Column by Bro. Terry Ivy
"...he set his face to go to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51)
This verse is as pregnant with meaning as the New Year is with potential. Jesus, in order to finish his call to deliver the plan of redemption and the establishment of the Kingdom of God, set his face toward the hard work of Calvary. There was no shortcut, no secret passes. He set his face toward all that would need to take place for him to lead mankind out of darkness and into the light.
Professional assassins, mockery, and a kangaroo court awaited Jesus in Jerusalem. The religious men of his day claimed they loved God but would eventually murder the Son of God. Our words mean nothing if our actions don't back them up. The message Jesus preached would have been meaningless without his willingness to follow through with the cross and empty tomb.
Like Jesus, we must not neglect to 'set our face' toward 'our Jerusalem.' That is, accomplishing what God has for us in 2022. Spiritual maturity and growth do not happen by refusing to make changes and continuing down the same path we've always traveled. Albert Einstein is attributed as saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
If you ask the average Christian what they desire for the coming year, most would say they want to grow closer to God and enjoy a deeper sense of spiritual peace in their life. And yet, many will do as they always do—neglect church attendance, place outdoor sports and athletics before serving Christ, and refuse to commit to studying God’s Word. Their actions betray their speech.
If we want to experience spiritual growth, we must stop doing the same thing over and over—lest we become one of Einstein’s idiots. Let us set our face toward the necessary participation to accomplish it. Don't let another year go by without change and find yourself at the same crossroads of biblical ignorance and spiritual lethargy.
Anything worth having requires a price! Jesus did not suffer and die on a cruel Roman cross so we could become spiritual couch potatoes. Instead, he desires that we become men and women of faith, godly witnesses, and spiritual examples to those around us. However, these things will not happen unless we change our commitments. Personally, I believe the vast majority of people will be ashamed of the neglect they will have to answer for when they stand before God in the day of judgment.
Let us 'set our face.' Let us 'set our priorities.' Let us 'set our trust.' Let us 'set our commitments.' Then, when the next year is over, we will begin reaping the results of those changes--and it will be awesome. So let us set our face toward Jerusalem, so those around us see us… Going Forward!
