Are You in the Fatih?

Introduction

New Year’s Resolutions often have a bad reputation and for good reason

Most people treat them like a magic formula that will change them instantly

When this happens, people give up after only a month since they have not seen the changes they wanted to see

Yet, this is more of a problem with us than it is with the resolutions

In fact, I believe it can be helpful to take time at the end of the year to reflect on what God has done in your life and what areas you would like to grow in the next year

We just need to understand that it will take work on our part

You see, our works never save us, only the grace of God does that

Yet, the Bible consistently talks about the Christian life as one that will require a lot of effort on our parts

Hebrews 4:11 CSB

11 Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.

Luke 13:24 CSB

24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able

Philippians 2:12–13 CSB

12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.

So, the Christian life is one of effort to be conformed to the image of Christ and enter into his rest

So, this is a good time of year to reflect on what God has done in our lives and to set goals for where we would like to see growth in our walk with Jesus

In order to do this, we are going to ask the most important question: Are you in the faith?

This is what Paul exhorted the Corinthian church to do

2 Corinthians 13:5 CSB

5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test.

By answering this question, we will have to examine our hearts which will reveal to us areas where we need to grow

Most importantly, it will help us answer the most important question there is: Are we truly saved?

We will do this by examining questions from 1 John

The Apostle John in this letter said, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” ( 1 Jn 5:13)

While this verse certainly teaches that we can know if we have eternal life or not, we can only know this if understand what “these things” are that John wrote

They are all ways that God works in the lives of his children that must be present in all who claim to believe in Jesus

If we are not living according to what John wrote, we can have no confidence that we are truly saved

Are you confessing your sins regularly to God?

1 John 1:5–10 CSB

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. 6 If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. 7 If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

In this passage, walking in the light means confessing sin

Darkness means keeping sin secret and trying to cover and hide it like Adam and Eve did in the Garden

Are you trusting in Christ alone to forgive your sins?

1 John 2:1–2 CSB

1 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. 2 He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

There are two ways we often respond to our sin:

We try to convince ourselves that it was not really that bad

This is us trusting that our sin is not serious instead of trusting in Christ

No matter what the sin was, Christ had to die to forgive it so it is very serious

We feel a continual guilt even after confessing and asking for forgiveness

This seems more spiritual but is actually us trusting in ourselves instead of Christ

We think that there is something we can do to merit forgiveness

Are you keeping God’s commandments?

1 John 2:3–6 CSB

3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

Being baptized is the first command we obey as Christians

Do you love other Christians?

1 John 2:9–11 CSB

9 The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Do you love the world?

1 John 2:15–17 CSB

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.

Are you putting sin to death and putting on righteousness?

1 John 3:9–10 CSB

9 Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because his seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister.

Application

Set goals for the New Year

Read the New Testament through in a year

Read the entire Bible in a year

Find a more mature believer to disciple you

Commit to coming and serving at Youth Group/church

Develop a prayer/devotional time each day

Resolve to share the gospel with 5 people this year