IN THE BEGINNING

In The Beginning

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:1, 14).

The New Year always stirs hope—hope for a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning. It is a season when many of us resolve to become more of who we believe we were meant to be. We dust off old goals, return to the treadmill or sign up for a gym, adjust our diets, and recommit ourselves to healthier living. At the same time, the memory of Christmas and the gift of Jesus’ birth still lingers in our hearts.

As we make resolutions and seek the Lord’s direction and blessing for the year ahead, it is worth remembering this truth: Jesus is the beginning of our faith, and our lives are meant to reflect Him.

Salvation is a free gift, but spiritual growth is a responsibility. Scripture reminds us that we are to grow up in our salvation (1 Peter 2:2). Accepting Jesus as Savior is not the finish line—it is the starting point. It marks the beginning of a new way of living, a commitment to grow in the knowledge of God and to learn how to think, love, forgive, serve, lead, and live as Jesus did.

Paul captures this transformation with striking clarity: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live… I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). To be born again means our old selves—the lives driven by selfish desire and self-centered motives—have been surrendered. That life is now behind us. The believer’s life is directed by Christ. When Paul says, “I no longer live,” he is declaring that the person he once was no longer governs his actions. Christ now lives within us through the Holy Spirit, and we are called to live in obedience to Him.

This new life is not static. We are meant to grow into it—until our habits, speech, attitudes, and behavior increasingly resemble Christ. Peter writes, “God called you and chose you to be His. Do your best to live in a way that shows you really are God’s called and chosen people” (2 Peter 1:10, ERV). Growth means gradually shedding old ways of thinking and behaving and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, putting on our new selves.

As Christians, we must learn to see ourselves through the lens of Jesus and through the reality of the cross. Salvation is a dramatic, life-altering event. When unbelievers look at us, they expect to see evidence of Jesus living in us—and that expectation is not unreasonable. Jesus Himself set the example for how His followers should live. Our values, actions, and everyday conduct are meant to reflect Him. Our lives should bear fruit that shows we have truly repented and turned toward God (Matthew 3:8). People should be able to recognize our faith not merely by what we claim, but by how we live.

In Matthew 7, Jesus teaches that those who hear His words and put them into practice are like a wise person who builds a house on solid rock. Each of us is that house. Before salvation, our lives are often built on unstable ground. When we come to Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up residence and begins the work of renovation. That renovation is spiritual growth—learning to recognize and discard old patterns of thought and behavior, and replacing them with virtues that reflect godly character, integrity, courage, and maturity.

Our Christian identity should be more than a slogan on a T-shirt or a cross on a doorway. It should be visible in how we live. It should point to a distinctly different way of life.

St. Francis of Assisi captured this beautifully: “Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” As we stand at the threshold of a new beginning, let us resolve not only to start fresh—but to live more fully, more faithfully, and more like Jesus in the year ahead.