A Resolution, or A Resolve?

As believers, we all know, or should know, where we fall short; where we are in our disobedience,; where we are in our hidden sins; where we are in our selfishness and pride, and we we stand with the LORD.

Paul puts it this way:

Romans 7:14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (NIV)

A quick prayer before we continue: LORD, guide us to understand what you are saying to us here today through your Word. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

We have a choice. We can make our usual resolutions or seek to have a new resolve.

If we can today, let’s explore leaving the world of RESOLUTIONS—starting good things or stopping bad ones—and entering or gravitating more toward the concept and reality of RESOLVE. Which would be the best direction toward which to throw our full determination and commitment in 2024? What shall we choose? I’m convinced that it should be, first of all, directing our energies into the Person and work of Christ Himself.

Into the Christ who came to save sinners.

Into the Christ who came to seek and save that which is lost—that is, all humanity! Who, by the way, did just that for EACH and EVERY one of us who are here today!

Where do we start? I’m convinced it’s the action of falling in love again—with our Lord, Savior, Deliverer, Redeemer, and Lord, and never forgetting the cost of the cross and the perfect, sinless blood that He shed to pay for our freedom. Our freedom choose to become slaves again. But this time, not slaves to satan, sin, and eternal separation from God, but slaves to Christ.

Yes, we were bought for a price that He paid. We can never repay that debt. We were delivered out of darkness into the unspeakable Light of Love, into a world within a world, into a Kingdom within a kingdom, out of the kingdom of doomed humanity into His eternal Kingdom that reveals Jesus, the God-man who can rescue us all.

We were saved to serve Him, to obey Him and to be sensitive to the voice of our Savior Who is The Eternal Word. We were saved to do His will, not our own will.

We were slaves to sin. Now, we are to be slaves for His righteousness.

The difficulty, as Paul so well stated, is that we all at times revert back to our sin nature and thereby re-enslave ourselves to sin for a while. We even find ourselves in frequent flux, moving first back toward being the master of our own lives rather than being slaves to the One Who blood bought us out of this world, Who set us free from the bondage of sin to become slaves to His righteous purposes. Sometimes we move back toward Him, only to follow our own desires again.

In the black-and-white movie The Best Years of Our Lives set in post-World War II USA, a recently returned war veteran’s adult daughter in one scene laments her romantic difficulties. She tells her newly reunited parents, essentially—How could you possibly know what it’s like for me?? You never had any problems! You were always in love! In response, her mother and father with knowing looks proceeded to list to their daughter the ups and down, hard times and good times they had experienced. The key, they basically told her, was this: We learned how to fall in love with each other over and over again.

That, my dear brothers and sisters, is the universal answer for all believers who have ever lived, who live, and who will live: To fall in love with God over and over again. This is the RESOLVE I mentioned at the beginning.

Not to try to do better—to stop doing this or start doing that, no.

If Deuteronomy 6:5 means anything to us:  

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. NIV

then we must fall in love with God in much the same way we did when we first came to know Him.

Romans 10:17 says, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. NKJV

We must RETURN to His Word and begin to hear it afresh, hear it anew, hear it with the ears of a beloved, even similar to the way you once did to the voice of your betrothed, that special person who first lit the lamp of true love in your heart. Hear His Word again, as one who truly loves their God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (see Jesus’ words in Mark 12:30).

Let His Word come into you again, into all of us, while we wait for the betrothed Church to be wedded to Christ on the great wedding day between our Good Shepherd and ourselves, His flock.

Let us stand now, today, in these first days of the new year, ready with our lampstands at full blaze (see Matthew 25), realizing that our eternal day of unity with our Creator is clearly drawing near!

If our love and devotion has waxed and waned; if we have have forgotten about how we used to be SO in love with God, so passionate about God, so desirous to do His will, so elated just being in His Presence, then shall we take some time away from distractions—some place quiet, and begin thinking about LOVE.

Think about your first love. Think, if you can, about your future husband or wife, your engagement, your honeymoon, your early years. Remember the sweetness of it all.

Then, move to thinking about your salvation, the washing away of your sins, the purging of all your fleshly rebellion, and how it was when all things became new! Move on in your thoughts to those times in your Christian walk when opportunities of serving your King started to be realized—seeking and experiencing the utter joy of seeing God receive His glory as you lived moments of godly obedience to Him.

The crux of this message is this: If anyone here has a need to move from where they are now toward a RESOLVE to move toward our heavenly Father in increasing intimacy with God, please carry two particular biblical concepts in your spirit as you process through your journey of love: the old testament cycle of the judges, and the new testament’s cautionary advice regarding the Lord’s supper.

Judges 21:25 says: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. NIV

The more and more we make Christ NOT the number one priority in our lives, the less and less we routinely, each day, hear His voice, and the more and more we allow other voices to take the place of His.

We, like the people living during the time of the judges, forget as they did that we already have a King, and that we are to love our King above ALL OTHERS. We are to display undying love and devotion to our King: King Jesus!

When we neglect Him, when we move away from His voice, His Word—which is the very Bread of Life and Living Water of our existence, we start to starve ourselves spiritually. This opens wide the door for the cycle of sin to re-enter our lives. It interrupts our intimacy with our Lord.

In I Corinthians 11:28-30,

28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep…. NKJV

We simply cannot “play” with a holy, righteous, just, and all-knowing God!

Exodus 34:7 says He does not leave the guilty unpunished.

We must stop. We must confess our sins to Him. We must repent and allow God, like He did for King David, to restore to us the joy of our salvation. Then, like David did, we can fall in love with our God all over again.

Regardless of where eachof us are in our love relationship with our Lord and Savior—very close by, very far away, or simply not where we really want to be—pray about your RESOLVE today.

RESOLVE to move toward greater intimacy with God, more than ever before.

RESOLVE to love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength—which is the greatest commandment!

Happy New Year 2024 from the Moraleses!

RESOLVE, ultimately, to have the singular purpose, in all that we do, to bring our Father and Him alone ALL the praise, honor, and glory forever.

AMEN!