Just where do you stand with God? As the last glow of 2011 begins to fade and we look toward the new year, it seems only right to look at where we are spiritually.
Life keeps some so busy they never think of spiritual things. They are like the character of “Scrooge” in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Caught up in making money and getting ahead, they have no time for anyone or anything. Scrooge learned the error of his ways and had time to change. In real life, God is giving all men the opportunity to change their lives and to become follower of him.
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8, 9). While this is comforting it has to be kept in mind that time will not always be, (2 Peter 3:10).
As you look at your spiritual well being, what do you see? Have you become a child of God as his word teaches? We live under the Law of Christ, a law that is better than the Law of Moses.
The Hebrew writer wrote, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:1 -4).
When Peter preached the first gospel sermon on the day of Pentecost, he told those listening what to do in order to stand acceptable in the sight of God. When they asked him what they should do, he said, “… Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
In the other accounts of conversions found in the book of Acts, it can be seen that belief, repentance, confession and baptism is the way taught in the Law of Christ. Those who did this were then to live faithful lives before God.
Perhaps one of the best passages to show how to live a faithful life is found in Colossians chapter three. Here Paul wrote, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:1-10).
If you look in the mirror of your soul and see you are not standing with God, stop and take the time to study the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15), and obey its teachings. It will be well worth all the time and effort and your life will be better than ever before.