New Year's Revolution

Google Image, I own no rights to the sentence "New Year's Revolution"

During the New Year, many people make many 'resolutions'. These pacts tend to be, "lose weight," "diet," "spend more time with family" and etc. Often many find themselves unable to fulfill the demands of their resolutions, and thus in next new year make the same resolutions again. The problem is that we as God's Creation have an instinctive rebellion to rule keeping. Tell someone not to do something, and it makes it all the more alluring. The Apostle Paul called this, "The old man," (Ephesians 4:22-24) and yet Christ has done something remarkable to trick this old man in us. Jesus Christ calls us to follow His revolution, the Gospel yes, but more specifically we are to stop making resolutions and rule keeping, and start relating to the One True Triune God. It's simple, Christ came to connect, He broke the disconnecting factor, i.e. sin (1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 3:18), and broke the power of Satan (1 John 3;8), and through our Savior Jesus we have the connection to God restored, because Christ Jesus is God (Colossians 2:9, John 17:23) and so could repair this broken relationship. Resolutions don't work, because Christ has called us to a revolution, a revolution of relationship with God over rule keeping.

We have been slaves to rules for eons, Moses was given the Law and it enslaved us with it's 'resolutions' and the effect was that the poignancy of our sin became manifest and we became frustrated at how we fail too easily to keep the law, even desiring what is forbidden (Genesis 3). So God choose another way, a revolution, instead of fixing our eyes on resolutions and rules, it became about a relationship, that through Jesus Christ we have access to the Father, and the Holy Spirit (John 15:26, Ephesians 2:18, John 14:6-13). The Holy Trinity, the One True God, is now accessible through Jesus, who the fullness of this Godhead in body dwells (Colossians 2:9). The reason our resolutions do not work is same reason rules of the Old Testament did not work, they take our action, hearts. and minds off Christ, and place it on self improvement which always leads to the bitter stain of self implodement. On the heavy yoke of law keeping we collapse, our hearts yearning for righteousness, but discovering it is beyond our grasp, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41). The reason we fail is two fold, we already have the righteousness, "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile," (Romans 3:22) and "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21), and we aren't focused on the trainer, perfecter, and finisher of our Faith (Hebrews 12:2). When you go to exercise at a gym, you can set goals and resolutions to lose weight, but often failure follows because you lack motivation, put off training, and are not self motivated. Jesus Christ is the trainer, that personal fitness helper who speaks to you, teaches you (Matthew 23:10, John 14:26), and helps you stay motivated to keep going. Everything that is relational based is more successful, if you have bond and friendship with your trainer, you look forward not only to the work out, but also the time spent with the trainer, the relationship; this is how it now is in Christ's Revolution, we have a bond with God, and now our training and workout is based on our excitement of relating and spending time with the Lord, rather than doing things to be worthy of spending time with Him.

The effects of Jesus' Revolution is not chaos or lack of good works, but rather good from spending time with God, instead of doing good to earn the right to spend time with God. The latter is the Old Testament method that failed (Romans 8:3-4, Hebrews 8:13), the former of spending time with God and doing good through the relationship is the Gospel and New Covenant of the New Testament. The Law of Moses was suppose to be a contract, a marriage license to teach the Israelites how to get closer to the LORD, and spend time with Him, but man in his futility turned those laws into regulations, resolutions, and rules apart from God, and in time they forgot the whole purpose of them, to spend time with God. Jesus Christ settled it on the cross, He ended the futility of us trying to be perfect enough, make enough resolutions to approach His throne, and instead He adopted us as sons (Romans 8:15), made us co-heirs (Romans 8:17), and His children (Romans 8:14,17)!. He did this all on His own and then He rose from dead sealing sin and death's fate, breaking every chain, doubt, and hindrance between us and Him; and yet so many still are entombed in the old testament method, trying to get close to God by doing good, when God has come close to us and offer unlimited, free, and intimate access to Him through simply confessing and believing in Jesus Christ as God, Lord, and Savior (Romans 10:9-10).

The Revolution of Jesus is a revelation that sadly is often squelched and squashed in mainstream Churches. Many churches have successfully set shackles on the free access to the Savior, convincing people sacraments (resolutions and rites, rituals) and sacredness will eventually make a person elect, saved, and worthy of God's presence, but the truth is we already are in God's presence, "..Christ Jesus our Lord. In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him./In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God's presence with boldness and confidence," (Ephesians 3:11-12), and, "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:22). We already as seated with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-7)) and we already have Christ living in us (Romans 8:10-20). The Revolution is not touted by the 'religious', but rather resisted, because it steals men's pride, control, and thirst to prove to God they can do it on their own. The Gospel and cross, as the Apostle Paul says, is an offense to them, "For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ." (Philippians 3:18). The reason the most mega churches, massive institutions, and major doctors and scholars oppose the Gospel as it really is, freedom and closeness to God achieved and free and total access to Him, is that Satan unable to stop Christ, must then try to stop the keys, the revolution's growth, to twist the Gospel into a works based Old Testament method of sacrifice (sacrament) and make people feel convinced they can do something to earn salvation or at the very least get them focused on good works over good quality time with God. The devil most often wants us focused on training, the self improvement, and to forget the Trainer, Jesus Christ, because without Him we will not only fail to achieve the resolutions, but we will lose the Author and Finisher of our workout, our faith (Hebrews 12:2). So be careful my brothers and sisters in Christ, fix your eyes on Jesus, "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne." (Hebrews 12:2) and remember this important advice, "Endure persecution patiently, keep His commands, and keep faith in Jesus." (Revelation 14:12). Why did Jesus rephrase all the Law of Moses and Prophets as this, "Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, this is greatest commandment, and love your neighbor as yourself," (Matthew 22:28-34). The reason is Christ who is the Lord (Romans 10:9) wants to shift our focus from keeping the Ten Commandments to being focused on the Author of the Ten Commandments. By doing this, not only do you then have a relationship with God, and are motivated to do the good works and commands, but you end up doing the rules because they are lost in loving relationship with the Trinity, you spend so much time talking, spending time together, and enjoying company with Christ, you forget how many bench presses, miles you walked, and good deeds you have done. This is the revolution each and every Christian should commit to this New Year, know Christ Jesus, spend time with Him and the Father, and Holy Spirit; stop trying to please God and instead be with God, and as you soak in His presence, and learn from Him (Matthew 23:10), you will find yourself reaching those resolutions, but instead from a relationship with the divine.

Addendum:

Just how spending time and having a fun conversation with a friend can get you through four hour drive or 4 mile run, so it is with Jesus, you end up doing the good works because you spending time and having fun conversation with God. Without the relationship, you end up feeling overburdened and overwhelmed by how many miles or set ups are left, but with a relationship, in this case with Christ, you aren't overwhelmed but rather overjoyed and you reach the outcome you desired in no time.