Newness

It is a NEW year and the canvas is blank in the minds and hearts of people across the world. As people usher in the new year they resolve to change something, do something, and create in order to improve on the "self". I have nothing against resolutions. In fact, I have had resolutions, and most notably I have made them as a believer. I can remember time and time again promising both my brothers and sisters in Christ and God that I would do something to become a "better"  disciple in the new year. I have promised things like, "I'm gonna share my faith more!" or "I am going to spend time in the word every single day". Sadly, These resolutions miss the fundamental truth about Grace which undoubtedly transforms us.

I had the opportunity last night to celebrate the New Year with my beautiful wife and our Temecula Hills Christian Fellowship young adults. We brought in the New Year with shots of sparkling cider, worshipped God together, and had a genuilnely great time. I did not prepare an inspiring sermon for the night or some emotional monologue about how we need to change in the new year. I simply told them, "Continue to live for Jesus" "Continue to live a gospel-centered life". In fact in the middle of worship, I interuppted because the TV that was on caught my eye. Famous musicians were entertaining the world and it looked like they were having a great time in NY. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying your favorite musician. But for some reason it brought me to 1 Corinthians 1. Paul describes the cross as foolishness to men. He makes the wisdom of man foolish and uses what they considered foolish (the cross) to be the means of salvation. Ushering in the New Year for these young people means ushering in a more focused mindset on Grace, God's transforming grace in our lives.

You see, we have been made new. When I think of this New Year, I don't think of the possibility of how I can change for the better. I don't think about my moral standing before God and wonder how I can get closer to him. Relfect with me on Romans 6:

What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means! How can  we who died to sin still live in it?  Do you not know that all of us  who have been baptized  into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were  buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as  Christ was raised from the dead by  the glory of the Father, we too might walk in  newness of life.  For  if we have been united with him in  a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.  We know that  our old self    was crucified with him in order that  the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For  one who has died  has been set free  from sin.  Now  if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  We know that  Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again;  death no longer has dominion over him.  For the death he died he died to sin,  once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.  So you also must consider yourselves  dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:1-11 ESV)

Paul is describing here how being saved by grace through faith does give us license to continue to sin. In fact, many of Paul's enemies were Jews who believed this idea of grace devalued living in obedience. But here in this passage Paul so elequently explains that true grace brings true transformation and newness. Our old self was enslaved to sin and entering into a discipleship relationship to Jesus brings us a newness of life that frees us from that enslavement. In fact this change goes further than freedom. Our new life that is dead to sin and alive to God is commanded to live it to God not to that old dead self.

What a promise that God does it all. It was Christ who died. It was the Father that raised him from the dead. And it is God who changes and transforms us. Man what a relief because I utterly fail, each day, when I try to hijack and take control of my transformation. God has conquered sin and death in order to give us an avenue to daily commune with HIM in the realm of the truly living.

So in this new year, I encourage you to not try and change yourself. You can't. You might find temporary success and change from a resolution. But long lasting change that matters only comes by surrendering to God, continueing to identify with Christ and allowing this transformation of our newness to take root and make change deep, deep in our souls. I pray that God refines and transforms us this year, but I hope that our change comes from the death-conquering Lord of all, Jesus. Live for Christ today, live in Christ today, and allow Christ to overflow out of you today. Let's start with today.

I love you guys and happy new year!!!