Christianity is all about new beginnings. Consider these verses from the Bible as we prepare the head into the new year:
• “Remember not the former things, not consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18–19)
• “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• “…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22–24)
So, what are the new beginnings of Christianity all about? It’s quite simple really. Humanity has made a mess of things—WE have made a mess of things. There’s no arguing that point. Each one of us has our own story to tell. We all have failures, faults, defeats, deficiencies…all of us have done our share of bungling things up. We’ve hurt ourselves and we have hurt others. I’m very sure that like me, you can list the fiasco moments in 2016.
The reality of our failures is a heavy burden to carry through life. I’m still haunted to this day by things I’ve said and done to hurt people in the past, or embarrassed myself out of my arrogance and small-mindedness. I can’t even imagine the things I’ve done to hurt people that I’m not even aware of! I tremble at the thought!
Carrying these things is crippling. Remembering these things constantly is debilitating. It isn’t only crippling, it can slowly become the point of reference for who we are in life. Who am I? I am busted, I am broken, I am crushed, I am damaged, I am defective, I am mangled. We all are. People who can’t see their own faults are the worst of the bunch. This is the fallen-ness of Adam.
There is hope in Jesus for a new start! Everyone has a choice. We have the choice to make our failures the point of reference for life, or we can make the victory of Christ the center of who we are. Will we identify with the fallen-ness of Adam, or with the risenness of Christ? Christ put it all to death. All the brokenness, the faults, the failures, the fiascos and moral failures, Christ has nailed it to the cross. It dies with him. Are you ready to let your brokenness die with him? The slate can be wiped clean.
All of our failures not only die with Christ, but we’re able to raise with him as well. This is the newness of life, the new beginnings of Christianity—forgiveness. reconciliation, and healing.
The calendar tells us this time of year that it’s time for a new start. I encourage you, don’t only restart the calendar year, restart it all in Jesus.
