As a New Year begins, it would behoove us to examine ourselves in the light of God’s Word. It should be the desires of the believer in Jesus Christ, to have one’s life reflect God’s love and grace. Let us take these three letters, AAA, to prompt our thinking and self examination.
The first “A” is for aspiration. What is our objective in the Christian life? Do we have one goal that causes us to stay the course in the winds of adversity or success? Jesus, when teaching His disciples and the multitudes, challenged them to set their priorities in order. As always, there are so many things that occupy our time and our efforts, things that are necessary, things that are good, things that deserve our attention and resources. Yet, there is one priority that Jesus raises above all that life entails – that which we must aspire to as foremost in the spiritual life -- …
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”(Matthew 6:33 NASB)
Walking by faith, learning God’s Word and applying it in life, all under the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, will result in the Christian’s thinking and actions being in conformity to the will of God. The Apostle Paul echoed this in writing to the Galatians.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. …Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”(Galatians 5:16,24-25 NASB)
The second “A” is for anticipation. Perhaps it will be this year that the Body of Christ, the Church, will be completed and our Lord will return in the air to claim His Bride. As John closed the Revelation of Jesus Christ, he wrote -- …
“He [Christ] who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’”(Revelation 22:20a NASB)
John responded with great anticipation -- …
“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”(Revelation 22:20b NASB)
The “hope” of His coming, becomes the motivation of John to challenge his fellow believers to live for Christ in the knowledge that He could come at any moment.
“And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”(1 John 3:3 NASB)
The third “A” is for assurance. Every generation of believers has looked for His coming. It will occur as surely as He came in that manager in Bethlehem. But until that day comes, we are to have absolute confidence that He is sufficient for our every need. In seeking Him first, He has promised that all the necessary things in life, which He has designed for His own, will be supplied by His grace. Regardless of the pressures of life, every detail of our existence is in His thinking and Jesus Christ assures us -- …
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:19 KJV) “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:38-39 NASB)