Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; but happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Proverbs 29:18 

Today: Read Proverbs 29

Today’s passage reminds us of the importance of having a vision, in this instance, a word from God. Consider the world in which we live. Everyone seems to be doing whatever he/she views is right. People appear to be adopting their own beliefs systems and philosophies, many which are contrary to the word of God. That is why we all need to have a word, a vision, and direction, a spiritual compass if you will, that will point us in the right direction and secure for us abundant and eternal life. Well, we have that compass. It is the Bible. And when you take scripture and merge the word with the Spirit of God, the end result is vision. Here are four guiding principles (visions) for every member of the body of Christ.

(1) We must be saved!

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

                                                                                                             Acts 2:38 

This passage brings forth the reality that we must be saved. First, we have to repent. This is not a promise to God that we will never sin again. I would advise not making that promise because none of us is capable of keeping it. Repentance is “to change your mind.” It is to admit that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and then receiving the salvation that is offered to you through faith in Jesus Christ.

Secondly, we are to be baptized. This is the first way in which we confess the name of Jesus to the world. In baptism, we are making an outward confession of an inward reality. Certainly baptism is a public statement of our faith but it doesn’t stop there. We should be rejoicing in, praising, and declaring that name of Jesus daily.

Thirdly, when we are born again through faith, we become new creations in Christ. We are declared righteous before God on the basis of what Christ has done for us and we are forgiven from all of our sin. This knowledge of forgiveness brings with it a spiritual freedom that propels us to not sin more rather to sin less as we enjoy fellowship with God.

Lastly, when we are born again, we receive the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God takes up residence inside our hearts and acts as a teacher, comforter, advocate, and guide. There is no life more powerful and effective than the one being lived in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

(2) We are to grow in our faith! 

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

                                                                                                   Hebrews 5:12-14 

Just like being physically born, being spiritually born has a starting point, but we are to grow and mature from there. If we were interacting with a thirty-year old adult, in a normal situation, we wouldn’t tell him to stay away from the hot stove or instruct him not to play with scissors. That would be foolish since he is a grown man and should already be well schooled in such things. In fact, to speak to him this way would be an insult to his intelligence. Instead of treating him like a child, we should speak to him based on his age. The same is true for spiritual growth. In the passage above, the writer is reminding us that we need to move from the elementary things of faith in Christ to the more mature topics. I believe that the difference between “infants” in the faith and those who are mature is not just intellectual knowledge. I believe that maturity is displayed as we apply the truth of God’s word to our daily lives and live in the power and promises of scripture. When we live like we truly believe what we are studying, we are beginning to exhibit spiritual maturity. 

(3) We are to proclaim good news!

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

                                                                                                            Mark 16:15

As we grow in our faith, we begin to understand the importance of telling others about Jesus. Everyone we meet is in need of salvation. Everyone we come in contact with needs to know about the love of God and the provision of Christ made on our behalf. The gospel is good news. When we accurately propagate this news of Jesus, we are doing the most loving thing that we can do. To see people go without spiritual life and to do nothing about it really is the height of our being spiritually irresponsible. We should all find ways to let others know about the truth that is found in Christ. A good beginning that every believer can participate in is the sharing of our own stories. Letting others know that Christians are not perfect people rather human beings who have been saved, redeemed, and forgiven is critical if we are going to take part in “preaching the gospel to all creation.”

(4) We are to guide others to reconciliation with God!

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

                                                                                           2 Corinthians 5:18-19 

Finally, sharing the gospel is in fact engaging in the ministry of reconciliation. To reconcile is to restore friendly relations between two parties, in this case, restoring a relationship between God and mankind. Paul tells us that as we are reconciled to God, we are, in turn, to point others to that same reconciliation. Of course we cannot be effective in this declaration of reconciliation if we ourselves have not been reconciled with God. That is why this ministry is only for the born again believer in Jesus. A good way to explain this good news is found in Paul’s declaration above. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. On the cross, God did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Our goal should be that every man, woman, and child enjoy an unhindered, vibrant relationship with God through Jesus Christ. So if you have been reconciled, pass it on!

The Bible is full of instructions and guidance on how we should live our lives. But we can narrow down the fundamentals and gain a vision to guide us by focusing on and engaging in these four directives. I want to encourage you to continue growing in the word and using its wisdom as a framework for your life!