Having a new year in christ

Having a new year has dawned
bringing sunshine
hopefully to all our
lives. Regardless of
what one has experienced or endured
in 2007, there is something
invigorating to spread the curtains
and look out and anticipate 2008.
As we try to train our hand to
write the correct year on our
checks and papers, let us remind
our hearts of what a blessing it is
to begin a new year in Christ.
In Christ We Have True
Forgiveness. Thanksgiving fills
our hearts when we realize the
drastic change God has provided
for us in Christ. He has delivered
us from the power of darkness,
and has placed us in the kingdom
of his Son (Col. 1:13). And it is
in God’s Son “in whom we have
our redemption, the forgiveness of
our sins” (Col. 1:14).
When God forgives, no
part of our transgression is ever
held against us again. Under the
covenant of Christ the prophecy
of Jeremiah is realized. God says,
“For I will be merciful to their
iniquities, and their sins will I remember
no more” (Heb. 8:12).
How complete is His forgiveness?
“As far as the east is from the
west, So far hath he removed our
transgressions from us (Psm.
103:12).
In Christ We Have A
Spiritual Outlook. Paul writes,
“Wherefore, if any man is in
Christ, he is a new creature: the
old things are passed away; behold
they are become new” ( 2
Cor. 5:17). By looking at the
prior verse, we can see the point
of Paul’s “Wherefore.” He is emphasizing
how the new man in
Christ looks at others as seen from
this statement: “Wherefore we
henceforth know no man after the
flesh: even though we have known
Christ after the flesh, yet now we
know him so no more” (2 Cor.
5:16).
Outside of Christ, our view
of man would be as to what race
he is, or his or her social position.
Jesus may have been viewed as a
Jew, and to many the Jewish
leader who was to redeem His
people from Roman dominance in
a secular world. But Paul says,
after Jesus’ death and resurrection
he viewed Jesus from a fleshly
point of view no more. Our redemption
is spiritual, and our insight
into things is from a spiritual
perspective.
Such insight is instructive
in times of suffering. Paul saw
his afflictions as “light” because
he looked “not at the things which
are seen, but at the things which
are not seen.” He focused on the
more glorious “eternal” realities
that helped him overcome the
“temporal” setbacks (2 Cor. 4:
17-18).
In Christ We Have Room
For Growth. Regardless of our
spiritual maturity as we end a
year, we always can begin a new
year in Christ realizing areas
where growth and improvement is
needed. We should look at the
new year as an opportunity to be
“increasing in the knowledge of
God” (Col. 1:10). Our faith in
Christ has room to add “virtue”,
“knowledge”, “self-control”,
“patience”, “godliness”,
“brotherly kindness” and
“love” (2 Pet. 1:5-7). Peter says
regardless of who we are, we have
room to grow or “abound” in
these characteristics towards spiritual
maturity. Make 2008 the year
you see yourself actually grow in
these essential spiritual qualities.
Christ is “our hope” (I
Tim. 1:2). Hope through forgiveness
unto the expectation of
Heaven is a wonderful way to begin
any year. Are you in Christ?