Every year at this time I get excited about the prospect of a fresh start.
Having failed so successfully at all sorts of public and personal challenges, I delight in the opportunity to turn over a new leaf.
In many ways, this is helpful and positive thinking about change and self-improvement. It’s good to ‘get back on the horse’, no matter what that endeavour might be.
But, if our personal goals are related to the way we seek to personally grow as Christians, then if we succeed at those goals we can easily try to find assurance in them.
So, for example, if you’ve been pretty shoddy in keeping up patterns of Bible reading, then if you are actually able to get into a good routine, you might feel that you’re now more assured of your salvation than before.
But this could not be further from the truth. We are not saved by our good works, including the pattern of daily Bible reading (which is, always, a good thing to do).
So, as you consider your New Year’s Resolutions, remember these words from the Bible:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Happy New Year!