“I Am Resolved”

by Micky Galloway

This is the season for balancing books, taking inventories, checking of ledgers, and making plans for the coming year. As we appraise the worth of the past year, with its triumphs and failures, we often look ahead with resolutions for the New Year. Unfortunately, only 8 percent of people who make resolutions are successful in achieving their resolution (http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics). Perhaps the greatest resolution we can make is found in the words of the song, “I Am Resolved,” by Palmer Hartsough (Song # 325 in Hymns For Worship). This song expresses the resolution that is necessary to obey the gospel and go to heaven.

Stanza one says that we must be resolved no longer to linger. “I am resolved no longer to linger, Charmed by the world’s delight; Things that are higher, things that are nobler, These have allured my sight.” Lingering in sin is foolish. Some plan to correct their lives “someday,” but wait until severe and often lifelong consequences are imposed upon themselves or their children. We have time and opportunity now. “... behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2). When earthly life is over, and “the earth and the works therein shall be burned up” (II Peter 3:10), only the important things remain. Jesus said, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:24 KJV). If you knew you would not live to the end of the New Year, what would you seek? What would you change? Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Paul reminds us, “… we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Corinthians 4:18). Changing our priorities would be a premium if we knew we would not live beyond this year. However, the world tempts us to linger longer by its delights. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (I John 2:15-17).

We must set our affections on things that are higher and nobler, things that are above (cf. Colossians 3:1-2). They will encourage us not to linger. “Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens” (II Corinthians 4:16-5:1).

Stanza two says that we must be resolved to go to the Savior. “I am resolved to go to the Savior, Leaving my sin and strife; He is the true One, He is the just one, He hath the words of life.” Jesus Christ came to be the Savior of the world, “For the Son of man came to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10; cf. Matthew 1:21; I Timothy 1:15). Jesus tenderly invites us to come to Him for salvation (Matthew 11:28-30). Our coming to Him requires both faith and obedience. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).

Stanza three says that we must be resolved to follow the Savior. “I am resolved to follow the Savior, Faithful and true each day, Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth; He is the living way.” It is not enough just to “accept Him as Savior;” we must continue to follow Him as the Lord (Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46). Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). He left us an example that we should follow in His steps (cf. I Peter 2:21).

Stanza four says that we must be resolved to enter the kingdom. “I am resolved to enter the kingdom, Leaving the paths of sin; Friends may oppose me, foes may beset me, Still will I enter in.” The kingdom of the Lord is His church and He has only one. “And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Peter was given the “keys of the kingdom” (Matthew 16:18-19). When we repent and are baptized for the remission of our sins, we enter the Lord’s church, or kingdom, as we are added to it by the Lord Himself (Acts 2:38-47). Our resolve must be to go to heaven, whether family or friends choose to or not (cf. Matthew 10:34ff).

Stanza 5 says that we must be resolved to ask others to come with us. “I am resolved, and who will go with me? Come, friends, without delay; Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit, We’ll walk the heavenly way.” I want to go to heaven and I want my family and friends to go too. Let us go to our families and friends to see who among them will go with us. Let us tell them what great things the Lord has done for us. To him who had been possessed with demons, Jesus said, “Go to thy house unto thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and (how) he had mercy on thee” (Mark 5:19). Can we do any less? Because those who walk the heavenly way must be taught by the Bible and through it be led by the Spirit, it is the responsibility of those who are saved to teach others also (cf. II Timothy 2:2).

The chorus continues to emphasize the need of this resolution to come to Christ. “I will hasten to Him, Hasten so glad and free; Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.” Each New Year’s Day, many people follow the custom of making resolutions for a better life, although we should strive to do better each day that we live. However, those who are not Christians should not wait until January 1, or any time in the future, but make their souls right with God by obeying the gospel now, saying, “I Am Resolved.”

(Material adapted from an article at https://hymnstudiesblog.wordpress.com/2008/06/28/quoti-am-resolvedquot mg)