Happy New Year!  It’s 2020, and many of us have resolutions, goals, hopes, dreams.  That’s good!  We need regular prompts for change and fresh ambition, and if the turn of a new year does that, then press on!  We all ought to be regularly stirred by a holy discontent that wrings our souls with desire to grow, to forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead (Philippians 3:13).

But, know this:  January 1, 2020 is no different than December 31, 2019.  Being prompted by the turn of a new year is great… but putting hope in it will leave you devastated.  Yes, God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), but that’s because we will continually need mercy, everyday.

Let me share a powerful Scripture passage to meditate on and run to in the midst of your pursuits of growth and change, motivated by a trust in the finished work of Jesus and not a self-confidence in personal performance:

²² that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. -Ephesians 4:22-24

New Identity

We want quick, easy change, so we quickly concentrate on stopping old behavior.  But we can’t simply change our output; we need to change inwardly first.  The gospel is our hope!  After all, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).  As believers, we are no longer identified by our sin; rather, we are identified by our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Satan will remind us often of our sin, but God removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), and calls us His children (John 1:12).  Will you therefore live this way, understanding your new identity, and reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11)?  Put off your “old man” and put on your “new man”!

New Desires

Another important part of outward change is our desires.  Ephesians 4 tells us that we grow corrupt according to deceitful lusts.  “Lusts” refers to any desires that begin to control us.  The behavior that you hope to stop – why do you do it?  The new behavior that you’ve failed to begin faithfully – why don’t you do it?  What is the underlying desire that you surrender yourself to?  The desire to be happy?  The desire to be respected?  The desire for control?  The desire for satisfaction?  What are you wanting?  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed (James 1:14).

New Thought Patterns

Don’t underestimate the role of your thinking.  The power of our minds is incredible!  Consider with me: desires and thoughts go together, to enable obedience or to lead astray into sin.  If I desire to be happy, and I think something will make me happy, I have set myself up for that pursuit.  If I desire respect, and I think something will earn me respect, I have made straight a path that I perhaps ought not follow.  The more I “meditate” on something with the hopes that it will serve my desires, the more I have weakened my will to behave a certain way.

The Bible has much to say about how we think.  In Ephesians 4, the renewal of our mind is the bridge for practically putting off the old and putting on the new.  We do well to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).  We can be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2), as we meditate on whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

New Behavior

As we grow in understanding our new identity, surrendering our desires to Christ, and renewing our thoughts according to truth, we then can take steps toward new behaviors.  Ephesians continues in 4:25-32 to detail new patterns of behavior – not just cutting out old behaviors, but replacing them with new behaviors.

Trying to stop lying?  Actively seek to tell the truth.

Bitterness?  Work on forgiveness.

Destructive words?  Actively incorporate constructive words.

We will be busy doing something… what positive actions can you take in place of negative actions?

TODAY

My prayer is that you will succeed in positive, God-honoring change as you continually progress in your day-by-day journey to become more like Jesus.  This is NOT the year.  But today IS the day.  And God’s mercies are new TODAY.  God is our Father TODAY.  Jesus is our Savior, advocate, and great high priest TODAY.  The Holy Spirit offers conviction, wisdom, and guidance TODAY.  So there is hope TODAY to continue growing and changing.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).