Rev. William Watson
With the coming of the New Year, many resolutions will be made. I can only imagine that most of them will be broken the first day. Christians should accept this New Year as an opportunity to renounce the hidden things of shame in our lives—things that our honor and pride will not let us bring into the light of Christ, so we easily hide them.
Is there a thought in your heart about anyone that you would not like to be brought into the light? If so, then renounce it. Renounce everything in its entirety until there is no hidden dishonesty or craftiness, envy, jealousy or strife about you at all. “But, we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commanding ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God,” II Corinthians 4:2.
Not walking in craftiness means not resorting to something simply to make your own point. This is a terrible trap. ‘Shame’ means ugly or disgraceful, and ‘hidden things of shame’ refers to secret immoralities, hypocrisies and the sins hidden in the darkness of one’s life. Because we have already accepted certain beliefs, we find ourselves in a spiritual crisis when we have to move forward by faith.
Many people have turned back because they are afraid to look at things from God’s perspective. Let us move into this New Year by letting God’s Holiness be a standard for our holy living. Holiness is a gift of god’s grace and grows in response to God’s word. “Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth,” John 17:17.
Unless we renounce all manner of evil we will never be able to represent Christ’s way of life in teaching His word and be an agent of salvation to the world. 2016 is the year for Christians to be holy in the midst of an evil world.
My weekly prayer is for the reader of this commentary to become spiritually inspired of God. Become an Intercessory Prayer Partner with Expressions of Faith. “Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh,” Galatians 5: 16. Contact Expressions of Faith at P.O. Box 330127, Nashville, Tenn. 37203; or e-mail <watsonwr68@ gmail.com> to get a copy of our intercessory prayer and a daily reading that will bless your life. The Watson family wishes you a blessed New Year.
