Let's Go On
Today’s Verse:
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, ~Hebrews 6:1
Happy New Year! Believe it or not, today marks the beginning of a new year. It is at the start of a new year that all of us think about and make plans for an improved and more successful year than the one we just completed. Let us see some key principles that are essential for us to get off to a great start and to keep the momentum of a great start going strong all year long. Let us go on!
We must decide to forget.
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ.” Paul was writing to believers who had stagnated and had no growth or measurable results in their lives. In effect, we must leave behind the failures and status quo of the past year. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” (Philippians 3:13). Let us also remember that the successes of the past year are not a guarantee of success in this coming year. Let us not presume we have apprehended or arrived, but rather put behind us our failures, successes, and any regrets.
We must launch out in faith.
“Let us go on unto perfection.” Anything we do for God must be done in faith. Great faith is accompanied by great praying. Great faith is nourished and strengthened by great vision. We walk by faith and not by sight. Where there be no vision, the people perish. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Start this year in faith. Let the two words, “I believe,” be your motto in every endeavor. One of the best means to break a dry spell and stagnant life is to let your faith catch fire. What can God do through you in faith that has never been done before in your life?
We must commit to bear fruit.
Notice, we are encouraged to go on in perfection. Perfection encompasses a faith that is growing and maturing. A growing faith is one that abides deeply in Jesus and brings forth much fruit. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” The lack of consistent fruit is an indication of a lack of obedience and order. It means that our roots have not gone downward in order to bear fruit upward. As we start a new year, we must forsake making excuses for the lack of past productivity, and determine that we will be more deeply rooted in the Lord.
We must determine to go forward.
Going forward is marching to the goals we have set with God’s leading. It is following a God-given strategy for accomplishing his vision. It is having our eyes on the marker as we plow the field. It is not remaining trapped to some past event, but walking through your Red Sea where God parts the water for us. It is running and meeting our giants head-on. It is moving forward one step at a time, making incremental progress and claiming your prize. It is Paul saying at the end of his journey, “I have finished my course.” Go forward no matter what!
Make this year, your best year ever! Go on with fresh vision, zeal, and faith in God’s ability to do with you what has never been done before.
Have a remarkable God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Genesis 1-3