Happy New Year!

As the snows of winter have covered the landscape of much of the territory of the United States of America, we have celebrated the first advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the attention of folks in the USA and around the world is turned to the new date on the calendar. The new year of 2011 in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is interesting to me that most of humankind do not realize that the date of our calendar is from the birth of our Lord. Each time the date is written or the calendar is consulted, you are acknowledging the birth of Jesus Christ and the impact that He has had, and is having, upon the world. That impact began when He created time, space, and all that we see in it. Of course that creative act included the creation of you, too. Christ's impact will be felt throughout eternity.

Christ Jesus is the reason for the new things, new people, new discoveries, and this new year.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) These words from Scripture are very plain. If you are in Christ then you are a new creature.

You, as a follower of Christ, have become something totally different. You are a new creation. You have been changed from a sinner to a saint, from a vagabond seeking shelter from the difficulties of life to a child of God who is a home with the Heavenly Father and under His protection.

Further, all of the old things are gone, completely gone. And we have all things that are new. These new things in our life are without the stain of sin.

When we place our faith in Christ Jesus and follow Him, we are freed from the past and are become new creatures of God’s grace.

The old year has passed away, the new year is ours. In much the same concept, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the old is gone and the new is ours.

Enjoy the new life and the new year that God has given us through Jesus Christ!