January 4th, 2026
by Lars Dahl
by Lars Dahl
There's something undeniably hopeful about turning the page on a calendar. Fresh planners sit ready to be filled, resolutions are boldly declared, and we imagine ourselves becoming someone better, stronger, more disciplined. But what if the secret to a truly transformative year isn't about becoming someone new, but recognizing who you already are in Christ?
The Gospel of New Creation
Second Corinthians 5:17 contains one of the most revolutionary statements in all of Scripture: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
This isn't a motivational slogan for self-improvement. It's a declaration of reality for every believer.
When Paul writes "if anyone is in Christ," he's not talking about church attendance, moral improvement, or religious effort. He's describing union—a profound spiritual reality where your life is now wrapped up in Christ's life, His death, His resurrection, His righteousness. Salvation isn't behavior modification; it's relocation. You've moved from Adam's lineage into Christ's lineage.
The phrase "new creation" means exactly what it says. God doesn't renovate your old heart; He replaces it. The same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead now defines your identity. This isn't self-help, it's resurrection.
Notice the tense: "old things have passed away." It's already done. The old guilt no longer defines you. The old identity no longer owns you. The old condemnation no longer has authority. Your past may still echo in your memory, but it no longer rules your destiny.
"Behold, all things have become new." That word "behold" is an invitation to pay attention, to not miss this miracle. New desires. New direction. New hope. A new future.
God's Pattern: Extraordinary Grace in Ordinary Lives
The temptation at the start of a new year is to believe, "I need to become someone else before God can use me." But Scripture tells a different story.
David was a shepherd boy before he was king. Moses was a stuttering man before he became a leader. Mary was a teenage girl before she became the mother of the Messiah. None of them waited for a "better year" or a more qualified version of themselves.
God's favorite launchpad isn't polished credentials or perfect circumstances, it's a willing heart. This new year doesn't require a better version of you; it requires a surrendered version of you.
Abraham's calling came with no timeline, no detailed explanation—just an instruction to go, "not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8). You may not know how this year will unfold, what challenges are coming, or what doors God will open or close. But you can know who walks with you into it.
The God Who Makes Roads in Wilderness Places
Isaiah 43:19 pairs beautifully with this new creation reality: "Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
Here's how these verses connect: Isaiah declares God's intention to do something new. Second Corinthians reveals God's method—He begins with the believer. In Isaiah, God promises a new work, something unmistakably His. In Corinthians, Paul tells us exactly where that new work begins: inside you.
God's "new thing" is not first a change of circumstances. It's a change of creation.
Isaiah speaks of roads where none existed and rivers where life seemed impossible. Paul explains how God accomplishes this: old things pass away, all things become new. Before anything changes around you, God changes something within you.
The new thing isn't just ahead of you, it's already in you.
The Indwelling Presence
The same Holy Spirit who overshadowed Mary now indwells every believer. As you step into a new year, God doesn't say, "Good luck." He says, "I will be with you."
"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you..." (Romans 8:11). "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
This means 2026, or whatever year you're reading this, is not faced alone. The Holy Spirit guides decisions, strengthens endurance, produces Christlike character, and empowers faithful witness.
We don't need to resolve harder; we need to walk closer.
The Unchanging Christ in Changing Times
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).
Years change. Circumstances shift. Culture evolves. But Jesus remains Jesus. The coming year is not uncertain to Him; it's already in His hands.
This new year isn't just a personal reset; it's a missional opportunity. "Let your light so shine before men..." (Matthew 5:16). That light looks like faithfulness when culture drifts, kindness when tempers flare, truth spoken with grace, and service when no one notices.
God doesn't call us to foresee the darkness; He calls us to shine in it.
When Fear Knocks at the Door
A new year often brings new fears. Financial uncertainty. Health concerns. Relationship tensions. Global instability.
But fear never gets the final word.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
"Be strong and of good courage... for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).
God doesn't promise an easy year. He does promise His presence. And His presence changes everything. Fear loses its grip in God's presence.
Moving Forward
Most resolutions won't survive the first full week of January. That's okay. God doesn't wait for January to start doing extraordinary things; He waits for a willing heart.
You are already a new creation if you are in Christ. The work is done. The identity is secure. The Spirit is present. The future is held.
Now walk in that reality. Not perfectly. Not flawlessly. But faithfully.
Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8).
This year, let the extraordinary grace of God work through your ordinary, faithful life.
Behold—all things have become new.
The Gospel of New Creation
Second Corinthians 5:17 contains one of the most revolutionary statements in all of Scripture: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
This isn't a motivational slogan for self-improvement. It's a declaration of reality for every believer.
When Paul writes "if anyone is in Christ," he's not talking about church attendance, moral improvement, or religious effort. He's describing union—a profound spiritual reality where your life is now wrapped up in Christ's life, His death, His resurrection, His righteousness. Salvation isn't behavior modification; it's relocation. You've moved from Adam's lineage into Christ's lineage.
The phrase "new creation" means exactly what it says. God doesn't renovate your old heart; He replaces it. The same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead now defines your identity. This isn't self-help, it's resurrection.
Notice the tense: "old things have passed away." It's already done. The old guilt no longer defines you. The old identity no longer owns you. The old condemnation no longer has authority. Your past may still echo in your memory, but it no longer rules your destiny.
"Behold, all things have become new." That word "behold" is an invitation to pay attention, to not miss this miracle. New desires. New direction. New hope. A new future.
God's Pattern: Extraordinary Grace in Ordinary Lives
The temptation at the start of a new year is to believe, "I need to become someone else before God can use me." But Scripture tells a different story.
David was a shepherd boy before he was king. Moses was a stuttering man before he became a leader. Mary was a teenage girl before she became the mother of the Messiah. None of them waited for a "better year" or a more qualified version of themselves.
God's favorite launchpad isn't polished credentials or perfect circumstances, it's a willing heart. This new year doesn't require a better version of you; it requires a surrendered version of you.
Abraham's calling came with no timeline, no detailed explanation—just an instruction to go, "not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8). You may not know how this year will unfold, what challenges are coming, or what doors God will open or close. But you can know who walks with you into it.
The God Who Makes Roads in Wilderness Places
Isaiah 43:19 pairs beautifully with this new creation reality: "Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
Here's how these verses connect: Isaiah declares God's intention to do something new. Second Corinthians reveals God's method—He begins with the believer. In Isaiah, God promises a new work, something unmistakably His. In Corinthians, Paul tells us exactly where that new work begins: inside you.
God's "new thing" is not first a change of circumstances. It's a change of creation.
Isaiah speaks of roads where none existed and rivers where life seemed impossible. Paul explains how God accomplishes this: old things pass away, all things become new. Before anything changes around you, God changes something within you.
The new thing isn't just ahead of you, it's already in you.
The Indwelling Presence
The same Holy Spirit who overshadowed Mary now indwells every believer. As you step into a new year, God doesn't say, "Good luck." He says, "I will be with you."
"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you..." (Romans 8:11). "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
This means 2026, or whatever year you're reading this, is not faced alone. The Holy Spirit guides decisions, strengthens endurance, produces Christlike character, and empowers faithful witness.
We don't need to resolve harder; we need to walk closer.
The Unchanging Christ in Changing Times
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).
Years change. Circumstances shift. Culture evolves. But Jesus remains Jesus. The coming year is not uncertain to Him; it's already in His hands.
This new year isn't just a personal reset; it's a missional opportunity. "Let your light so shine before men..." (Matthew 5:16). That light looks like faithfulness when culture drifts, kindness when tempers flare, truth spoken with grace, and service when no one notices.
God doesn't call us to foresee the darkness; He calls us to shine in it.
When Fear Knocks at the Door
A new year often brings new fears. Financial uncertainty. Health concerns. Relationship tensions. Global instability.
But fear never gets the final word.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
"Be strong and of good courage... for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).
God doesn't promise an easy year. He does promise His presence. And His presence changes everything. Fear loses its grip in God's presence.
Moving Forward
Most resolutions won't survive the first full week of January. That's okay. God doesn't wait for January to start doing extraordinary things; He waits for a willing heart.
You are already a new creation if you are in Christ. The work is done. The identity is secure. The Spirit is present. The future is held.
Now walk in that reality. Not perfectly. Not flawlessly. But faithfully.
Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8).
This year, let the extraordinary grace of God work through your ordinary, faithful life.
Behold—all things have become new.
Lars Dahl
Recent
Archive
2026
2025
August
September
October
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments