Monday's Resolution {Living Like It's My Last Hour}

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We are picking apart Jonathan Edward's 70 Resolutions, one week and one resolution at a time. Don't forget to start where he did- "Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ's sake."

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

My paraphrase:

7. Resolved, to never do anything that would give me cause for fear (or shame!) before God if I were to die within the hour.  


In order to keep Resolution #7, a person would have to achieve a life of sinless perfection.

The bad news? This side of eternity, no human being will ever achieve sinless perfection. We are all born with cursed sin natures, and even redeemed and forgiven sinners will struggle with the principle of remaining sin after salvation.

The good news? Jesus Christ has already lived an entire life of sinless perfection! He died as a sacrifice for the sins of His people, then rose again as Conqueror over sin and death, so that whosoever believes in Him will be saved from the curse and condemnation of sin.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," Romans 8:1

This is great news! For those of us who are in Christ Jesus, there need be no more fear of facing God with shame over our sin. He does not condemn us, because our sin has already been paid for.

These things needed to be said.

Now that they are out there on the table, informing our understanding as we discuss this Resolution, we can continue.

It would be wise for us to ponder our course of action (before taking it!) as we go about our day. Wisdom asks questions like these:

"If Jesus were looking over my shoulder right now, would I be ashamed about what I was reading/watching/looking at?"

"Would I speak to my husband or child in this way if Jesus was standing in the room with us? Or if these words would be the last I was able to speak to them?"

"Is my relationship with the Lord free, sweet, and clear, so that to face Him in the next instant would be the culmination of my joy? Or do I dread and fear coming face to face with my Savior?"

Not long ago in the car, Niall and I were discussing this very topic. Our conclusion?

We will never be ready. We will never reach that spiritual plateau of perfection, free of sin and struggle, until we get to Heaven.

We will continue to do wrong things that we are ashamed of. Even with the "good" things that we do do, we will stand empty-handed before God, able to plead only the righteousness of Christ.

Our standing before God is all of grace. It is all Christ's work that merits our favor with God, and nothing that we ourselves can do.

Yet oh, we want to be found striving on our final day. We want to walk in sweet communion, to be people after God's own heart, to wholeheartedly say with the Psalmist,

"Whom have I in heaven but YOU? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides YOU."

When my heart becomes enraptured with worldly fondness, idolizing and doting upon material goods, the opinions of others, fame and fortune...

Thoughts like these bring me crashing back down into reality. Not into the reality of things seen and touched and tasted... but into real reality. The unseen truth of things eternal. 

If these thoughts don't sober me up and cause me to refocus my eyes upon Jesus, then my heart is hard indeed.

Today, and every day I must ask myself- am I ready to go? Am I living like its my last hour? 


We won't be here forever. Today is the day to start investing in eternity, for we will be there forever.

So I ask you today: How is your death informing your life?