2026
It is almost New Year’s Day. Almost 2026. As Christians, there is something about a new beginning that excites us. It’s a chance to start over. We can be assured we stand before God justified, that is, we stand before God just like Jesus Christ does, as God’s sons and daughters. We stand just as righteous as Christ is, being united to Jesus in faith. And God offers that to anyone if they will trust in Christ for salvation. Some Christians argue against New Year’s resolutions precisely because of this right standing before God in Christ. After all, “You can’t earn your way to heaven” and “No well-meaning promises or good works will ever impress God.” This makes sense to a point. Yet New Year’s resolutions can help us plan and focus our energies. We stand before God in Christ’s righteousness as a gift; yet we do good works out of gratitude for what Christ has done for us. We work because God works in us (Philippians 2:12-13). After all, we are to “fulfil every r...