference to being buried with Christ in baptism (cf. Rom. 6.3–7; 5.9, 10).  Later on in the same letter he refers to this obedience as “obeying the gospel” (Rom. 10.16).  In the context of this passage, Rom. 10.9–17, Paul says that a person is saved (think end relationship with the Devil and begin relationship with the Christ) by hearing the gospel (Rom. 10.14, 17), believing the gospel or having faith (Rom. 10.9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17), repenting of his sins (Rom. 10.16, the idea of believing and obeying implies repentance), confess his faith in Jesus (Rom. 10.9, 10), and obeying the gospel by being immersed into Christ and his death (Rom. 10.16, cf. 6.17, 18, 3–7).  Make 2010 the year you begin your relationship with Christ by obeying the gospel today!

End Your Relationship With Denominationalism

38,000—what does this number mean to you?  According to the World Christian Encyclopedia (see also http://WorldChristianDatabase.org), there are over 9,000 major “Christian denominations.”  When major divisions within these 9,000 are considered, the number grows to over 38,000!  Question: how many churches can we read about in the Bible?  Anwer: ONE!  In passages such as Colossians 1.18, Ephesians 1.22, 23 and 5.23, we learn that the body of Christ is the church of Christ.  And in Ephesians 4.4 Paul penned, “There is ONE body …” (cf. Rom. 12.4, 5; 1 Cor. 10.17; 12.12, 13, 20; Eph. 2.16; 3.6; Col. 3.15).  If there is one body and the body and the church are the same thing, then there is only one church.  And the church we can read about in the Bible is never referred to as a denomination.  All of this means that none of these 38,000 denominations are the Lord’s body or Christ’s church!  That’s right, we can read about the Lord’s church in the New Testament, but not a word is said about a single one of these denominations.  Regarding the body of Christ, or church of Christ, Paul said that Christ is the Savior of the one body (Eph. 5.23).  A person who is a part of any one of these 38,000 denominations and is, therefore, not a part of the one body we can read about in the New Testament is a part of a church or body that is not saved by Christ!  In 2010 you need to end your relationship with denominationalism and

Begin Your Relationship With Christ’s Church

Hopefully the statistics and passages just referenced will cause you to want to be a part of the one church we can read about in the New Testament—the body or church of Christ.  How does one become a member of the Lord’s church?  According to preaching and practice of the New Testament, a penitent believer is baptized into Christ or his body (cf. Rom. 6.3, 4; 1 Cor. 12.13; Gal. 3.26, 27).  To become a member of the Lord’s church is to begin your relationship with Christ, as we discussed earlier in this article.  In 2010 begin your relationship with Christ’s church by being baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins (cf. Acts. 2.38; 22.16; 1 Pet. 3.21).

End Your Relationship With Worldliness

“The time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry” (1 Pet. 4.3).  Those who are already Christians need to cease living like the world.  Drinking (1 Cor. 6.9–11; Eph. 5.18), fornication / sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6.18; Eph. 5.3; Heb. 13.4), bad language—cursing, dirty jokes, gossip, lying, and racist or derogatory comments (Eph. 4.29; 5.4; Matt. 12.36, 37; Rev. 21.8) must all cease!  We must also cease from being “entertained” by these sinful activities (Rom. 1.32; 12.9; 1 Cor. 13.6).  Remember “the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon [you], from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” (Deut. 11.12).  In 2010 end your relationship with all forms of worldliness and

Begin Your Relationship With Godliness

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking … so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God” (1 Pet. 4.1, 2).  “Train yourself for godliness” (1 Tim. 4.7).  “Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4.8, 9).  “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1.5–8).  It should go without saying, but as the children’s song says, “Read your Bible and pray every day and grow, grow, grow!” (2 Pet. 3.18; 1 Thess. 5.17).  In 2010 begin your relationship with godliness.

Conclusion

How is your life?  Is it right with God?  What things do you need to put an end to in your life?  What things to you need to begin doing in your life?  “Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith …” (Heb. 12.1, 2).

Let us know how we can help you be what you need to be in 2010.

Galena Guardian
12.1, January 2010

Print PDF