A NEW YEAR HAS ARRIVED! And like the year before it, this new 365 days has come with much anticipation. Many people begin January 1 with goals, hopes, dreams, and perhaps even a plan of action for all that they would like to accomplish. The possibilities for a new year's list of resolutions are endless. Some of the most common include exercise routines, healthier eating, progress at work, and quality time spent with family. Life goals and resolutions can be a great way to begin a year, so long as a healthy balance is maintained. For Christians, the start of a new year arrives with reminders afresh of the glorious promises that God has made to his people through the Bible. For Christians--those who have repented of their sin and received Jesus Christ as their Savior--a new year is a chance for renewed commitments to seek after God and to share the good news of Jesus. The Scriptures below are foundational truths that Christians believe. They are beacons of hope, not only for a new year but also for an eternal future with God. If you have not yet placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, then these Scriptures bring great news. The gospel of Jesus is that his birth, life, death on a cross, and resurrection to heaven from the grave deliver eternal life to those who turn away from sin and receive Jesus as their Savior. Make this new year the start of an eternity-changing journey toward becoming a child of God! Gospel Scriptures for a New Year "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. . . . The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 3:23; 6:23) "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world. . . . But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:1, 2; 2:4, 5) "When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7) The Apostle Paul wrote, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." (1 Timothy 1:15) "[Jesus] committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to [God] who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." (1 Peter 2:22-25) The Light of the Gospel Let these Scriptures sink deep into your hearts. Memorize them. Share them with your friends and family. The gospel--or good news--of Jesus Christ is a bright light to an often-dark world. If you believe the truths that you've just read, it is only fitting that you would want to share the rich hope of the gospel, especially at the beginning of a new year. If you have read these words of good news as an unbeliever, consider taking a first step of faith in Jesus Christ by praying the following: Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son, and that he died on the cross to save me from my sin. I believe that he rose again to life, and that he invites me to live forever with him in heaven as part of your family. Because of what Jesus has done, I ask you to forgive me of my sin and give me eternal life. Help me in a way that pleases and honors you. Amen.

To the people of the world, Easter means that the perfect plan of salvation has been provided. The Bible, God's book, summarizes the "gospel," which means "good news," this way: "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures . . . he was buried . . . he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). God shows his love for us in that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). To God, Easter means that he is satisfied with Jesus's death in our place. "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust [us], that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus Christ "is the propitiation [the Satisfier of God's just punishment] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). To the believer, Easter is the promise of everlasting life. Jesus promised whoever "heareth my word, and believeth on him [God the Father] that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). God "raised up the Lord [Jesus], and will also raise up us by his own power" (1 Corinthians 6:14). To you, Easter is a challenge to believe. Whoever "believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36). Jesus said, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me . . . shall never die [spiritually]" (John 11:25-26). You can know the true meaning of Easter in your life today! Recognize that without Christ you are separated from God. In honest repentance, admit your sin and your need to be saved: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God . . . the wages of sin is death" (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Realize that God loves you and that Jesus Christ died for your sins. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son [to die in your place], that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men [humankind], the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). Receive the risen Christ into your life by faith and trust him as your Savior. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17). "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12). Eternal life begins the moment you believe that only through Jesus can your sins be forgiven, and that eternal life comes only from God: "it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8), it is not because of your own doing. You can be forgiven today! That's how the true meaning of Easter can make a difference in your life--now and forever!

The church in the West is at a critical moment. More than ever, Christians must resist the negative cultural forces of our day with fortitude and winsomeness. What is needed are followers of Christ who are willing to face reality without flinching and respond with a faithfulness that is unwavering. Os Guinness describes these Christians as impossible people." Few accounts of the challenge of today are more realistic, and few calls to Christian courage are more timely, resolute -and hopeful. Christians are called to be impossible people, serving an impossible God.