By Steve Higginbotham
It is typical to find a person making well-intended resolutions at this time of the year. In a contemplative moment, one may review his life and will decide to make some changes for the new year.
While such resolutions are good and deciding to change poor behavior to better behavior is noble, it is often insufficient. Why so? Because resolutions are insufficient when it is repentance that is needed!
Reflecting on one’s past moral failings and resolving to do better in the “new year” is a step in the right direction, but it is only a step that falls woefully short of what one needs. You see, God doesn’t want to hear our resolutions of better behavior and promises of a godlier life; what he wants to hear is our resolutions preceded by our humble repentance over our past failures.
Forgiveness is not achieved by better resolutions. Pardon is not received by the turning of a calendar. Instead, it secured by humbly repenting (Luke 13:3). Resolutions without repentance only make one a “better behaved sinner” in the eyes of God.
Judging from the practices of some brethren, we need to do more teaching on this matter. How often have we witnessed someone get offended at church and disappear for months, maybe even years? Then as time passes, his anger and hurt diminishes, and he resolves to do better. Surprisingly, you’ll find him back at church one Sunday, acting as if nothing had ever happened. The church is just glad to see him back, and before you know it, no one even remembers his season of unfaithfulness. Everything seems fine except for one thing! He never repented! Oh, he reformed his behavior. He is acting better than he once did. But he never humbled himself and repented of his sin.
Friends, God may not need your resolutions nearly as much as he needs your repentance! Don’t offer God a resolution of reformed behavior when what he first needs to hear from you is a humble confession and repentance of your sins.
Remember, the passing of time, the flipping of a calendar to a new year, and resolutions of a reformed life do not secure forgiveness; repentance does.