New Year, New Birth

New Year

Happy New Year!

Each new year, Americans make thousands of New Year’s resolutions. Most of them last about four months.

According to a 2023 poll from Forbes Health, just under 1 in 10 people reported their resolutions lasted a month, about 22% reported two months, another 22% reported three months, and 13% said their resolutions lasted four months. Only 1% said they lasted for 11 or 12 months.

Our resolutions aren’t very effective.

Most of you have heard of Benjamin Franklin and know about his desire to improve his character.

According to the Square Magazine, “Benjamin Franklin's approach to New Year's resolutions was rooted in his belief in personal improvement and the development of virtues. His 13 virtues, which he believed were essential for achieving one's goals, include Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, and Humility. Franklin's daily routine involved practicing these virtues, which he believed would help him become a better person and develop the skills necessary for success. His advice to "be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors" and to "let every New Year find you a better man" reflects his commitment to self-improvement and the importance of setting clear goals for the year ahead.”

Who doesn’t want to improve? Of course, we know that though Ben’s goals were desirable, it isn’t as easy as he wanted us to believe. Many of us have worked to improve ourselves. Yet each year, we can find innumerable areas in our lives that we ought to improve.

God gave the Jews the Ten Commandments to be a ruler, a yard stick, if you will, for their character. These were too many for them to keep.

So, Jesus summarized these commands with just two: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

We can examine our own lives and see that we have trouble with just those two.

Jesus himself warns us in John 6: 27-38:

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

The reason people make resolutions is that they recognize a weakness in their lives. It may be that they don’t exercise enough; or perhaps they want to lose weight; others may want to reduce their consumption of alcohol; or even those who want to improve their behavior over the next year. We can take a clue from old Ben Franklin that there are lots of areas in our lives we ought to improve. We can examine ourselves by the Ten Commandments, or just by the two Jesus listed, and see that we don’t do a very good job of measuring up.

It could be said we are an inch short of a foot, half a foot short of a yard, a few fries short of a happy meal, or a brick short of a full load. But the truth is we are not very good at keeping the law, what ever law we choose.

Paul explains why in Romans 7: 14-20:

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

If we want to be better, we are need to find a better method than the New Year’s Resolution.

So as we enter this New Year, instead of making resolutions, let’s consider what we can do to make our commitments to Christ more sustainable.

New Birth

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 3:1–3.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 3:16–18.

Regeneration is the divine action by which God renews the fallen creation so that it reflects his character.

New Creation

A Pauline expression in Second Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 6:15, which refers to a believer’s ontological transformation in Christ.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Co 5:17–21.

Reconciliation

The practice of resolving differences or arguments. This pertains especially to mending broken social relationships.