Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year! Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution? During this time of year, many people, including Christians, resolve to do something significant or different for many reasons, such as bettering themselves or accomplishing something new. The start of a New Year seems to give us a blank slate to initiate these efforts.

We at Answers in Genesis would like to give you a list of possible resolutions to consider as you begin the New Year.

1. Trust in Jesus Christ as Your Lord and Savior.

From God’s Word, the history book of the universe, we know that the first two people, Adam and Eve, ate the fruit that God the Creator forbade them from eating (Genesis 3:3, 6). Thus sin (i.e., disobeying God) entered into the world. Scripture states that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and the penalty is death and separation from God (2 Thessalonians 1:9). There is nothing we can do by ourselves to overcome our sin. Praise be to God that He “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Jesus, God’s "only begotten Son,” became a man and died in the place of sinners, thus satisfying the wrath of God, and He was raised from the dead as proof that God accepted His sacrifice.

When we repent of our sin and trust in Jesus Christ’s work on the Cross to pay for our sins, we are saved by the eternal grace of God in Jesus Christ and forgiven of all our sins: “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). As Christians, no longer are we slaves to sin (Romans 6:6). We are free from sin's dominion (Romans 6:14); you can have freedom in Christ. Though we still struggle with our sin (Romans 6:12), God sees us as righteous in the Lord Jesus Christ. We strive to be Christ-like (1 John 2:6) and look forward to the hope of living forever with Jesus Christ in Heaven. We do not need a New Year to have our slate wiped clean of past transgressions—just the forgiveness of Jesus who can accomplish this at any time and for good (Luke 7:47-49; Psalm 103:12). So today, if you have not already done so, we urge you to trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

• For more information: The Bad News . . . and the Good News

2. Resolve to Place God’s Word as Your Authority in All Areas.

As Christians, God’s Word is our authority. However, we are still fallible human beings, and sometimes our biases—preconceived ideas—can get in the way. We all have biases in different areas, and this is not all bad. For example, here at Answers in Genesis we are biased about God’s Word being true. Bias is a part of who we are, but if we are not careful, we can let some of our unfounded preconceived notions supersede God’s authority.

As we go about our day, are we letting God speak to us through His Word and by His Spirit, or are we giving in to fallible ideas of man? We must learn to “test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). If something we believe in or are doing contradicts Scripture, we must hold fast to the truth of God’s Word and conform our thoughts and actions accordingly. We encourage all Christians to prayerfully start the New Year by seeking to place God and His Word as the authority in every area of their lives.

• For more information: “The Authority Test”

3. Be a Light for Christ.

The state of the church in America is rapidly declining, and the church in the United Kingdom needs a revival. What can be done in countries such as these? Well, Jesus calls believers to be the light in a dark world (Matthew 5:14–16). The nature of a Christian is inherently different from that of an unbeliever who is still a slave to sin (Romans 6:4–6), so being a light for Christ means “that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:12–14).

Jesus Christ is the cure for a broken world, and He uses us to spread the truth of His Word to the world. What a blessing it is! However, we must be sure to place a high regard on the authority of His Word to be the light that we should be. We urge each and every believer to deliberately seek to make a difference in the church and the world.

• For more information: “Are Christians Commanded to Change the Culture?”

4. Be Committed to a Local Church.

Christians are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19–20), and we are to speak “the truth in love” that we “may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (4:15). Believers are unified in Christ and are to proclaim the truth of His Word to spread the good news of Jesus and edify believers, and one way we can accomplish this is to gather together as Christians to declare of our love for God, His Word, and others (Hebrews 10:23–25). We must work as one to proclaim the gospel to a dark world, and it takes each Christian to do his or her part (Ephesians 4:16).

• For more information: “The Church—Training Ground for Truth”

5. Visit the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum.

The Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum are great places to bring your family, friends, and church to learn the truth of God’s Word and get equipped with answers to the skeptical questions of this age.

The Ark Encounter brings the account of Noah and the Ark to life. You can explore how Noah and his family could have built the ship, survived the voyage, fit all of the animals on board the Ark, and much more. But most importantly, the Ark clearly explains the gospel of Jesus Christ and shows why we can trust God’s Word starting in Genesis.

The Creation Museum takes you on a biblical walk through history and teaches you why you need a Savior, why you can trust God’s Word as truth, and how science confirms the Bible.

We also invite you to take a look at the many topics on our website where we equip people with answers. So, if you are able, we invite you to consider making a trip to the Ark and museum this year to help train the next generation for Jesus Christ.

• For more information: Plan Your Visit to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum

Conclusion

The beginning of a New Year can be a helpful time to make resolutions, and we can do so throughout the year as well. We pray and hope that these suggestions for New Year’s resolutions have been a blessing to you, and we wish you a happy New Year!