Happy New Year!

John 3:3; Romans 6:4; Philippians 3:13–14

Countless greeting cards sent through the mails

Salutations and celebrations

The New Year is not Really New at all

While millions of people will shout “Happy New Year,” they will awaken to the same old burdens as before

Instead of a Happy New Year, for many, it will be a terrible hangover

There is no magic hour at midnight that suddenly ushers in utopia, or anything different at all

What does make A New Year Happy?

John 3:3–5 NKJV

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

The New Birth

The New Birth (John 3:3–5)

Necessity of the new birth

Jesus didn’t just say it was a good idea to be born again

He said you must be born again - it is required

So many people have dreamed of the opportunity of starting over again

It is a new birth - a new start with God

What the new birth is not:

It is not baptism

Baptism is an outward act of obedience and declaration - after the new birth

It is not reformation -

reformation, also sanctification, also takes place after the new birth

involves repentance and inward regeneration

The new birth takes place upon receiving Christ by faith (John 1:12; 3:16

John 1:12 NKJV

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

The New Walk

There is no one more miserable than the believer who doesn’t live right

Like the new wine in the old bottles - both are wasted

Romans 6:12–14 NKJV

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

There is contrast between the old walk and the new:

The flesh and the Spirit (Gal. 5:16–23)

Galatians 5:16–23 NKJV

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The walk before and after for the Ephesian Christians (Eph. 5:1–16)

The difference between day and night (Rom. 13:11–14)

Romans 13:11–14 NKJV

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

To practice the new walk, you must feed the new man (2 Peter 2:1–3)

Whatever you feed grows -

Romans 6:3–4 NKJV

3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The New Goal

Philippians 3:13–14 NKJV

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s past goals

Your past goals

Paul’s past sins and failures

Paul’s past victories

Paul willing to forget all that may hinder him in his life for Christ

Do you have a new goal since becoming a Christian?

Does that goal have priority in your life?

Are you willing to forget the past in order to reach your goal?

Conclusion

Awful Results of Neglecting this Truth

No new birth … soul lost

No new walk … testimony lost

No new goal … rewards lost

Practical Results of Acting on this Truth

Salvation, separation, dedication

The joy of living in the center of God’s will