New Year's Resolutions

The days just before and after Christmas always pass by quickly. I was blessed to have my Austrian friend Clemens over for a week and spend the New Year's eve with me and my other friends. I had a great time. On Wednesday I will be going to Helsinki for two days, and then come back to Turku to spend the last weekend here before school starts again.

The change of the year always brings potential changes in people's lifes. New year's resolutions often have something to do with a change of lifestyle. There is something in everyone's life that needs to be changed. By that we admit that none of us is living a perfect life, that all of us struggle and fail at times. Imagining someone entirely perfect is difficult for us, let alone someone who knows everything and always does justice to everyone. But that's exactly who God is - and much more. God has no need for New year's resolutions - He has always been perfect and will always be. He will never change. That's what makes it so marvellous to read of all of His promises in the Bible.

God's love for us is so huge that I don't think any human being could ever understand it entirely. Because of His love He took our sin to the cross, and thus provided us a way to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Once you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and repented of your sins, God sees you as if you had never sinned. As a person who would have no need for new year's resolutions of better lifestyle. It's all His work and a free gift for you, out of grace and love.

"I - yes, I alone - will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again".

- Isaiah 43:25

"I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no other Savior. First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God," says the LORD. "From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done."

- Isaiah 43:11-13

Let us all keep the gospel message as our focus this year. May it be our resolution for 2012 ;)