“If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5 v.17)

Dear Friends,

Is it a time for turning over a new leaf? In the past, I had a problem with new year – after all, it’s only another day, just a different year number – no longer 2016 but 2017.

In some ways, being a Christian means that each one of us is a brand new person on the inside, so does that mean we have no leaves to turn over? Regretfully not, because that would suggest that having been re-created to live in vital union with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we have nothing to change, no way to improve, nothing to ask forgiveness for.

If we believe that, part of Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae would be a good way for each of us to begin the year 2017. In Colossians 2 v. 6 & 7, Paul says to us, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness.”

I recently had to have a huge fir tree cut down because I felt it had become dangerous. The tree had overcome its usefulness and, although it had continued to grow, its roots seemed to be dying. Our faith being rooted in Jesus Christ will never become dangerous and never die because our life comes from Jesus and is constantly strengthened by His Holy Spirit. Let us then celebrate a new year and again, using Paul’s words, let us delight in how firm our faith is in Jesus Christ.

With love in the Lord,

Marion