What Will You Do In 2016?

What will you do in 2016? Most of us look at New Year’s Day as a new beginning. We view it as kind of a clean slate thing where we can just forget last year along with all its mistakes and problems. New Year’s resolutions are always popular. And sadly just like last year I need to lose weight, get into better shape, and eat better. How many of you can relate? But let’s be honest, we usually don’t do very well with the whole resolution thing. I’ve been losing the same ten pounds since I first put on that weight on many years ago.

So does that mean we should approach 2016 with a “who cares” attitude? Absolutely not, especially if we call ourselves Christians. There is very simple but basic command in the Bible that tells us exactly what we should do with 2016.

1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

It’s a very simple command. Whatever we do in life we should do to the glory of God. But what exactly does that mean? How can we literally live out 2016 to the glory of God?

First of all let’s step up and see what context this statement comes from. 1 Corinthians was written by Paul to the church at Corinth. Corinth was a center of sin and carnality. The church there had its problems in this area. The truth is the church today is very much like the one in Corinth. Carnality resides heavily today, but let’s not forget something very important; we are the church. You see if the church is carnal, then it is because we are carnal.

You see the problem with the church and even with ourselves is that we have stopped making Christ the center of our lives. We care more about our comfort, our preferences, and quite frankly, political correctness than we do letting Jesus be Lord. In our supposed attempt to spread the Gospel we have changed it. We have made Christianity a “feeling” religious experience in lieu of the relationship between the Holy God and His restored creation. We seek more to entertain people and to offer them a “better life” than to bring to the experience of complete surrender Jesus so often calls us to in scripture.

Far too many Christians walk around flaunting their “freedom in Christ” to do whatever they want by telling us God is love so it’s all good. Look back at the beginning of chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians and we get a better view at Paul’s instruction.

Before Paul spoke on Christian liberty, he spoke about the idolatry of Israel. His words were a warning.

1 Corinthians 10:6-11
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.  Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”  We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.  We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,  nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.  Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

Twice He says these things were examples for those who would come after them.

Then Paul really says it clearly in 1 Corinthians 10:14, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”

Idolatry is anything; let me say that again, anything that we give attention to that takes away from giving God what we should.

Now that we have been warned Paul feels comfortable in telling us about the freedom we have in Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:23-24
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.  Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

The historical context in the rest of 1 Corinthians speaks about the things they could eat even though they had been sacrificed to false idols. But the spiritual lesson speaks right to us today. There are things we are free to do that maybe certain legalistic churches have historically condemned people for. That was and is wrong. But that doesn’t mean we should just run around as Christians doing anything we want. That simply does not line up with the entire teachings of the NT. I strongly urge each and every Christian to study God’s Word with passion and to learn about what it means to be Christ’s. You will find that it means we become bondservants. We choose to be His slave. We are not bound to the law but we are bound to Him freely having chosen to be.

Paul then says this.

1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

He finishes up by warning us against offending others by our exercise of Christian freedom. This doesn’t mean we don’t offend others with the truth of scripture at times, it means if eating a certain food would offend a brother than don’t do it in front of them. Personally I am that way with alcohol. Because of the damage it has done to my family I stay away from it and avoid social environments that include it. Many people think I am judging them or trying to impose my beliefs about it on them. I am not. It is just a painful reminder of terrible things in my life that to this day are still having secondary effects in my life. So I don’t want to be near it. This is an example of those Christians who are free to have a drink choosing not to do so around me in simple honor of being caring towards my desires. We should never use our freedoms to cause hurt to others. Nor should we use it to excuse the things that are clearly spoken against in scripture. The best attitude we could have is to say that we are free not to do the things we are free to do. And especially if they do not bring glory to God.

So Happy New Year to all of you. What changes will you make in 2016? I think Paul would say this, whatever you do, have you asked yourself is it going to bring honor and glory to God? If not, maybe you should resolve not to do it. I say we make 2016 the year we will do all to the glory of God. He is worth it.

Praying God’s blessing on all of year in 2016.