3 Resolves of a Growing Christian

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

As we go into a New year we know from Hebrews 10 that Jesus gives us:
Confidence: We have the greatest cause for confidence
Conviction: We have a new & living way to live
Comfort: We have Jesus with us and for us
How then shall we live in 2017?

There is a repeated sense of continuing to do something… the tense is one of ongoing, not stopping, refusing to quit, aiming to be growing and making progress.
So what are these three resolves we might pursue in 2017?

#1 I will keep close to God

By rejecting pretence
That is what it means by true heart.
True= sincere or unfeigned. This is real. This is who I am so this is how I live.
Not pretending or playing but passionately pursuing

By remembering promises
That is the full assurance piece. As someone once said, 'God said, I believe it, that settles it.'
From that flows full conviction… it is having my soul is anchored to what God says
and finding settled peace from His promises.

By repenting proactively
How do we maintain a clean conscience? It comes from carrying our sin to the cross.
Repentance is one of the most important routines for you to require this year.
As showering is to personal hygiene so repenting is to spiritual health. Cultivate a pattern of being found regularly at the cross.

By renewing purpose
Living a pure life or as it says 'our bodies washed with pure water.'
It is determining to ask for God's help to live lives of Gospel integrity.
Pursuing purity for the purpose of God’s praise. Putting aside things that poison our hearts.
Pursuing purity as a priority. Praying to be more like Jesus, defined by holiness, glorifying God with your life.

# 2 I will keep hold of hope
No wavering from what he calls us to. We are called here to hold fast: keep in a firm grasp, to have in full and secure possession. What are we to grab so tightly too?
The confession of our hope… Our lives will be an expression of our expectation.
That means that the more we hold fast to our hope in Jesus the more we will hold Him out to those around us.
A refusal to trade what we know is true will compel trust in those who need it most.
And when we are tempted…

No wondering about what He promises to do
Read it again... 'HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL.'
The One who has made these eternal promises to us… cannot lie… does not fail
He is FAITHFUL
He will never disappoint your Faith
His risen Son gives you eternal Assurance
His Holy Spirit is His right now Investment
His Word is Truth
He is an ever-present Help
He cannot Fail
His promises have no U-turn
He is Love

God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, acts with a hand that never fails. Spurgeon

I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess. Luther

Out of this flows some pretty big reminders going into a New Year:
You will be able to trace His hand & trust His grace in all that you will face.
You will be able to call on Him and fall upon Him when trouble rolls in .
You will be able to believe His promises even when other things don’t seem to be going to plan.
You will be able to rely on Him when life incites you to cry to Him.
He will never turn His back even when you feel like your life is being turned upside down.
So in 2017, no more wondering about what He promises to do… He will do it.

#3 I will keep provoking you (in a good way)
Stir it up… we get to be cheerleaders for Christ’s work in & through one anothers lives. So provoke one another, in a good way, to...

Active love
To love… as we have been loved. To forgive as we have been forgiven. To serve as we have been served.
More than doing the right thing but being a right person that is growing in the right direction.
Looking for opportunities to express and extend love.
Not being lazy to show love. Not being loathe love those who we find difficult.

Actual community
Not neglecting to meet. Neglect= abandon/forsaking
Priority presence… get with God’s people. And that means more than just being present but being there as a participant.

4 key events in the life of our church (2 weekly & 2 monthly).
Weekly: Sunday gathering & small group.
Monthly: Mens & womens ministry (last week of the month) & prayer nights (first Friday of the month).

Not neglecting to meet together means get them in your diary. It is having an attitude that says 'I won’t miss that because that is not going to be my habit.'
Maybe that means pursuing a different pattern. In many ways that is the nature of a new resolve. Things are goinf to be different. I am going to be different. I am going to adopt a different attitude.
So... how about in 2017 you cultivate being no longer proficient at excuses but instead being a present encouragement
If we are not there we can’t help. If we are not present we can’t play the part that God has for us.

Then it says something we would do well to pay attention to. All the more… we have never needed to be part of an actual community of God’s people than right now.

Jesus is coming soon… the fields are ripe for Harvest… and we as His church are called to

Advance the Gospel Let's provoke one another towards that great and eternal goal. Jesus is coming (the day is approaching)… His promises are true… let’s live in light of that and do all we can to advance the Gospel in Glasgow and beyond and in our own lives and the lives of those God has placed around us.