2011 is over, 2012 has begun. We could say that a year has died and a new year is born. Many of us like to take the opportunity that the new year affords to make some much needed change in our lives. Many of us like to set some new goals, or realign ourselves with the goals we set the year before. Some of us have had a terrible 2011 and are thankful that it is done and that we can hit the reset button. Although it is true that the calendar changes, and Earth reaches the end of its orbit around the Sun and starts it all over again, the truth is nothing around us really changes. What many of us realize as we hit the reset button, make changes or set new goals, is that what we are really doing is taking the opportunity of the calendar change to make a decision to change ourselves, to change the way we live, to change some bad habits and start some good ones. To put to death the me of 2011 and allow the me of 2012 to be born.
Now before you think I’m about to start the first chapter of my self help book, let me bring it back to Jesus. I think that taking the opportunity of the new year to set goals and make changes is a great idea, but I think that an even better idea is to take the time to reflect on Jesus and all He has done. He has done quite a bit!
One of the things He has done is saved you. When you are saved, you don’t primarily get new goals, or a realigned vision, YOU DIE! You are D-E-A-D dead! You are then reborn and given a whole new life! Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3 “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless He is born again…I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”
Your old life is over, your new life has started, and the primary focus of your new life is NOT having Christian goals, talking Christianese or building a ministry. Your primary focus and joy is KNOWING GOD through JESUS. Jesus says through Paul in Romans 6:11, “…count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” The context of the passage is that sin should no longer be reigning in our lives because in Christ we are dead to sin, and alive to God. Our old life is DEAD and we are ALIVE to God. But I think many of us think we are “dead to sin and alive to not sin.” Many of us have been trying very hard to act Christian and not sin, when in fact we should be focusing on being “alive to God.” The reason so many of us still struggle with the same old sin is that we don’t know God! We have been trying so hard not to sin, that our focus is on our sin and not on the fact that we are now alive to God and can actually know Him.
We have no joy because we don’t know God. We have been caught up in religious exercises of not doing this and not doing that and staying away from this and staying away from that. We have become experts at setting boundaries! The problem is that is exactly what the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did and Jesus didn’t have very nice things to say about them.
Now I am not saying that there is not wisdom in doing some of these things, but that is not our focus. Our new life is founded, focused, and built on the truth that we now have access to God through Jesus and we can know God. We are born again into a life of knowing God.
I watched a short video that Greg Laurie made for new believers, and there were four things he told them they needed to do to grow spiritually. The first three were read the Bible, pray, and join a church. Why did he tell them to do that, so that they can KNOW GOD. Growing spiritually means growing closer to God. The fourth thing he told them to do was to tell others, why? To obey God who you know and so others can know God too.
Many of us want to be more like Jesus, or be more godly. In life you become like the people you hang out with, therefore hang out with Jesus if you want to be like Jesus. Hang out with God if you want to be godly! You can, you are saved! Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in Him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Many of us look at our lives and see that there is no spiritual fruit, so we try and make fruit, instead of get connected to Jesus. Apart from Jesus YOU CAN DO NOTHING!
Many of us need to change, many of us need to be more godly Christians. So yes, 2011 is dead and 2012 is alive. But more importantly you are dead, and now you are alive to God. You are dead to not knowing God and alive to knowing Him. In 2012 explore the joy of knowing God!
Pastor Sean
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