Being Renewed in Christ for the New Year
The celebrations for the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Dog in the Chinese Zodiac, has just passed. Many have good memories of the once-a-year visitation, meaningful family reunion dinners, exchange of red packets and greetings for a happy and prosperous year. Some celebrate with the traditional Singaporean “lo-hei” dish (the yearning for happiness, blessings and good fortune) in different areas of life. In our Chinese culture, there is a significant stress on the renewing of ties and relationships with family members, relatives, friends, neighbours and colleagues. With the start of the Lunar New Year, we also look forward to days of joy, accomplishment and deepening of friendships among family members, married couples and colleagues.
For the first two weeks of the annual celebration, everything, from within the home, personal usage of clothings to other possessions, tends to be new or are renewed. This is also expressed in the greetings and wishes for each other during the festive days. That is a truly wonderful aspiration of our people. That aspiration has always been in our culture and practice in life so that our earthly life will not be meaningless, boring or fruitless.
As we enter into the month in which we commemorate Christ’s death and resurrection, we are reminded of the idea of renewal in Christ’s teaching – that we need to have the (a) renewed life when we are born again in Christ (Jn 3:3 & 5). He taught His disciples the (b) renewed commandment in loving each other (Jn 13:33-34), and adopting (c) a renewed attitude in life (Eph 4:23).
1. Being Born Anew in Christ.
In the Bible, God revealed Himself through the coming of Jesus Christ (Jn 1:18; 5:19). And “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (Jn 1:12). “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” (2 Cor 5:17). And “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Rom 8:29)
May we not just hold on to the concept of renewal in the New Year tradition, but hold on strongly to the renewed life in Christ which He has promised to give to those who follow Him.
2. A New Commandment of Love in Him.
Before Christ was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, and later led away to die on the cross at Calvary, He spent time with His disciples at the Last Supper. During that meal, He taught them to love one another. Jn 13:33, 34 says: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
Christ was not implying that His disciples’ love for each other should be as great as His love for them. He gave them a new commandment to love one another because this was needful when He is no longer with them. Just as He has loved them while He was with them, they are to do likewise, standing in for Christ in their love and care for each other. Christ was aware of the divisions among them. That is why the Apostle John exhorted the believers to continue in Christ’s love after He is no longer physically present on earth. In 1 Jn 3:23, John reiterates Christ’s teaching: “And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”
In the Lunar New Year, we extend our love towards those in the immediate family, the extended family, and even those outside our families.
In the family of God, we are given a new commandment to love one another. May God grant to each one of us the desire and strength to love others as Christ loved us. Christ loved us and gave His life for us even though we were sinners. So let us learn to love even those who are unlovable, or difficult to love. Let us reach out to those who still do not know Christ – the loved ones in the family, our close friends, colleagues, neighbours, even those who sit next to us in the bus, on the train, the one we buy food or goods from every day. Let us pray that God will use us to demonstrate His love for them.
3. A Renewed Mind in Christ.
And as mentioned in last Sunday’s bulletin, renewal in Christ should start from the mind. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Cor 2:16, “For who hath the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” In the letter to the Philippian Church, Paul says “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 2:5).
But what did the Apostle Paul mean when he referred to the “mind that was in Christ Jesus”?
Having the mind of Christ is to follow Christ’s example of obedience to God; share His perspective of humility and submission to God’s will (Phil 2:5-8), even obedience to the death on the cross.
Having the mind of Christ is to understand God’s plan of salvation for those He created. God’s plan is to have all to be saved; to reconcile sinful men to Himself through what Christ has done on the cross.
Having the mind of Christ is to have our minds be transformed to be like Christ; not to be conformed to the standards of this world. Our minds need to be renewed in Christ every day because we are tempted in so many ways and in so many areas to follow the world’s fashion and perspective of life.
Having the mind of Christ is to identify with Christ’s commission and command, and that is to “go ye therefore, and teach all nations. baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matt 28:19,20)
May I challenge everyone of you to put aside some time this year to join us at Church Camp. Let us come together to be revived, refreshed, and renewed in the Lord.
Pastor Bob Phee