Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

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Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Most people love to hear the phrase – Happy New Year! For them it helps them move away from where they have been and give them a fresh start as they ring in the yew year. They spend time with people who accept them for who they are and love them where they are.

As I thought about this, I determined that I wanted to draw the correlation between New Year’s Day and salvation. You see when New Year’s Day comes around every person has an opportunity to decide how they’ll deal with the new year. They can leave the old year behind them and move into the new year with a resolve to do things differently.

They can make new commitment (resolutions) concerning their families and other relationships. The new year is an opportunity to leave behind the past and start fresh with a ‘clean’ calendar. It is like sending all the laundry of the past year to be cleaned, then starting with it all cleaned and ready for whatever will come.

I know that there is actually no way anyone can go to bed on New Year’s Eve and wake up on New Year’s Day with everything clean and set in order. There are the bills to be paid and the responsibilities that are still there. Yet, the concept of beginning again is still inviting as we look to the past and reach for the future.

Unlike the transition into the new year, salvation brings a cleansing that is complete. Scripture tells us that “if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God has

raised Him from the dead, we can be saved. For with the heart man believes resulting in righteousness and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation.” (Rom. 10:9-10). And we have the assurance that “Whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:13).

That is why David said “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Ps. 51:7). But that cleansing does not come without confession. David also said in Ps. 32:5 – “I acknowledged my sin to Thee, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.” Confession is not only good for the soul; it is essential to the salvation of the soul.

John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” As I meditate on those words, I realize that there is no better way to begin a new year or the rest of our lives than to confess, that which is sin to the Lord. As that takes place we can truly begin to live in the way that God intended for us to live – free from sin which had long enslaved us.

So, as Holy Spirit speaks to your heart the beginning of this new year make only one resolution in your life. Like the words of the song says, “I am resolved to go to the Savior, leaving my sin and

strife; He is the true one, He is the just one, He hath the words of life. I will hasten to Him, Hasten so glad and free, Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.” (BH 1991, Pg. 301, v.2). Let this be the time when you say with the apostle Paul – “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14). Jesus can and will take away the sin from your life and give you a clean slate to begin a new life with Him. So, remember that

confession is essential for the well-being of your soul and it will set things right with the One who is in control of your tomorrows. He’s waiting to hear from you.

So, Happy New Year and Happy New Life as you begin living a life of surrender to the Lord. JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, there IS something about that name!! Christ only, always, Bro. Paul