A New Year for Christ

“Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.” 2 Kings 3:3 NASB

Taal Volcano eruption, Coronavirus, global deaths, boisterous typhoons, raging floods, and new strand of Covid-19. These are the backdrop of the year 2020. Many just wanted to forget 2020 and desire to move foward to 2021 with their resolutions. But what sorts of resolution do we have?

The passage that this new year opens to me speaks to the one thing that we must be resolved not to emulate, that is clinging to our sins.

Jehoram is the new king of Israel. But he chose to do the sinful pattern of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and followed the old sin that brought them God’s disgust. We know that Jeroboam is the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, who at the beginning of his reign introduced idolatry, who did more evil than all who came before him, which provoke the LORD to anger (1 Ki 14:7-9).

The new king of Israel over Samaria, Jehoram “put away the image of Baal” making him different from his parents. But this is a mere outward resolution. He still chose to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to cling to his sins, and to depart not from it. The LORD hates ostentatious change but a change that springs from a renewed heart wrought by the Spirit.

As the king of Israel, appointed by the LORD, he had the opportunity to begin anew, to bring Israel back to their covenant Lord but he did not. He had the opportunity to wholly devote his heart unto the LORD and be a “man after God’s own heart.” He had the opportunity to cling to the LORD and to trust in His word through the prophets, but he did not.

KJV renders it “he cleaved”, which literally means to stay close, to stick, to abide, and to adhere. Sin easily entangles (Heb 12:1), it is enslaving (John 8:34), it is deceiful and it is hardening (Heb 3:13). When you cling to it, it promises no joy, peace and relief. You may have present happiness but you cannot have true and abiding sense of God’s favor.

This is a sad description not only of the king of Israel but of every man outside of Christ. This may be you child of God, beset and molested by evil thoughts. This may be you father who bursts in anger easily when things go wrong. This may be you young man who’s deceived by this world’s false glory. This new year, lots of resolution are made here and there but no new resolution will benefit us, and glorify the Father unless we first resolve to abandon our sins and run to Christ.

This new year, you have an opportunity to truly live for Christ by His grace. Let not any thing take God’s place and long to see more of God’s face. 

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So with Spurgeon may we resolve and pray to God “…that a new year may not be begun by you in sin, but may God begin with you at the fall of the year, and bring you now to know his power to save.”

I invite you reader this year and beyond to depart from your sins and cling to the One who came, died, shed His blood on the cross, suffered the penalty and wrath of His Father for our sins that anyone who comes to Him may have forgiveness and life. JESUS CHRIST rose again and ushered the new creation that anyone who comes to Him may start anew. I bid you to come to Him.

Again, Charles Spurgeon gave his new year resolution when he delivered two sermons on the evening of 1891 and in the morning of 1892. His desire is nothing but the glory of God.

“One thing more, and this is brightness itself: this year we trust we shall see God glorified by us and in us. If we realize our chief end, we reach our highest enjoyment. It is the delight of the renewed heart to think that God can get glory out of such poor creatures as we are….We hope that God has been in some measure glorified in some of us during the past year, but we trust he will be glorified by us far more in the year which now begins.”

This new year, you have an opportunity to truly live for Christ by His grace. Let not any thing take God’s place and long to see more of God’s face. Let us not abide in sin but dwell in the word of the Father who is unseen. Make it your resolution to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pe 3:18). Christ the LORD owns this year, but for you, can you confess that this year is for Christ alone?

SOLI DEO GLORIA