Resolutions can be hard to maintain. But 2 Corinthians 5:17 gives us A New Year’s Resolution for Christians that is super easy to keep all year long. Find out how in this short Bible Study.
New Year, New You
It’s time to turn the page and embrace a New Year and a New You.
For most of us, that means making new resolutions to accomplish the goals we’ve wished for and planned all year long.
Now that the Thanksgiving pie and Christmas cookies are gone, many of us will resolve to lose weight. We’ll spend lots of money on gym memberships or workout equipment in the hope of shedding those extra pounds and improving our health.
Some of us got caught up in the grind at work this past year, and now we want to improve our relationships with the people in our lives. So, we’ll resolve to carve out more time for those we love the most.
And maybe some of us will take up a new hobby or plan next summer’s vacation.
How to Set Christian Resolutions
But no matter what our New Year’s resolutions are, they all have something in common.
We want to do something new. We want to feel the excitement of the road less traveled and have a renewed hope for a brighter future to come.
These resolutions represent a transformation we want to take place in our lives.
What is the meaning of 2 Corinthians 5:17?
But if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, then an amazing transformation has already taken place.
Let’s read this scripture from 2 Corinthians 5:17 and discover the spiritual new year’s resolution that has already taken place in our lives once we are saved.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
A New Creation
Because we are in Christ, He has made us new. He has cleansed us of our past transgressions, changed us from within, and transformed us into the very likeness of Himself.
The moment we gave our heart to Him this transformation happened.
We didn’t have to work hard for it, put the hours in at the gym, or spend lots of money to accomplish this goal.
Jesus did the work for us on the cross!
His death and resurrection turned us into a new creation the second we believed. And now we are restored to what God originally created us for, a loving relationship with Him.
Old Things Have Passed Away
With His work on the cross, Jesus gave us the gift of grace and the ability to let go of the past and move forward into the brighter future we’ve hoped for.
Because of the transformation that has taken place in our lives, we no longer have to right all of the wrongs we’ve done or think about the things we could have done in the past.
The slate has been wiped clean. The old things have passed away. They are completely gone, and we are forgiven.
Behold All Things Have Become New
Now with the help of the Holy Spirit within us, we can see the world through spiritual eyes.
All things have become new. That includes us and the way we see the world.
Our relationship with worldly things has transformed just like we have. Instead of valuing what the world offers, things like money, status, or a perfect body, we value what God values.
And His ideas are a little different from our own.
God cares about people first. He wants to know what is in our hearts and all of the things that make us uniquely us. He wants to share a close bond with us and give us a strengthened faith for the future ahead.
Learn how to Spring Forth in this Bible Study on Isaiah 43:19
A Biblical New Year Resolution
The biblical resolution in 2 Corinthians 5:17 is not like the typical New Year’s resolutions we usually make. Instead of a handwritten list of goals we hope to accomplish next year, we have a renewed sense of what has already been done for us. And we can see it clearly in the nail-scarred hands of our Savior!
Where will the new year take us?
My prayer is, we’ll see through our spiritual eyes the future God has in store for us. That we’ll grow closer to Him than ever before. And remember all Jesus has done to make us a new creation in Him!
So, as you’re making your resolutions this year and striving to maintain them, I encourage you to think about the things you can do to improve your spiritual life, as well as those that will improve your personal life.
With that in mind, I’ll leave you with this Bible verse we all know so well and the one I will be thinking about as I write my spiritual New Year’s resolutions…
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God has a plan for you in the new year! A wonderful plan to give you hope and peace. And most of all to have a loving relationship with you.
May the message of hope found in this scripture from Jeremiah 29 encourage your heart and strengthen your faith today!
Happy New Year and may God bless you!
Start the New Year off right with your A New Day Planner!
An All-in-One planner, perfect for keeping track of your daily, weekly, and monthly schedule. Plus, record your devotionals and prayer requests too!
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