New Now
4 January 2003
New Year's greetings beloved:
So many are wishing so many a happy and prosperous new year, and I can't help but think that in Jesus, we have His wishes for a happy and prosperous new day, new minute, new now. Circumstances change, up and down they go, but He never changes. He's perfect in every way right now. Always has been and always will be. And His love goes on and on. So, how blessed are we to be the object of His affection and the apple of His eye?
Get right with GOD/ Get tight with GOD/ Follow Him/ Swallow Him/ Get right with Him
Get right with GOD/ Get tight with GOD/ Follow Him/ Swallow Him/ Get right with Him
This is the day/ To believe God's word/ Do what He says when nobody else agrees with you
Get right with GOD/ Get tight with GOD/ Follow Him/ Swallow Him/ Get right with Him
Now is the time/ To step out in faith/ Dare to believe that you will receive GOD's promises
Get right with GOD/ Get tight with GOD/ Follow Him/ Swallow Him/ Get right with Him
If you are right with God, are you tight with God? Can you get tighter? Do you want to?
We receive God's righteousness instantaneously by faith. When Jesus Christ cleanses a person who has just smoked crack, or robbed a bank, or committed adultery, or killed someone (!), that person is every bit as righteous as the person who hasn't done or even thought of doing any of those things for twenty years. Righteousness is like pregnancy. The minute a woman conceives, she is pregnant. Totally, 100% pregnant. A woman who is six months pregnant is no less pregnant than a woman who is nine months pregnant, and no more pregnant than the woman who has just conceived. She may be more easily recognized as pregnant at six or nine months than at conception, but she is just as pregnant at conception as she'll ever be.
So it is with righteousness. As each of us walks in the light, the life of obedience, God's righteousness becomes more recognizable. It begins to "show," but we must recognize that this righteousness is total and complete from day one:
"If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)
What does this mean for you and me? It means there is no waiting period. God is faithful. We can absolutely, 100% depend on Him, and He is just. In His universe He has decreed that it is right for you to receive this gift, no matter who you are or what you have done.
Am I willing to confess my sin? How do I do that? I could focus on a particular behavior that I know is wrong, like stealing for example. The problem here is that while I may confess that I have stolen, this may only represent 1% of my sinful condition. The more basic sin is not loving God, not esteeming His word, or honoring His Son. We all would be offended if someone told us we didn't love God, esteem His word, or honor His Son, but the question is: Is He honored, esteemed, and loved in all that we say and do?
When we focus on our attitudes, we are zeroing in on the real problem--our heart. It's because our heart grows hard, or cold, or angry, or apathetic even toward God that we are tempted to do, and do the things that dishonor Him.
If anyone is tired of living outside of God's will, He invites you to come to Him today. If you confess the sin that has taken hold of your heart, He will abundantly pardon.
Remember, the only righteousness that matters is God's righteousness. Quit playing favorites and holding back God's love from those who you feel don't deserve it. Humble yourself and stop making excuses for your anger, jealousy, and general lack of love. Love covers a multitude of sin, AND VICE VERSA.
So, beloved: Get right with God. And get tight with God! God loves you and so do we.
--David
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