A New Day is Dawning

In last week’s article we wrote on the title Our Hope for Peace. Luke writes to tell the story of how the angel appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of the Savior, the Messiah in Bethlehem. In the text the angel’s announcement tells them of joy and contentment to those who will put their faith in Jesus. The angels praise God saying, “‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased’” (Luke 2:14). The announcement by the angels marks a new beginning of man’s relationship to God. Man will no longer have to live struggling to keep a law that has no power to save man from his sins. Instead, the Messiah will die a vicarious death on the cross so that man might live eternally with God. By His grace God grants this privilege to everyone who puts their faith in the person Jesus Christ making Him both Lord and Savior. It is the dawning of a new day. Now, we have celebrated Christmas, the birth of Jesus. Having completed this celebration we turn to the celebration of a new year. New Year is much like Christmas in that it has a different meaning for different people throughout the world. Because of this New Year is celebrated in various ways and the celebrations incorporate the various traditions and rituals. In my personal life I am acquainted with the idea of people making New Year’s resolutions often not maintained. In many African American Churches the New Year is brought in by having a “Watch Night Service.” This tradition is based on Abraham Lincoln’s freeing of the slaves. The slaves had to watch and wait for this announcement to be made known. At the Jefferson Street Baptist Church people get up and testify to how God has brought them through the year. Often, these testimonials tell of some difficult times in the life of the testifier. However, in spite of these difficult circumstances these persons express hope for better things in the coming New Year. The climax to the service is preaching followed by the countdown to the New Year with members shaking hands, hugging and kissing one another and wishing everyone that they speak to a Happy New Year. So, at this time I am praying that you will have a blessed New Year. I want to express to the readers of the article reasons why you can experience the dawning of a new year; a new beginning in your life. As stated earlier, the angels announced to shepherds that God has initiated a new way of relating to man in terms of man’s sin. God has not changed. His purpose in saving man is not a new thing. The coming of the Savior has always been in the heart and mind of God. It’s just the dawning of a new way realized in the history of mankind and the world. As we approach the New Year, we are still the same persons. Yet, there is the possibility of the dawning of a new day in our lives. We can approach life with new hopes, and new dreams. The following Scriptures, which are generally familiar to many of us, will help us. The first Scripture is John 3:3-5. Nicodemus, a Pharisee comes to Jesus at night to inquire of His teachings and miracles. Jesus does not waste time in endless discussion. He tells Nicodemus a simple truth, “You must be born again.” Nicodemus does not understand what Jesus is saying to him because Nicodemus has the same problem that many people throughout the world have. He knows about physical birth only. Jesus tells him that the new birth is the birth of the Spirit in the life of a person. I suspect that many New Year resolutions fail because they are grounded in the physical only. People make resolutions without being born and led by the Spirit. Jesus offers Nicodemus the dawning of a new life. The second Scripture is 2 Corinthians 5:17. In this familiar scripture Paul says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (NASB). The dawning of a new day is made possible when we are born of the Spirit. This new birth is necessary so that our old way of life passes away so that a new way of life can come. The new life includes new behaviors and new thinking. Simply saying “I believe in Jesus” is insufficient. Both behaviors and ways of thinking must change together. Paul expresses this truth in two Scriptures. “Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:1-2, NASB). One is a new creature in Christ because a radical transformation has taken place. Further, Paul says, “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:5-8, NASB). With this in mind, we are to follow Paul’s instructions: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this is about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-unless indeed you fail the test” (2 Cor. 13:5, NASB). Many people want to reform some things in their lives, but God’s Spirit brings about transformation, a radical complete change in our mind and behavior. In Philippians 1 we see Paul in prison. In prison he is allowed to continue to preach the Gospel to people who come to visit him. At the same time, he is harassed by those who oppose his message (Phil. 1:12-18). Because of these contradictions Paul is torn between his desire to continue to preach and his desire to go to be with the Lord (vv. 19-22). He says, “But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for the progress and joy in faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again” (vv. 23-26, NASB). Finally, as Paul is near his death, he writes to his protégé Timothy. In 2 Timothy 4 Paul charges Timothy to preach the Gospel at all times regardless of the circumstances (vv. 1-5). Beginning in verse six Paul expresses his feelings about his impending death. He says: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (vv. 6-8, NASB). In verse six we may think that Paul is feeling sad. However, as we continue to read verse 7-8, we get the sense that Paul is looking forward with joyful anticipation to his meeting the Lord in heaven. He has no regrets about his life and ministry, but this phase of his eternal life is over. We can see Paul as he praises the Lord with joyful song and exhilarating shouts of joy as he prepares to go home to live out his eternal life with the Lord. For Paul, a new day is dawning. In conclusion, if we approach the New Year with our minds focused on God’s will, plan, and purpose for our lives, we can say, “A New Day Is Dawning.” It is my prayer that God will bless you to have a “Happy New Year.”