A New Year's Resolution: 8 Steps...

At this time of year, in preparation for the coming year, many are planning their New Year's resolutions. Typically you will find many gyms packed during the month of January, with attendance starting to drop off in February, and normal volumes returning within a few months. But one of the marks of a Christian is a new life, a change that occurs and continues to occur by the power of God. This perseverance is just one of those characteristics that a Christian should strive for. This New Year, let us run the race with perseverance and work out our salvation with fear and trembling, that we also may be fruitful and effective in our knowledge of Jesus Christ! (Philippians 2:12; Hebrews 12:1; 2 Peter 1:8).

I invite you to enjoy this series to celebrate the New Year, 2007!

8 Enduring Steps to
an Effective and Fruitful Life in Christ
Knowing God, by being like Him

“…Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5,6-9 NIV)

The real stairway to heaven is faith in Jesus Christ, and yet to be fruitful (verse 8 in NASB) and effective you may follow a distinct path. This path is marked by steps of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. To climb all the steps at once may seem daunting, but a steady ascent over each step, moment by moment, day after day, will certainly lead to useful and productive lives for Christians. We are not alone, we have help after all from Christ Himself. He will help us get to know Him by helping us to be like Him.

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12,13 NIV)

-------

Next entry, we will unpack these 8 steps, the first being FAITH...

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NKJV)


photo: Roberto Stelling, some rights reserved (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/). From Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/stelling/103933591/in/set-256802/

Christmas

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

What is the meaning of Christmas? What is Christmas about? A friend of mine is a grade school teacher in Ottawa, and he asked one of his students this question thinking the response would be about Santa or presents. A little girl put up her hand and answered brightly, “Christ!”

That is absolutely right! Nothing else to say, nothing else can be added. Christ!