"Trustworthy Reminders for the Coming New Year!"

“Trustworthy Reminders for the Coming New Year!”

 

This saying is trustworthy:  For if we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.         2Timothy 2:11-13

 

We are headed for the UNKNOWN, where no man has ever been before.  In a few days we will celebrate a BRAND NEW YEAR.  A year that is going to be full of UNCERTAINTIES, some GOOD, some NOT so GOOD.  But for those who are TRUE Children of the ALMIGHTY GOD, we can face these UNCERTAINTIES with a STRONG FAITH and ASSURANCE that GOD IS IN CONTROL!  I believe that the Apostle Paul’s instruction for His son in the ministry, Timothy, is applicable to ALL TRUE BELIEVERS in this present age.  Let’s look into some TRUSTWORTHY REMINDERS that will help us live with PEACE, ASSURANCE, and CONFIDENCE for a PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

 

The very first TRUSTWORTHY REMINDER that Paul gave was:  “If we have DIED with Him, (Jesus Christ), we will also LIVE with Him.”  For the TRUE BELIEVER, this represents the identification that a TRUE BELIEVER has concerning the DEATH and LIFE of Jesus Christ.  We exemplify His DEATH and RESURRECTION through our water baptism.  We acknowledge the fact that He DIED and was RESURRECTED in order to give to us ETERNAL LIFE, when we DIE to our old sinful life and are RESURRECTED to a NEW LIFE in Christ.  So we have HOPE and ASSURANCE of LIVING FOR Christ in this present age and LIVING WITH CHRIST through ALL of ETERNITY, facing a NEW YEAR.

 

The next TRUSTWORTHY REMINDER was:  “If we ENDURE, we will also REIGN with Him.”  This reminder indicates the PERSECUTION, which Jesus Christ ENDURED, while on Earth and the GLORIFICATION He received in Heaven.  The TRUE BELIEVER faces the same scenario. While the TRUE BELIEVER may suffer PERSECUTION here, they have the ASSURANCE of GLORIFICATION through REIGNING with Christ in His NEW KINGDOM.  This is something to be mindful of in the coming NEW YEAR.  

 

The next TRUSTWORTHY REMINDER was:  “If we DENY Him, He will also DENY us.”  This TRUSTWORTHY REMINDER takes on a negative aspect of a relationship or the lack of a relationship with Jesus Christ.  There are some who go through the actions of receiving SALVATION, but it isn’t a TRUE HEART REPENTANCE, they receive it in their MIND, but NOT in their HEART, and there has been NO CHANGE in their lifestyle.  Eventually, they will turn AWAY from their pseudo-Christianity and deny Christ, in order to satisfy their sinful appetite.  Those are the ones, along with those who have never even accepted Him with their minds, who He will deny.  This is a WARNING for the UNBELIEVER!!!

 

The last TRUSTWORTHY REMINDER was:  “If we are FAITHLESS, He remains FAITHFUL, for He cannot deny Himself.”   This speaks mainly to the TRUE BELIEVER, who at times may prove to be UNFAITHFUL.  We, as Paul once said, “Do the things we wish not to do, but because we are in the flesh we do them.”  But He is FAITHFUL to FORGIVE us of ALL our TRANSGRESSIONS. 

Jesus Christ, CANNOT deny HIMSELF; He will not deny those, who are TRUE BELIEVERS, but are WEAK in their FAITH, and may even be DISOBEDIENT at times.  One thing to remember as we face a NEW YEAR is Jesus Christ’s FAITHFULNESS to the TRUE BELIEVER is NOT contingent on their FAITHFULNESS to Him.  

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God you are NOT a TRUE BELIEVER.  And you are facing a NEW YEAR full of UNCERTAINITIES, without the HOPE and ASSURANCE of PEACE and TRUE LOVE, but you are facing an ETERNITY in HELL, the place of FOREVER torment, torture, pain, agony and despair.  However, God is giving you the opportunity to come to Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVEING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and face a NEW YEAR with HOPE, ASSURANCE, PEACE and TRUE GODLY LOVE, and an ETERNITY REIGNING with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!