2015 came and went and now 2016 is here, filling us with high hopes and expectations that this year will be better than the last. Resolutions are made; some are kept and others are quickly forgotten. Nevertheless, we all want to experience a wonderful year full of God’s blessings. God already has a plan for us, but our sin will cause us to stray and will slow down the process of His perfect plan unfolding; therefore, we must flee from temptation, strive to steer clear from the sin that so easily ensnares us and choose His path above all else as we enter this new year.
Every single one of us has sinned before and we all sin on a daily basis. We are, by nature, sinful creatures, tainted and stained with our reprehensible actions and thoughts. Whether it be pride, jealousy, lust, anger or sexual immorality, all sin has the ability to trap and enslave us until we are nothing more than mindless creatures repeatedly committing the same sin over and over again. In the book of Galatians, Paul informs us that because of Christ’s sacrifice and as a result of surrendering our lives over to Him, we gain a beautiful freedom. Paul speaks to us today when he says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13). Those who have chosen to faithfully follow Jesus Christ are free because of His abundant love; however, due to how sinful we can be, we often have the tendency to take our freedom for granted. Prior to coming to Christ, we were lost and wandering down a path that would lead only to utter destruction and turmoil. Before we experienced the love of Christ, we were slaves to our own sin, carrying a myriad of burdens upon our shoulders. Why then, do we so often turn back to the sin that enslaved us even after we have experienced God’s great love?
Paul tells us, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). This is a brand new year; let us make the decision to choose Christ and to put Him first before everyone else, including ourselves. Let us stand firm and refuse to be slaves to our sin again. In the book of 1 John, it says, “No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him” (1 John 3:6). Many will come and go and many will experience a “spiritual high” and will simply be going through the motions, but those who truly know Him will stay by His side with unwavering faith and love. By the good fruit that is produced in a person’s life, we are able to see that he is truly staying faithful to Our Father and is resisting and fleeing from all temptation. God tells us, “Whoever says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person” (1 John 2:4).
What does God ask us to do? Christ endured pain and anguish and died for us on the cross so that we would be given the opportunity to have a relationship with Him. All He asks in return is for us to follow Him and to love Him with all our hearts, souls and minds and to love others as we would love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-38). Have love for the Father first and foremost, then have love for others and treat them the way you would want to be treated. Your works should not be fueled by a desire to be praised by other people, but rather should flow naturally out of you because of how much love you have for God. Refrain from reading the Bible just to boast about how much you know and abstain from praying for another when you lack genuine love. If your good works truly derive from a real love for Christ, then others will see--and God will know--that your works were produced by faith, your labor by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in Our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:3). The year is 2016 now; 2015 is in the past and we have the opportunity to have a fresh start; therefore, it would be in our favor to take the things that tore us down and to leave them in 2015. Let us enter 2016 relieved of the weight of sin on our shoulders and revived with a real love and faith for Christ.
