Salvation Summaries

Are you the type of person who sets New Year’s goals?  If so, do you actively work on them throughout the year, or “cry uncle” and surrender to them a few months into the year?

I confess that I’m not “big” on setting New Year’s goals in particular, but, for whatever reason, am very much a goal oriented person. In terms of religious goals, I started some several years ago and they will take another few years to finish. Also, a friend and I agreed to read the Bible together in one year and share some of our observations during that time.  My fitness and dieting goals that should take less than a year to complete, but in reality are ongoing goals due to periodic setbacks caused by illnesses and/or a hectic work schedule.  Finally, my wife and I are “to do list” people, so we have daily personal and work-related tasks we try to complete in order to feel better about ourselves.

If you typically don’t set New Year’s goals, let me challenge you to set one in particular this year.  Or, if you usually set goals, let me ask you to focus on the one I’m about to share with you.

What is the goal?  It is from 2 Corinthians 5:15, which says…

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Thus, the 2018 goal I want you to have with me is this: To no longer live for ourselves, but to live for Him who died for us. 

Now, if you agree with me that this is a worthy goal, we must ask ourselves:

1) What does it mean to “live for Him,” and

2) What does it look like?

To answer these questions, I sought out a few Bible commentaries, and believe the comments from Albert Barnes below well summarize what we need to know:

“To live to him is the opposite to living unto ourselves. It is to seek his honor; to feel that we belong to him; that all our time and talents; all our strength of intellect and body; all the avails of our skill and toil, all belong to him, and should be employed in his service. If we have talents by which we can influence other minds, they should be employed to honor the Saviour. If we have skill, or strength to labor by which we can make money, we should feel that it all belongs to him, and should be employed in his service.”

“A servant, a slave, does not live to himself but to his master. His person, his time, his limbs, his talents, and the avails of his industry are not regarded as his own. He is judged incapable of holding any property which is not at the disposal of his master. If he has strength, it is his master‘s. If he has skill, the avails of it are his master‘s. If he is an ingenious mechanic, or labors in any department; if he is amiable, kind, gentle, and faithful, and adapted to be useful in an eminent degree, it is regarded as all the property of his master. He is bound to go where his master chooses; to execute the task which he assigns; to deny himself at his master‘s will; and to come and lay the avails of all his toil and skill at his master‘s feet. He is regarded as having been purchased with money; and the purchase money is supposed to give a right to his time, his talents, his services, and his soul. Such as the slave is supposed to become by purchase, and by the operation of human laws, the Christian becomes by the purchase of the Son of God, and by the voluntary recognition of him as the master, and as having a right to all that we have and are. To him all belongs; and all should be employed in endeavoring to promote his glory, and in advancing his cause.”

For some of you, living this way might be a radical change. For others, a tweak in your lifestyle and a refocus of efforts might be all that is needed. Either way, let’s resolve to heed this particular verse to the best of our ability, and see what happens.  It is my hope that you, and I, grow in our relationship with Him this year, and receive joy and blessings along the way.