Photo Courtesy: Nishant Kulkarni on Unsplash
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
In the past few weeks, the world celebrated New Year. Almost everybody was ecstatic about it. It’s a celebration of hope, a new beginning, a new chapter in which one can start anew, set a new goal, and at the same time, make New Year’s resolutions. What is a New Year’s resolution anyway? Is it effective or pointless? According to Cambridge Dictionary, it’s a commitment that you make to yourself on the very first day of the year to start doing something that you think is good for you and to stop redoing things that you’ve done bad in the past. It’s a promise to yourself, after some realizations from past experiences, that this time you’re going to do things differently, make yourself more fruitful, and be changed in a positive way, hoping to start the year right and be a better version of yourself this time.
When we were young, we did experience making promises to ourselves before New Year. We made a long list of those on a paper and had read it aloud or whispered it on New Year’s Eve, “Starting today, I will do this... I will not do it anymore... I will be more of this... I promise I will be like this or that,” and so on and so forth. Sometimes, the list that we made is too unrealistic that it failed and we ended up resentful and full of regrets. Sometimes, we even feel so discouraged that we look down on ourselves and not wanting to try again. And all you want is for another New Year to come for you to be able to start again.
But as Christians, as true believers of the Word of God, is there really a need to wait for New Year and make a resolution to change us? Not at all! From the moment we believed, repented of our sins, and had accepted our Lord JESUS CHRIST as our Savior through Water Baptism in His Name, we became a new creature, all the old things had passed away, and all things had became new just like what it promises in 2 Corinthians 5:17. This Born-Again experience had led us to a wonderful life, being taken out of darkness into the marvelous light. We are now enjoying a life that’s being changed each day from glory to glory. And none can do these magnificent things but God alone. It is only God who can really change us from the outermost to our innermost being. Isaiah 64:8 clearly says that we are all the works of God's hands, being the clay and He as our potter.
As a new creature, we need to forget and leave all the ugly things behind in the past. Isaiah 43:18 says, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.” Those from the past will just serve as a lesson for all of us. What we only need to remember from that old chapter are the testimonies of how God has freed us from all the chains and shackles we had in the past, how God has given us direction in life when we were lost, and how He has given us a hope for a new beginning. So never be a prisoner of the past because you are no longer there. God says He will do new things for us. We only need to hold on tight to that promise. But along the way, God may allow us to be broken and you just have to trust the whole process. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we are being changed and renewed day by day to be like Him and that transformation should manifest in each of us. We don’t really need to make a list of promises every New Year just to change. What we need is a real transformation, a true Christian conversion, not just professing JESUS with our mouth but letting JESUS have take full control over us.
There’s a famous quotation from an unknown writer that says, “Don’t let your lips and your lives preach two different meanings”. We also have heard it from the Bible preachers saying, “Let’s walk the talk”. And even the Bible in James 1:22 emphasizes on this that we should be doers of His Words and not just merely listeners. We are not to be like those who honor God by their lips but their hearts are far from the Lord (Matthew 5:8). We should not be like the Christians who claim to know God, but they deny Him by what they do (Titus 1:16). And we shouldn’t be a Sunday Christian and living a lifestyle like of the unbelievers in the other days of the week.
Instead, the manifestation of a transformed life must be seen in us by knowing our purpose why God called us out from the darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We must live a purpose to become like Him and to do His will. Romans 8:29 states that we are predestined to be conformed into the likeness of Him. And His light must shine on our faces (Matthew 5:16) that He may be glorified through us. Matthew 6:1-2 even gave us a warning to be aware of those practicing righteousness before men in order to be seen by them, for then we will have no reward from our Father who is in heaven.
Let us always choose to obey the will of God as what Matthew 7:21-23 says, “The one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter into the Kingdom of heaven.” As we embark on the new chapter of our journey, be sure to make a transformation, instead of just making an uncertain promise to change. There’s no turning back now. We should totally leave the world behind us. Philippians 3:13-14 says, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this me thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” And do not ever conform to the pattern of this world but instead, be transformed, says Romans 12:2. Romans 13:14 even added that we must clothe ourselves with our Lord JESUS CHRIST. And that we put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24). Let us therefore ask help from God who is our Potter who can mold us and give us a complete transformation to be the child that He wants us to be. This is not an impossible thing to do. Philippians 4:13 assures as that we can do all these things through our Lord JESUS CHRIST who will strengthen us, through the power of His Holy Spirit that will teach us all things (John 14:26).
