[A brief re-post from the archives.]
When you belong to Jesus, your life is always pleasing to God because the Spirit of Christ lives the life of Christ in you and for you. I know, you think you need to resolve to do better, that you are somehow falling short of God’s desire for you.
You’re not.
But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10.)
You are the righteousness of God because Jesus himself is the righteousness of God, and the Spirit of Christ is in you. And because of Jesus, your old life is gone and your new life is here now and completely righteous in Christ:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ … . God made him who had no sin to be a sin offering for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-18, 21.)
- You are in Christ and Christ is in you.
- Your old self is gone and your new self is here.
- Christ is righteous and you have been given the righteousness of Christ.
That’s why I don’t bother myself with New Year’s resolutions. God has already resolved everything for me.
***
Be all that you can be for Him, daily.
Resolved for this day, month, year and life.
Nothing else needed.
What you’re describing borders on antinomianism. I agree that in Christ, we are pleasing to God because of what He has done in us. However, the result of a redeemed life will be that one is pressing on towards the goal (Philippians 3:13-14)
I agree with the life of pursuing Christ. What I’m getting at here is that we do not need to resolve to do what Jesus has already done for us.
As for antinomianism, I wrote this response: “Regular readers might have noticed that I’ve written many times on law and legalism. I think a few readers might have wondered if I’d gone off the antinomian deep end. I have not.” ( From The Goodness of the Law – an answer to legalistic doctrine.)
Fair enough.
Pingback: My New Year’s Resolution Hasn’t Changed in 2000 Years | Tim's Blog – Just One Train Wreck After Another
Every Dec. 31, I write a letter to myself to open the following Dec. 31. Two nights ago I read what I had written and it was hopes for the New Year, but no resolutions. I have always wanted to write, but only did sporadically. This year I finally have been. This year I couldn’t resist, I did one writing resolution. ☺
I hope your writing comes along well, HRW.
Another good reason not to make New Year resolutions!
The best for me was this: “That’s why I don’t bother myself with New Year’s resolutions. God has already resolved everything for me.”
That right there is enough. Well, God always is enough, isn’t He?
That’s enough of a resolution for me, too.