“Therefore, 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)

One of the greatest gifts of God is quite simply…a new beginning. That is what the New Year represents to me. Whether it is cutting the cord with past mistakes, burying old hurts six feet under, or making up my mind one more time to venture out to the gym, the mere fact that God is willing to wipe the slate clean and let us have a fresh start is reason enough to smile.

Of course, this doesn’t happen by the wave of a magic wand. Our sins don’t just vanish like a rabbit out of a hat…or your money out of your wallet. Along with all of God’s comfortable attributes (love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and compassion), by His own admission He by no means clears the guilty (Exo 34:7). That spells disaster for the likes of us. But that is the beauty and wonder of Jesus Christ. All of our past mistakes, hurts and failed attempts were placed on Him, the innocent Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We are able to start anew not by sweeping the old dirt under the carpet but by receiving the debt deletion of the cross. That is why Paul can tell us that if we are in Christ we are a new creation. The old garbage has been removed, and we have a new beginning.

Let us start afresh this New Year’s Day, dumping out the old and letting His new grace fill our hearts. Every day is a new-birth-day in Jesus!