Out With the Old, In With the New

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!” - 2 Corinthians 5:9

Last week, millions of Americans made New Year’s Resolutions. According to a survey featured on Parade.com, these were some of the most popular resolutions for 2020: “Stop procrastinating.” “Manage stress better.” “Exercise.” “Lose weight.” Now, these aren’t bad goals. All of them could be very good things to accomplish. But if you think about it … all of these new year’s resolutions could be made and successfully carried out by an atheist.

But for people who proclaim that Jesus Christ is the most important person in our lives—people who believe that our lives here on earth are just a drop in the water bucket of eternity—these goals are rather shallow. You see, our best goals don’t just aim to make ME temporarily better here on earth. Our best goals aim to make an eternal impact on others and to please God. Wouldn’t it have been encouraging if some of these goals had made the list: “Donate blood five times this year.” “Volunteer every month at my local pregnancy center.” “Take my family to church every week.” “Lead one person to a saving knowledge of Christ in 2020.”

In 2 Corinthians 5:9, Paul reminds us: “We make it our goal to please [God], whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” In other words, whether we’re here on earth or there in heaven, our goal as believers and followers of Jesus Christ is to please God. And as we look ahead to 2020, we should ask ourselves this important question: How are we going to please God this year?

Everyone loves a fresh start. Maybe that’s why, for many of us, 2 Corinthians 5:17 is one of our favorite verses in the whole Bible: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!” This is an awesome verse—in fact, it’s the theme verse for our student ministries at Impact Christian Church. But we shouldn’t forget the context that surrounds this verse. When we become a “new creation” in Christ, Paul tells us that the “old has gone.” But what “old” things is he talking about?

According to 2 Corinthians 5:16, one of the “old” things that is gone is our perspective on people. Before we became followers of Christ, we viewed most people around us as annoying and inconvenient, didn’t we? And when we’re stuck in traffic in the Cajon Pass, or tenth in line at WalMart, we may still view people this way. But according to verse 17, when we are followers of Christ, God gives us a “new” perspective on people.

And that new perspective is explained in verses 18 and 19: that God reconciled himself to us through Jesus Christ, giving us, his followers, the ministry of reconciliation. Instead of having a self-centered perspective of people, God has given us an others-centered perspective. The New Testament teaches us to use that perspective to love our neighbors, pray for those who persecute us, forgive others and be kind and compassionate to them. But according to verse 20, one of the very best ways that we can live out our others-centered perspective is to be Jesus’ ambassadors who “implore” (urge) people to “be reconciled to God.”

In other words, the best thing that I could ever do for another person is to lead him or her into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. And the best thing that I could ever do for a person is also the best thing that I could ever do for God Himself. If you really want to please God and, at the same time, be the biggest blessing to others, then lead people to Jesus Christ.

If you’re a Christian, you are a new creation in Christ. And your greatest role as a new creation in Christ is as an ambassador for Christ. He is sending you into your family, into your neighborhood, into your workplace, into your school, and into your local WalMart to be his ambassador. Wherever you go and whoever you’re with, you represent the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He has commissioned you to love and serve people by leading them to Him. And that’s a blessing that will last far beyond 2020—all the way into eternity.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for our worship service Sunday at 10 a.m. at the new Dr. Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Rockin’ Righteous Resolutions

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 

If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.”

– Philippians 1:21-22a

This is the time of year when millions of Americans around the country are talking about New Year’s resolutions. Possibly you’ve made one yourself. Maybe you’ve made a resolution to stop smoking, lose weight, start working out or get a better job. Interestingly, one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions over the past few years has been to “unplug” from technology. Many Americans have faced the reality that they are addicted to their smart phones and in response are jumping on the bandwagon to join “the digital detox.”

Well, I have a few thoughts that I’d like you to consider. For starters, most New Year’s resolutions are me-focused. They tend to focus on me, myself and I. I want to start doing this. I want to stop doing that. I want to be happy. 2017 is going to be my year.

Another thought that comes to mind is that most New Year’s resolutions don’t have a clear point. Think about it: Many Americans have made a resolution to lose weight, but what’s the point of losing weight? To look better? To feel better? To buy a new wardrobe? Okay. But what’s the point of looking better, feeling better and buying a new wardrobe? And while we’re talking about the point of resolutions, what’s the point of ditching the cigarettes, working out, or turning off the smart phone?

I hope you can see what I’m getting at here. Most New Year’s resolutions are not bad, just self-absorbed and rather pointless. As you probably know, most New Year’s resolutions fail within a few short weeks. And they tend to fail for two reasons. They fail because they do not have an intense, powerful motivation. And they fail because they don’t have a point—a clearly defined purpose. They don’t have something that a person can sink his/her teeth into and get fired up about. For example: If I carry out this resolution my marriage will be saved. If I carry out this resolution I’ll be able to afford to send my kids to college. If I carry out this resolution I will have a 75% better chance of beating cancer.

So, how do we make resolutions and set goals that are not self-absorbed or pointless? Great question! I’m convinced that the greatest resolutions in life are those that are grounded in Scripture, motivated by our love for Christ and carried out for the glory of God. One of the best ways to ensure that our resolutions are not shallow or pointless is to feed them through this three-part filter. Start by asking yourself, “Is my resolution solidly grounded in the Bible?” If so, great! Move on to question number two: “Is my love for Christ my motivation for making this resolution?” If so, fantastic, because Christ’s love that led him to the cross for you and me is the greatest motivator of all! 

Next, ask question number three: “Am I going to carry out this resolution for my own glory or for the glory of God?” The glory of God should be the end goal of everything that we do, because the glory of God is the purpose of our existence in the first place.

So, is it bad to make a resolution to lose twenty pounds or start eating healthier or start working out or take a trip somewhere? Maybe. Feed your resolution through the three-question filter and find out. Is your resolution biblically-grounded? Is your resolution motivated by Christ’s love for you and your love for Him? Will the carrying out of your resolution bring glory to God or just bring glory to yourself? If your resolution passes through the filter, great! Go for it, and let me know if I can help.

But regardless of whether or not you’ve already made a New Year’s resolution this year, I encourage you to give some serious thought and prayer to what Jesus Christ would like your life to be about in 2017. It’s often been said that if you aim for nothing, you will hit it every time. That’s some great food for thought!  All of us need goals to shoot for and resolutions to define our path. And when our goals and resolutions survive the three-question filter, they pave the way for the greatest adventures of faith.

Dane Davis is the lead pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville.

Start the New Year right by joining us for worship tomorrow at 10 a.m.