A Good Beginning, Continuance and Ending.

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What a mercy it is to enter this world with a healthy body and sound constitution; how severely handicapped for this life, where the opposite is the case! What a blessing to be born into a Christian home, to receive our earliest impressions from pious parents, to be trained from infancy to walk in "the way of the LORD" (Gen 18:19)! What a difference it makes in the marital life, whether or not it opens with a consecration of the same to the Lord, and where the "family altar" is erected from the outset!

It is sadly true that a good beginning will not of itself ensure a good ending; yet if the former obtains not, it is unlikely that the latter will be attained. If the foundation is faulty, the superstructure erected thereon is insecure. Though it is not everything, a good beginning is much to be desired. The indolent youth rarely amounts to much subsequently. Certain it is, that as we sow in our earlier days — we are made to reap later on. The same law holds good in the Christian life: the formation of good spiritual habits at an early stage does much to mold future character and conduct.

It is customary in the early days of January for our friends to wish us a happy New Year — but what ground have we to expect that such a hope will be realized — unless we begin the year aright? Certainly we are not justified in looking for the smile of God upon us — if its dawn is celebrated with carnal gluttony and worldly jollification. That is to act as the heathen do. Nor may we count upon the providential blessing of the Lord, if He is not duly honored by us.

This is not to inculcate the doctrine of human merits, as though by any good deeds of ours, the Lord can be brought into debt to us. No indeed: rather is it a pointing out of our duty and an enforcing of God's rightful claims upon us. All of the Lord's dealings with His people are in grace, yet grace ever works "through righteousness" (Rom 5:21) and never at the expense of it. God has plainly declared, "those who honor me — I will honor"; but on the other hand, "those who despise me — shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Samuel 2:30). Ponder well those words, my reader, at the opening of 1949, and remember that "the hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him" (Ezra 8:22).

Earnestly seek His glory — and you will enjoy His blessing. Let us point out two or three things which are essential if the Christian reader is to make "a good beginning" in the new year.

First, he must start it with a clean slate. Alas, says the reader, that is impossible. I cannot undo the past. I am obliged to say, "What I have written, I have written, and I cannot erase it." True — but God can! If your conversion was a genuine one, in the day of it, the Lord said, "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions" (Isa 44:22). And what made such a miracle of grace legally possible? The atoning sacrifice of the Redeemer: "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). And that precious blood is ever available for faith's appropriation. Then spend part of the closing hour of 1948 in putting your sins under the blood of Christ. Make a general confession, and then a particular one of every known sin, and make use of God's promise: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Plead the efficacy of Christ's blood. Make full use of that Fountain which has been "opened to the house of David [that is 'the beloved'] and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem [and every believer belongs to the 'Jerusalem which is above' (Gal 4:26)] for sin and for uncleanness" (Zechariah 13:1).

By sincere and penitent confession — all sin may be purged from the conscience; and by a fresh application of the atoning blood of Christ — all sin will be cleansed before God. Thus, you may and should begin the new year with a clean slate. That is your holy privilege, Christian friend. Nor is that statement any invention of ours, for in substance, it is clearly taught in the Scriptures. See it illustrated in Exodus 12. When the Lord's time had come for the children of Israel to leave the land of Egypt and enter upon a new stage of their history — what did God require them to do? Three things:

First, "you shall put away leaven out of your houses" (Exo 12:15) — "leaven" is one of the Scriptural emblems of evil (1 Corinthians 5:6; Gal 5:9); and the Christian puts it away when he abhors, mourns over, and confesses his sins before God, for it is then cast out of his affections.

Second, they placed themselves under the shed blood of the Lamb.

Third, they fed upon it "with bitter herbs" (Exo 12:8). Christ is only truly appropriated by a contrite soul, to whom sin is a bitter thing. Then the Lord gave orders: "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months" (Exo 12:2). Was not that "a good beginning" — to start the year under the blood of the Lamb?

Second, thankfulness for past mercies. If we be not grateful for the blessings and bounties which God has already bestowed upon us — how can we look for a continuation of them? Is it likely that the Holy One will place a premium upon ingratitude? It befits us to make hearty acknowledgment of the favors — both spiritual and temporal — which the Lord has lavished upon us. Alas that so many receive them as a matter of course and with hearts unaffected by the divine goodness. It is one of the foretold marks of graceless professors that in the "perilous times" they should be "unthankful," to which is immediately added, "unholy" (2 Timothy 3:1-2).

It behooves us, then, as we enter upon another period of life, to render praise to the Lord for past supplies and deliverances. See that illustrated in the case of Noah. As soon as he and his family emerged on to the new earth, which had been swept clean by the broom of destruction, he "built an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar" (Gen 8:20). Was not that "a good beginning": to express thanks for their gracious preservation from the flood? And we are told: "And the LORD smelled a sweet savor" (Gen 8:21): it was acceptable to Him. Then do you open 1949 by offering to Him a sacrifice of praise?

Third, a renewal of his consecration to God. The Christian life begins with a personal dedication to Him. They "first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us" (2 Corinthians 8:5), which means that they made a complete surrender of themselves to Him, as the only suitable response to that great debt which can never be fully paid. There was an entire consecrating of themselves and all that they had to God in Christ, and a yielding of themselves to His accredited servants to be taught and directed by them — the latter being the evidence of the former. Nothing less than that would give proof that they were genuinely devoted to His cause and interests here on earth.

But alas, how treacherous are our hearts! How soon is the "love of our espousals" (Jer 2:2) chilled! How quickly the things of this world draw us away from Christ, or the cares of this life unduly absorb us! How soon does the average Christian give the Lord cause to complain, "you have left your first love" — the freshness and fervor which marked your conversion! And what is the remedy? "Repent [mourn over, confess, turn away from what has occasioned the sad failure], and do the first works" (Rev 2:4-5) — that is, renew your dedication, make a fresh surrender of yourself to the Lord. Do so at the dawn of 1949, and that will indeed be "a good beginning." Definitely acknowledge afresh the everlasting claims which the love of Christ has upon you, and determine to spend and be spent for Him.

Fourth, a renewed resolve to live wholly for the honor of your Master. "Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). Make that your motto, your constant aim, your earnest endeavor during 1949. That is the principal mark which distinguishes the Christian from the non-Christian: that he serves not self — but Christ, seeks not the praise of men — but the approbation of God, aims not at his own advancement — but at the magnifying of the Lord and the promoting of His interests. His opportunity for so doing in this scene of His rejection will soon be over.

The night swiftly hastens on when writer and reader will no longer have this privilege. Then let us seek grace to redeem the time (Eph 5:16) and enter the new year determined to do so. Our Master has left us an example so to do: "Christ pleased not himself" (Rom 15:3). "I seek not mine own glory" (John 8:50), He declared. Completely and constantly devoted was He to the One whom He delighted to serve. How that was evinced in His firstrecorded utterance: "Don't you know that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49). Was not that "a good beginning"? Then cry to Him for enablement to "follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21) more closely during 1949 than ever before!

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