It is custom for many to make New Year's resolutions. Many want to be better at doing something: losing weight, eating healthier, read more books, spend more time with family and/or friends, any number of things. While this can be laudable, I have never met a person who was able to keep those resolutions farther than a month into the year. I'm sure there are people out there who have been able to stay on the bandwagon, but I've never met them.

I'll be honest: I have not made New Year's resolutions for a few years now. I don't make any because of my depression necessarily, but because I hate being enslaved by the Law, and when I don't lose those certain amount of pounds and so on, I find myself thinking I've sinned in some way. However, that is not the case. One does not sin because they haven't lost weight or eaten something over something else. Nowhere in God's Word does it say, "Thou Shalt Eat a Certain Way" or "Thou Shalt Lose More Weight." You will never find it there. Yeah, the Old Testament Israel was given dietary restrictions. But as the New Testament Church we have since been set free by Christ from such things as the dietary and ceremonial Laws.

There is one resolution, however, one may be able to try and keep instead: live in the freedom of Christ. Live in the freedom given through the forgiveness of your sins. Live in the righteousness of God. Live in the freedom of the Gospel. How do you do this? Remember your Baptism. Receive the Holy Absolution from your Pastor. Partake of your Lord's Body and Blood in the Holy Supper. These things are what truly set you free from sin, death, and the Devil. And guess what? You can live a life boldly now, and even guide you into the glory of eternal life.

I challenge you to make this your New Year's resolution. I've never heard anybody try this out before. Why not now?

Your Brother in Christ,
Pastor Jonathan Holmes

The full newsletter can be downloaded here:
http://www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2017/2017-01-Newsletter.pdf