New Year’s

We have again commenced a journey of twelve months. Oh, that God Himself would take our hearts and hands and lead us on! With Him we can enter life, but also pass through it and leave it. The Lord alone knows what will happen to us and what we are to meet with in this year as individuals or families, also in respect to church, social and civilian life. These things are obscured to us by a veil while we and our children are entering an unknown future.

This can very well be the year in which we must die. The Word of God tells us very plainly that “one generation passeth away and another generation cometh.” Here on earth all things are but temporary and transitory. Our lives are but a vapor and death threatens us every moment. If our lives were to come to an end this year, the great question would be whether we are prepared to meet God. God has set the bounds for every person which he shall not pass over. This applies to the young as well as to the aged. We must go when the angel of death comes at the time appointed by God. May we be prevented from imagining death to be distant and from driving our stakes too deeply here on earth. Through grace we must learn to die before death actually comes. Bear in mind young people and old people too, that unless we are born again we cannot see the kingdom of God.

We have a great privilege of living under the pure light of the gospel, which cannot be too highly appreciated. Atheism and superstition are increasing. Besides, there are thousands and tens of thousands who are being set at ease for eternity upon a security that will desert them at the time of death.

Let it be true that our parents were converted to God and that we were baptized in the name of a triune God. Moreover, though we have made confession of faith and our lives are without reproach, we cannot afford to undertake the journey to eternity by virtue of these things. A miracle of God must be glorified in us.

The Lord Jesus once said: “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.” We must pass from death unto life, and be united to Christ by faith.

By our deep fall in Adam, our covenant head, we have wilfully and voluntarily torn ourselves free from God, and we now lie in a state of death. We have offended the most high Majesty of God by this fall and injured His most glorious virtues, and have cast ourselves into an abyss from which we will never be able to save ourselves. But the infinite wonder of grace is that God has been moved on His own account to prepare a way again in Christ, the Son of His eternal good pleasure, so that we may be reconciled to God and make peace with Him. A way by which God’s attributes are glorified and His immutable justice is satisfied.

The Father has ordained His Son to be Surety and Mediator of the covenant. The Son gave Himself, and came in the fulness of time to accomplish that great work and again return to His residence. The Holy Ghost pledged Himself to apply the finished work of Christ in time to the hearts of all those who had been chosen by God from eternity. “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

May this year be a year of God’s good pleasure. It is sincerely the desire and yearning of my heart, in secret as well as in public, that the Lord would glorify the wonders of His grace to the exaltation of His Name and the salvation of many souls.

Young people, go with your parents faithfully to attend the truth of God. May He be pleased to shoot an arrow into your heart so that you would fall at the feet of Jesus as Mary Magdalene once did.

Let God be a light to us in every darkness and Christ our strength in all our troubles and sorrows.

Boys and girls, be attentive at catechism; do take an interest in searching the truth for there is a common indifference to it. Also ignorance of it is very prevalent, while the things of this world predominate and take up the highest place in our hearts. Oh, that the truth of God were confirmed in your souls by the Holy Ghost, so that the truth would become dear and pre cious to you!

Parents, may the Lord bless you and your families during this year and provide for you in all your needs for both soul and body from the fulness which is in Christ. May He preserve you and your dear ones from extreme misfortunes and distresses and crown you richly with His mercies in Christ Jesus.

May He bless His Word to the conversion of your souls and strengthen what He has wrought in your hearts by His Spirit. May the Lord cause us to walk in the fear of His Name, to remember each other at the throne of grace, and to become prepared for the all-decisive eternity.

Let God be a light to us in every darkness and Christ our strength in all our troubles and sorrows.

Rev. W.C. Lamain (1904-1984) pastored the Netherlands Reformed Congregations of Leiden (1929-1932), Rotterdam-South (1932-1943), Rijssen-Wal (1943-1947), and Grand Rapids, Michigan (1947-1984).

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