Throw Your Resolutions out the Window?

So its been a couple of months since I last posted on Raw and Relevant. Tonight is New Years and I enjoyed the evening celebrating with some close friends and family. One of the things I love about New Years is that it represents new beginnings and fresh starts - things for which every human being longs.

The down side to New Years is that it is only available once every 365 days. In ancient Israel, the Hebrews celebrated Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement - at which time the High Priest would make an elaborate annual sacrifice on behalf of the sins of the entire nation. What a day of celebration following this event - to know and rest assured that sins were atoned for! And yet - the book of Hebrews tells us that this annual event was only a shadow of things to come, when Jesus Christ would offer Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (see Hebrews 10:1-18)!

As wonderful as it is to celebrate the newness of a brand new year - it pales in comparison to the daily celebration we can experience as believers in a God whose mercies are new EVERY single morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)! No longer in need of a human priest to whom we confess our sins - we can rest assured of Christ's complete cleansing from the moment we first believe in Him. When we confess our sins (i.e. become Christians) - He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (past, present and future) and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. How much unrighteousness? That's right - ALL.

If you are into making New Years resolutions (I am not) then how about this one above all others? Resolve to respond to the invitation offered by the author of Hebrews to "struggle to enter into that rest" that Jesus has provided for us through His all-sufficient death, burial and resurrection. Rather than making promises you probably won't keep - or attempting to "turn over a new leaf" - how about committing to learning to REST in the completed work of Christ? He has fulfilled the Law on your behalf, so the pressure to perform is now OFF! Instead of striving to live a righteous life by rigid discipline or self-effort, how about abandoning yourself to the supernatural life of Jesus Christ living through you as the temple of His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)? It's a much more joyous way to live - and its the only real way to begin experiencing lasting peace and holy living.

In essence, I'm saying "Throw your resolutions out the window" in favor of the life-giving Spirit of Christ living HIS otherwise impossible-to-live life through you! Instead of striving to become a "better person" - take Jesus up on His offer to "Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-burdened, and you will find rest for your souls"! How ironic that God knows that "resting" in him would be a "struggle" for us (Hebrew 4:11)! How ironic that being a disciple of Jesus is more about giving up than it is about trying harder! Jesus' approach is always unconventional, usually surprising, and NEVER dull or mundane. What do you think? Isn't it about time you tried it HIS way?

Happy New Year 2011!!!